scholarly journals A Statistical Approach for the Assessment of Muscle Activation Patterns during Gait in Parkinson’s Disease

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1641
Author(s):  
Giulia Pacini Panebianco ◽  
Davide Ferrazzoli ◽  
Giuseppe Frazzitta ◽  
Margherita Fonsato ◽  
Maria Cristina Bisi ◽  
...  

Recently, the statistical analysis of muscle activation patterns highlighted that not only one, but several activation patterns can be identified in the gait of healthy adults, with different occurrence. Although its potential, the application of this approach in pathological populations is still limited and specific implementation issues need to be addressed. This study aims at applying a statistical approach to analyze muscle activation patterns of gait in Parkinson’s Disease, integrating gait symmetry and co-activation. Surface electromyographic signal of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medialis were recorded during a 6-min walking test in 20 patients. Symmetry between right and left stride time series was verified, different activation patterns identified, and their occurrence (number and timing) quantified, as well as the co-activation of antagonist muscles. Gastrocnemius medialis presented five activation patterns (mean occurrence ranging from 2% to 43%) showing, with respect to healthy adults, the presence of a first shorted and delayed activation (between flat foot contact and push off, and in the final swing) and highlighting a new second region of anticipated activation (during early/mid swing). Tibialis anterior presented five activation patterns (mean occurrence ranging from 3% to 40%) highlighting absent or delayed activity at the beginning of the gait cycle, and generally shorter and anticipated activations during the swing phase with respect to healthy adults. Three regions of co-contraction were identified: from heel strike to mid-stance, from the pre- to initial swing, and during late swing. This study provided a novel insight in the analysis of muscle activation patterns in Parkinson’s Disease patients with respect to the literature, where unique, at times conflicting, average patterns were reported. The proposed integrated methodology is meant to be generalized for the analysis of muscle activation patterns in pathologic subjects.

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 489-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Dimitrova ◽  
Fay B. Horak ◽  
John G. Nutt

The postural adaptation impairments of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suggest that the basal ganglia may be important for quickly modifying muscle activation patterns when the direction of perturbation or stance conditions suddenly change. It is unknown whether their particular instability to backward postural perturbations is due to specific abnormalities of parkinsonian postural muscle synergies in that direction and not present in other directions. In the present study, we test this hypothesis by comparing the patterns of leg and trunk muscle activation in13 subjects with PD and 13 control subjects in response to eight randomly presented directions of horizontal surface translations while standing with either narrow or wide stance. The direction of maximum activation for each muscle was similar for PD and control subjects, suggesting that the basal ganglia is not critical for programming externally triggered postural synergies. However, antagonist muscle activation was earlier and larger in PD than in control subjects, resulting in coactivation. PD subjects also did not increase the magnitude of muscle activation as much as did control subjects when changing from wide to narrow stance. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that PD results in an inability to shape the pattern and magnitude of postural muscle responses for changes in perturbation direction and in stance position.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Wei Lin ◽  
Fong-Chin Su ◽  
Cheng-Feng Lin

Ballet deep squat with legs rotated externally (grand plié) is a fundamental movement for dancers. However, performing this task is a challenge to ankle control, particularly for those with ankle injury. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how ankle sprains affect the ability of postural and muscular control during grand plié in ballet dancers. Thirteen injured dancers and 20 uninjured dancers performed a 15 second grand plié consisting of lowering, squatting, and rising phases. The lower extremity motion patterns and muscle activities, pelvic orientation, and center of pressure (COP) excursion were measured. In addition, a principal component analysis was applied to analyze waveforms of muscle activity in bilateral medial gastrocnemius, peroneus longus, and tibialis anterior. Our findings showed that the injured dancers had smaller pelvic motions and COP excursions, greater maximum angles of knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion as well as different temporal activation patterns of the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior. These findings suggested that the injured dancers coped with postural challenges by changing lower extremity motions and temporal muscle activation patterns.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Harald Olstad ◽  
Christoph Zinner ◽  
João Rocha Vaz ◽  
Jan M.H. Cabri ◽  
Per-Ludvik Kjendlie

Purpose:To investigate the muscle-activation patterns and coactivation with the support of kinematics in some of the world’s best breaststrokers and identify performance discriminants related to national elites at maximal effort.Methods:Surface electromyography was collected in 8 muscles from 4 world-class (including 2 world champions) and 4 national elite breaststroke swimmers during a 25-m breaststroke at maximal effort.Results:World-class spent less time during the leg recovery (P = .043), began this phase with a smaller knee angle (154.6° vs 161.8°), and had a higher median velocity of 0.18 m/s during the leg glide than national elites. Compared with national elites, world-class swimmers showed a difference in the muscle-activation patterns for all 8 muscles. In the leg-propulsion phase, there was less triceps brachii activation (1 swimmer 6% vs median 23.0% [8.8]). In the leg-glide phase, there was activation in rectus femoris and gastrocnemius during the beginning of this phase (all world-class vs only 1 national elite) and a longer activation in pectoralis major (world champions 71% [0.5] vs 50.0 [4.3]) (propulsive phase of the arms). In the leg-recovery phase, there was more activation in biceps femoris (50.0% [15.0] vs 20.0% [14.0]) and a later and quicker activation in tibialis anterior (40.0% [7.8] vs 52.0% [6.0]). In the stroke cycle, there was no coactivation in tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius for world champions.Conclusion:These components are important performance discriminants. They can be used to improve muscle-activation patterns and kinematics through the different breaststroke phases. Furthermore, they can be used as focus points for teaching breaststroke to beginners.


2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-358
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn P. Roland

Persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) are often excluded from frailty studies, and thus little is known about how frailty influences decline in physiological capacity in persons with PD. Impaired physiological capacity impacts the ability to remain physically active, which reduces physical function that is necessary for independent living. The overall purpose of this dissertation was to examine physiological capacity (i.e., muscle activation patterns) and physical activity in males and females with PD during routine daily activities to determine whether they influence physical function and frailty. An extensive literature review of sex differences in PD highlighted that greater declines in gait speed, balance, and motor function occur in females compared with males. This dissertation demonstrated persons with PD, especially females with PD, were weaker and have less muscle quiescence, as measured with gaps in the electromyography, compared with controls and males with PD. These results provide insight into mechanisms (i.e., physiological capacity) that determine PD and sex-related declines in functional performance. In addition, greater muscle activity and less quiescence in females with PD may perpetuate frailty through increased muscle fatigue and slowness of movement. Females with PD are more vulnerable to prefrailty than males and factors that are associated with frailty are quality of life (QoL) and self-reported exhaustion. The neuromuscular changes associated with frailty exacerbate PD, which may create greater muscle fatigue that results in self-reported exhaustion. In conclusion, research presented within this dissertation demonstrates that addressing frailty in PD is important, especially in females who are at greater risk for functional decline. This research presents new knowledge by suggesting that frail females with PD remain physically active during daily life and that disease management may better reflect frailty than disease severity or duration. Understanding how frailty concurrently exists with PD and how these conditions progress within the aging adult may enhance identification and implementation of management strategies aimed at improving functional independence and QoL.


2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Caliandro ◽  
M. Ferrarin ◽  
M. Cioni ◽  
A.R. Bentivoglio ◽  
I. Minciotti ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Roland van den Tillaar ◽  
Eirik Lindset Kristiansen ◽  
Stian Larsen

This study compared the kinetics, barbell, and joint kinematics and muscle activation patterns between a one-repetition maximum (1-RM) Smith machine squat and isometric squats performed at 10 different heights from the lowest barbell height. The aim was to investigate if force output is lowest in the sticking region, indicating that this is a poor biomechanical region. Twelve resistance trained males (age: 22 ± 5 years, mass: 83.5 ± 39 kg, height: 1.81 ± 0.20 m) were tested. A repeated two-way analysis of variance showed that Force output decreased in the sticking region for the 1-RM trial, while for the isometric trials, force output was lowest between 0–15 cm from the lowest barbell height, data that support the sticking region is a poor biomechanical region. Almost all muscles showed higher activity at 1-RM compared with isometric attempts (p < 0.05). The quadriceps activity decreased, and the gluteus maximus and shank muscle activity increased with increasing height (p ≤ 0.024). Moreover, the vastus muscles decreased only for the 1-RM trial while remaining stable at the same positions in the isometric trials (p = 0.04), indicating that potentiation occurs. Our findings suggest that a co-contraction between the hip and knee extensors, together with potentiation from the vastus muscles during ascent, creates a poor biomechanical region for force output, and thereby the sticking region among recreationally resistance trained males during 1-RM Smith machine squats.


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