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Wang D, Bargiotas I, Cao J, Vayatis N, Oudre L, Vidal PP. Heterogeneities of the perceptual-motor style during locomotion at height. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 17:1228195. [PMID: 38283095 PMCID: PMC10810983 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1228195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In a recent review, we summarized the characteristics of perceptual-motor style in humans. Style can vary from individual to individual, task to task and pathology to pathology, as sensorimotor transformations demonstrate considerable adaptability and plasticity. Although the behavioral evidence for individual styles is substantial, much remains to be done to understand the neural and mechanical substrates of inter-individual differences in sensorimotor performance. In this study, we aimed to investigate the modulation of perceptual-motor style during locomotion at height in 16 persons with no history of fear of heights or acrophobia. We used an inexpensive virtual reality (VR) video game. In this VR game, Richie's Plank, the person progresses on a narrow plank placed between two buildings at the height of the 30th floor. Our first finding was that the static markers (head, trunk and limb configurations relative to the gravitational vertical) and some dynamic markers (jerk, root mean square, sample entropy and two-thirds power law at head, trunk and limb level) we had previously identified to define perceptual motor style during locomotion could account for fear modulation during VR play. Our second surprising result was the heterogeneity of this modulation in the 16 young, healthy individuals exposed to moving at a height. Finally, 56% of participants showed a persistent change in at least one variable of their skeletal configuration and 61% in one variable of their dynamic control during ground locomotion after exposure to height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danping Wang
- Plateforme d’Etude Sensorimotricité, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Machine Learning and I-Health International Cooperation Base of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ioannis Bargiotas
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Saclay, ENS Paris Saclay, Paris, France
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Saclay, Université Paris Cité, ENS Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jiuwen Cao
- Machine Learning and I-Health International Cooperation Base of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nicolas Vayatis
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Saclay, ENS Paris Saclay, Paris, France
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Saclay, Université Paris Cité, ENS Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Laurent Oudre
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Saclay, ENS Paris Saclay, Paris, France
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Saclay, Université Paris Cité, ENS Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pierre-Paul Vidal
- Plateforme d’Etude Sensorimotricité, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Machine Learning and I-Health International Cooperation Base of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Saclay, ENS Paris Saclay, Paris, France
- Centre Borelli, CNRS, SSA, INSERM, Université Paris Saclay, Université Paris Cité, ENS Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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2
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Novembre G, Lacal I, Benusiglio D, Quarta E, Schito A, Grasso S, Caratelli L, Caminiti R, Mayer AB, Iannetti GD. A Cortical Mechanism Linking Saliency Detection and Motor Reactivity in Rhesus Monkeys. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0422232023. [PMID: 37949654 PMCID: PMC10851684 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0422-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden and surprising sensory events trigger neural processes that swiftly adjust behavior. To study the phylogenesis and the mechanism of this phenomenon, we trained two male rhesus monkeys to keep a cursor inside a visual target by exerting force on an isometric joystick. We examined the effect of surprising auditory stimuli on exerted force, scalp electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, and local field potentials (LFPs) recorded from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Auditory stimuli elicited (1) a biphasic modulation of isometric force, a transient decrease followed by a corrective tonic increase, and (2) EEG and LFP deflections dominated by two large negative-positive waves (N70 and P130). The EEG potential was symmetrical and maximal at the scalp vertex, highly reminiscent of the human "vertex potential." Electrocortical potentials and force were tightly coupled: the P130 amplitude predicted the magnitude of the corrective force increase, particularly in the LFPs recorded from deep rather than superficial cortical layers. These results disclose a phylogenetically preserved corticomotor mechanism supporting adaptive behavior in response to salient sensory events.Significance Statement Survival in the natural world depends on an animal's capacity to adapt ongoing behavior to abrupt unexpected events. To study the neural mechanisms underlying this capacity, we trained monkeys to apply constant force on a joystick while we recorded their brain activity from the scalp and the prefrontal cortex contralateral to the hand holding the joystick. Unexpected auditory stimuli elicited a biphasic force modulation: a transient reduction followed by a corrective adjustment. The same stimuli also elicited EEG and LFP responses, dominated by a biphasic wave that predicted the magnitude of the behavioral adjustment. These results disclose a phylogenetically preserved corticomotor mechanism supporting adaptive behavior in response to unexpected events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception & Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Irene Lacal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome 00185, Sapienza, Italy
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Diego Benusiglio
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome 00161, Italy
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, Rome 00015, Italy
| | - Eros Quarta
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome 00185, Sapienza, Italy
| | - Andrea Schito
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome 00185, Sapienza, Italy
| | - Stefano Grasso
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome 00185, Sapienza, Italy
| | - Ludovica Caratelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome 00185, Sapienza, Italy
| | - Roberto Caminiti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome 00185, Sapienza, Italy
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome 00161, Italy
| | | | - Gian Domenico Iannetti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London (UCL), London WC1E6BT, United Kingdom
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3
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Casartelli L, Maronati C, Cavallo A. From neural noise to co-adaptability: Rethinking the multifaceted architecture of motor variability. Phys Life Rev 2023; 47:245-263. [PMID: 37976727 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, the source and the functional meaning of motor variability have attracted considerable attention in behavioral and brain sciences. This construct classically combined different levels of description, variable internal robustness or coherence, and multifaceted operational meanings. We provide here a comprehensive review of the literature with the primary aim of building a precise lexicon that goes beyond the generic and monolithic use of motor variability. In the pars destruens of the work, we model three domains of motor variability related to peculiar computational elements that influence fluctuations in motor outputs. Each domain is in turn characterized by multiple sub-domains. We begin with the domains of noise and differentiation. However, the main contribution of our model concerns the domain of adaptability, which refers to variation within the same exact motor representation. In particular, we use the terms learning and (social)fitting to specify the portions of motor variability that depend on our propensity to learn and on our largely constitutive propensity to be influenced by external factors. A particular focus is on motor variability in the context of the sub-domain named co-adaptability. Further groundbreaking challenges arise in the modeling of motor variability. Therefore, in a separate pars construens, we attempt to characterize these challenges, addressing both theoretical and experimental aspects as well as potential clinical implications for neurorehabilitation. All in all, our work suggests that motor variability is neither simply detrimental nor beneficial, and that studying its fluctuations can provide meaningful insights for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Casartelli
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Italy
| | - Camilla Maronati
- Move'n'Brains Lab, Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavallo
- Move'n'Brains Lab, Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy; C'MoN Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
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4
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Shamantseva N, Timofeeva O, Gvozdeva A, Andreeva I, Moshonkina T. Posture of Healthy Subjects Modulated by Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1909. [PMID: 37763312 PMCID: PMC10532446 DOI: 10.3390/life13091909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is used to restore locomotion and body weight support in patients with severe motor disorders. We studied the effects of this non-invasive stimulation on postural control in healthy subjects. Stimulation at the L1-L2 vertebrae was performed to activate the extensor muscles of the lower limbs. Because postural regulation depends on the cognitive style, the effects of the stimulation were analyzed separately in field-dependent (FD) and field-independent (FI) participants. During the study, FD and FI participants (N = 16, 25 ± 5 years, all right dominant leg) stood on a force platform in a soundproof chamber with their eyes closed. Stimulation was applied in the midline between the L1 and L2 vertebrae or over the left or right dorsal roots of the spinal cord; under the control condition, there was no stimulation. Stimulation destabilized posture in healthy subjects, whereas patients with movement disorders usually showed an improvement in postural control. In the FD participants, left dorsal root and midline stimulation increased several postural parameters by up to 30%. Dorsal root stimulation on the side of the supporting leg reduced postural control, while stimulation on the side of the dominant leg did not. No significant changes were observed in the FI participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Shamantseva
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.T.); (A.G.); (I.A.); (T.M.)
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5
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Lacquaniti F, La Scaleia B, Zago M. Noise and vestibular perception of passive self-motion. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1159242. [PMID: 37181550 PMCID: PMC10169592 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1159242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Noise defined as random disturbances is ubiquitous in both the external environment and the nervous system. Depending on the context, noise can degrade or improve information processing and performance. In all cases, it contributes to neural systems dynamics. We review some effects of various sources of noise on the neural processing of self-motion signals at different stages of the vestibular pathways and the resulting perceptual responses. Hair cells in the inner ear reduce the impact of noise by means of mechanical and neural filtering. Hair cells synapse on regular and irregular afferents. Variability of discharge (noise) is low in regular afferents and high in irregular units. The high variability of irregular units provides information about the envelope of naturalistic head motion stimuli. A subset of neurons in the vestibular nuclei and thalamus are optimally tuned to noisy motion stimuli that reproduce the statistics of naturalistic head movements. In the thalamus, variability of neural discharge increases with increasing motion amplitude but saturates at high amplitudes, accounting for behavioral violation of Weber's law. In general, the precision of individual vestibular neurons in encoding head motion is worse than the perceptual precision measured behaviorally. However, the global precision predicted by neural population codes matches the high behavioral precision. The latter is estimated by means of psychometric functions for detection or discrimination of whole-body displacements. Vestibular motion thresholds (inverse of precision) reflect the contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic noise to perception. Vestibular motion thresholds tend to deteriorate progressively after the age of 40 years, possibly due to oxidative stress resulting from high discharge rates and metabolic loads of vestibular afferents. In the elderly, vestibular thresholds correlate with postural stability: the higher the threshold, the greater is the postural imbalance and risk of falling. Experimental application of optimal levels of either galvanic noise or whole-body oscillations can ameliorate vestibular function with a mechanism reminiscent of stochastic resonance. Assessment of vestibular thresholds is diagnostic in several types of vestibulopathies, and vestibular stimulation might be useful in vestibular rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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6
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Lacquaniti F, La Scaleia B, Zago M. Non-invariants may be used for socially-relevant perceptual decisions: Comment on "Motor invariants in action execution and perception" by Francesco Torricelli et al. Phys Life Rev 2023; 45:60-62. [PMID: 37121136 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering and Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
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7
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Torricelli F, Tomassini A, Pezzulo G, Pozzo T, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. Motor invariants in action execution and perception. Phys Life Rev 2023; 44:13-47. [PMID: 36462345 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system is sensitive to statistical regularities of the external world and forms internal models of these regularities to predict environmental dynamics. Given the inherently social nature of human behavior, being capable of building reliable predictive models of others' actions may be essential for successful interaction. While social prediction might seem to be a daunting task, the study of human motor control has accumulated ample evidence that our movements follow a series of kinematic invariants, which can be used by observers to reduce their uncertainty during social exchanges. Here, we provide an overview of the most salient regularities that shape biological motion, examine the role of these invariants in recognizing others' actions, and speculate that anchoring socially-relevant perceptual decisions to such kinematic invariants provides a key computational advantage for inferring conspecifics' goals and intentions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Torricelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Thierry Pozzo
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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8
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La Scaleia B, Lacquaniti F, Zago M. Enhancement of Vestibular Motion Discrimination by Small Stochastic Whole-body Perturbations in Young Healthy Humans. Neuroscience 2023; 510:32-48. [PMID: 36535577 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation has been shown to improve vestibular perception in healthy subjects. Here, we sought to obtain similar results using more natural stimuli consisting of small-amplitude motion perturbations of the whole body. Thirty participants were asked to report the perceived direction of antero-posterior sinusoidal motion on a MOOG platform. We compared the baseline perceptual thresholds with those obtained by applying small, stochastic perturbations at different power levels along the antero-posterior axis, symmetrically distributed around a zero-mean. At the population level, we found that the thresholds for all but the highest level of noise were significantly lower than the baseline threshold. At the individual level, the threshold was lower with at least one noise level than the threshold without noise in 87% of participants. Thus, small, stochastic oscillations of the whole body can increase the probability of recognizing the direction of motion from low, normally subthreshold vestibular signals, possibly due to stochastic resonance mechanisms. We suggest that, just as the external noise of the present experiments, also the spontaneous random oscillations of the head and body associated with standing posture are beneficial by enhancing vestibular thresholds with a mechanism similar to stochastic resonance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Visuomotor Control and Gravitational Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Visuomotor Control and Gravitational Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
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9
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High intra-task and low inter-task correlations of motor skills in humans creates an individualized behavioural pattern. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20156. [PMID: 36418339 PMCID: PMC9684559 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24479-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our motor system allows us to generate an enormous breadth of voluntary actions, but it remains unclear whether and how much motor skill translates across tasks. For example, if an individual is good at gross motor control, are they also good at fine motor control? Previous research about the generalization across motor skills has been equivocal. Here, we compare human performance across five different motor skills. High correlation between task measures would suggest a certain level of underlying sensorimotor ability that dictates performance across all task types. Low correlation would suggest specificity in abilities across tasks. Performance on a reaching task, an object-hitting task, a bimanual coordination task, a rapid motion task and a target tracking task, was examined twice in a cohort of 25 healthy individuals. Across the cohort, we found relatively high correlations for different spatial and temporal parameters within a given task (16-53% of possible parameter pairs were significantly correlated, with significant r values ranging from 0.53 to 0.97) but relatively low correlations across different tasks (2.7-4.4% of possible parameter pairs were significantly correlated, with significant r values ranging from 0.53-0.71). We performed a cluster analysis across all individuals using 76 performance measures across all tasks for the two repeat testing sessions and demonstrated that repeat tests were commonly grouped together (16 of 25 pairs were grouped next to each other). These results highlight that individuals have different abilities across motor tasks, and that these patterns are consistent across time points.
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Sylos-Labini F, La Scaleia V, Cappellini G, Dewolf A, Fabiano A, Solopova IA, Mondì V, Ivanenko Y, Lacquaniti F. Complexity of modular neuromuscular control increases and variability decreases during human locomotor development. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1256. [PMID: 36385628 PMCID: PMC9669031 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04225-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When does modular control of locomotion emerge during human development? One view is that modularity is not innate, being learnt over several months of experience. Alternatively, the basic motor modules are present at birth, but are subsequently reconfigured due to changing brain-body-environment interactions. One problem in identifying modular structures in stepping infants is the presence of noise. Here, using both simulated and experimental muscle activity data from stepping neonates, infants, preschoolers, and adults, we dissect the influence of noise, and identify modular structures in all individuals, including neonates. Complexity of modularity increases from the neonatal stage to adulthood at multiple levels of the motor infrastructure, from the intrinsic rhythmicity measured at the level of individual muscles activities, to the level of muscle synergies and of bilateral intermuscular network connectivity. Low complexity and high variability of neuromuscular signals attest neonatal immaturity, but they also involve potential benefits for learning locomotor tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Sylos-Labini
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Germana Cappellini
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Arthur Dewolf
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Adele Fabiano
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Ospedale San Giovanni, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Irina A Solopova
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Motor Control, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, 127994, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vito Mondì
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Casilino Hospital, 00169, Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.
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11
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Ida H, Fukuhara K, Ogata T. Virtual reality modulates the control of upper limb motion in one-handed ball catching. Front Sports Act Living 2022; 4:926542. [PMID: 36275439 PMCID: PMC9582424 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2022.926542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There remains a question about whether and to what extent perception-action coupled response in virtual reality are equal/unequal to those in the real world or physical reality. The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in the environmental effect of virtual presentation on the motor responses of a one-handed ball catching. Thirteen healthy participants were instructed to catch an approaching ball projected at three speeds in a real laboratory room and in a room-sized virtual reality system (CAVE) that simulated those real situations with two- or three-dimensional display settings. The results showed that the arm movement time, which denotes the duration of arm-raising motion (shoulder flexion), was significantly longer in the virtual reality than that in the physical reality at the fast ball speed condition. The shoulder flexion velocities, calculated as the average angular velocity of shoulder flexion over the arm movement time, were significantly lower in the virtual reality than in the physical reality at the medium and fast ball speed conditions. The electromyography onsets, derived from anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, and flexor carpi radialis muscles of the catching arm, appeared before and significantly closer to the initiation of arm raising in the two-dimensional virtual reality than both in the physical reality and in the three-dimensional virtual reality. The findings suggest that simulation of virtual reality may induce a modulation in the motor responses of the catching arm, which is different from natural motion that appeared in the real world. On the contrary, the effect of ball speed generally found in real setting was maintained in the current CAVE experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Ida
- Department of Sports and Health Management, Jobu University, Isesaki, Japan,*Correspondence: Hirofumi Ida
| | - Kazunobu Fukuhara
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ogata
- Department of Sport and Medical Science, Teikyo University, Hachioji, Japan
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12
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Zwierko T, Lesiakowski P, Redondo B, Vera J. Examining the ability to track multiple moving targets as a function of postural stability: a comparison between team sports players and sedentary individuals. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13964. [PMID: 36071825 PMCID: PMC9443790 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The ability to track multiple objects plays a key role in team ball sports actions. However, there is a lack of research focused on identifying multiple object tracking (MOT) performance under rapid, dynamic and ecologically valid conditions. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effects of manipulating postural stability on MOT performance. Methods Nineteen team sports players (soccer, basketball, handball) and sixteen sedentary individuals performed the MOT task under three levels of postural stability (high, medium, and low). For the MOT task, participants had to track three out of eight balls for 10 s, and the object speed was adjusted following a staircase procedure. For postural stability manipulation, participants performed three identical protocols (randomized order) of the MOT task while standing on an unstable platform, using the training module of the Biodex Balance System SD at levels 12 (high-stability), eight (medium-stability), and four (low-stability). Results We found that the ability to track moving targets is dependent on the balance stability conditions (F2,66 = 8.7, p < 0.001, η² = 0.09), with the disturbance of postural stability having a negative effect on MOT performance. Moreover, when compared to sedentary individuals, team sports players showed better MOT scores for the high-stability and the medium-stability conditions (corrected p-value = 0.008, Cohen's d = 0.96 and corrected p-value = 0.009, Cohen's d = 0.94; respectively) whereas no differences were observed for the more unstable conditions (low-stability) between-groups. Conclusions The ability to track moving targets is sensitive to the level of postural stability, with the disturbance of balance having a negative effect on MOT performance. Our results suggest that expertise in team sports training is transferred to non-specific sport domains, as shown by the better performance exhibited by team sports players in comparison to sedentary individuals. This study provides novel insights into the link between individual's ability to track multiple moving objects and postural control in team sports players and sedentary individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Zwierko
- Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, Laboratory of Kinesiology, Functional and Structural Human Research Center, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Piotr Lesiakowski
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Beatriz Redondo
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jesús Vera
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Oussou G, Magnani C, Bargiotas I, Lamas G, Tankere F, Vidal C. A New Sensitive Test Using Virtual Reality and Foam to Probe Postural Control in Vestibular Patients: The Unilateral Schwannoma Model. Front Neurol 2022; 13:891232. [PMID: 35693011 PMCID: PMC9174985 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.891232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumors of the vestibular nerve that may trigger hearing loss, tinnitus, rotatory vertigo, and dizziness in patients. Vestibular and auditory tests can determine the precise degree of impairment of the auditory nerve, and superior and inferior vestibular nerves. However, balance is often poorly quantified in patients with untreated vestibular schwannoma, for whom validated standardized assessments of balance are often lacking. Balance can be quantified with the EquiTest. However, this device was developed a long time ago and is expensive, specific, and not sensitive enough to detect early deficits because it assesses balance principally in the sagittal plane on a firm platform. In this study, we assessed postural performances in a well-defined group of VS patients. We used the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and a customized device consisting of a smartphone, a mask delivering a fixed or moving visual scene, and foam rubber. Patients were tested in four successive sessions of 25 s each: eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), fixed visual scene (VR0), and visual moving scenes (VR1) delivered by the HTC VIVE mask. Postural oscillations were quantified with sensors from an android smartphone (Galaxy S9) fixed to the back. The results obtained were compared to those obtained with the EquiTest. Vestibulo-ocular deficits were also quantified with the caloric test and vHIT. The function of the utricle and saccule were assessed with ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (o-VEMPs and c-VEMPs), respectively. We found that falls and abnormal postural oscillations were frequently detected in the VS patients with the VR/Foam device. We detected no correlation between falls or abnormal postural movements and horizontal canal deficit or age. In conclusion, this new method provides a simpler, quicker, and cheaper method for quantifying balance. It will be very helpful for (1) determining balance deficits in VS patients; (2) optimizing the optimal therapy indications (active follow-up, surgery, or gamma therapy) and follow-up of VS patients before and after treatment; (3) developing new rehabilitation methods based on balance training in extreme conditions with disturbed visual and proprioceptive inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grâce Oussou
- Centre Borelli, CNRS UMR-9010, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Department of ENT, Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Magnani
- Centre Borelli, CNRS UMR-9010, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Ioannis Bargiotas
- Centre Borelli, CNRS UMR-9010, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Georges Lamas
- Department of ENT, Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Catherine Vidal
- Centre Borelli, CNRS UMR-9010, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Department of ENT, Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Catherine Vidal
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Solopova IA, Selionov VA, Blinov EO, Dolinskaya IY, Zhvansky DS, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Higher Responsiveness of Pattern Generation Circuitry to Sensory Stimulation in Healthy Humans Is Associated with a Larger Hoffmann Reflex. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050707. [PMID: 35625435 PMCID: PMC9138260 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Individual differences in the sensorimotor circuitry play an important role for understanding the nature of behavioral variability and developing personalized therapies. While the spinal network likely requires relatively rigid organization, it becomes increasingly evident that adaptability and inter-individual variability in the functioning of the neuronal circuitry is present not only in the brain but also in the spinal cord. In this study we investigated the relationship between the excitability of pattern generation circuitry and segmental reflexes in healthy humans. We found that the high individual responsiveness of pattern generation circuitries to tonic sensory input in both the upper and lower limbs was related to larger H-reflexes. The results provide further evidence for the importance of physiologically relevant assessments of spinal cord neuromodulation and the individual physiological state of reflex pathways. Abstract The state and excitability of pattern generators are attracting the increasing interest of neurophysiologists and clinicians for understanding the mechanisms of the rhythmogenesis and neuromodulation of the human spinal cord. It has been previously shown that tonic sensory stimulation can elicit non-voluntary stepping-like movements in non-injured subjects when their limbs were placed in a gravity-neutral unloading apparatus. However, large individual differences in responsiveness to such stimuli were observed, so that the effects of sensory neuromodulation manifest only in some of the subjects. Given that spinal reflexes are an integral part of the neuronal circuitry, here we investigated the extent to which spinal pattern generation excitability in response to the vibrostimulation of muscle proprioceptors can be related to the H-reflex magnitude, in both the lower and upper limbs. For the H-reflex measurements, three conditions were used: stationary limbs, voluntary limb movement and passive limb movement. The results showed that the H-reflex was considerably higher in the group of participants who demonstrated non-voluntary rhythmic responses than it was in the participants who did not demonstrate them. Our findings are consistent with the idea that spinal reflex measurements play important roles in assessing the rhythmogenesis of the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina A. Solopova
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Motor Control, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127951 Moscow, Russia; (I.A.S.); (V.A.S.); (I.Y.D.); (D.S.Z.)
| | - Victor A. Selionov
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Motor Control, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127951 Moscow, Russia; (I.A.S.); (V.A.S.); (I.Y.D.); (D.S.Z.)
| | - Egor O. Blinov
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia;
| | - Irina Y. Dolinskaya
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Motor Control, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127951 Moscow, Russia; (I.A.S.); (V.A.S.); (I.Y.D.); (D.S.Z.)
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia;
| | - Dmitry S. Zhvansky
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Motor Control, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127951 Moscow, Russia; (I.A.S.); (V.A.S.); (I.Y.D.); (D.S.Z.)
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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15
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Mavrenkova P, Pankova N, Lebedeva M, Karganov M. Features of Psychomotor Coordination in Adolescents with Neuropsychiatric Pathology Enrolled in a Standard Educational Program. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020245. [PMID: 35204008 PMCID: PMC8870156 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The imbalance between the speed and accuracy of cognitive-motor operations can lead to the formation of abnormal behavioral programs fraught with serious negative consequences for the individual. For successful correction and prevention of social disadaptation in adolescents with nervous and mental diseases and functional disorders in mental sphere in general education schools, the peculiarities of their psychomotor activity should be taken into account. We measured some parameters of visual-motor coordination and sensorimotor reaction in adolescents with mental disorders with (n = 36) or without (n = 27) organic brain damage. Adolescents from both groups showed higher speed, but poorer accuracy and smoothness, of movements than typically developing students (n = 70). The visual and acoustic reaction times were longer in adolescents with mental disorders without organic brain damage than in reference groups.
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16
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de’Sperati C, Granato M, Moretti M. If You Are Old, Videos Look Slow. The Paradoxical Effect of Age-Related Motor Decline on the Kinematic Interpretation of Visual Scenes. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:783090. [PMID: 35069153 PMCID: PMC8766849 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.783090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception and action are tightly coupled. However, there is still little recognition of how individual motor constraints impact perception in everyday life. Here we asked whether and how the motor slowing that accompanies aging influences the sense of visual speed. Ninety-four participants aged between 18 and 90 judged the natural speed of video clips reproducing real human or physical motion (SoS, Sense-of-Speed adjustment task). They also performed a finger tapping task and a visual search task, which estimated their motor speed and visuospatial attention speed, respectively. Remarkably, aged people judged videos to be too slow (speed underestimation), as compared to younger people: the Point of Subjective Equality (PSE), which estimated the speed bias in the SoS task, was +4% in young adults (<40), +12% in old adults (40–70) and +16% in elders. On average, PSE increased with age at a rate of 0.2% per year, with perceptual precision, adjustment rate, and completion time progressively worsening. Crucially, low motor speed, but not low attentional speed, turned out to be the key predictor of video speed underestimation. These findings suggest the existence of a counterintuitive compensatory coupling between action and perception in judging dynamic scenes, an effect that becomes particularly germane during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio de’Sperati
- Laboratory of Action, Perception and Cognition, School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Claudio de’Sperati
| | - Marco Granato
- Laboratory of Action, Perception and Cognition, School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Moretti
- Laboratory of Action, Perception and Cognition, School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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Klishko AN, Akyildiz A, Mehta-Desai R, Prilutsky BI. Common and distinct muscle synergies during level and slope locomotion in the cat. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:493-515. [PMID: 34191619 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00310.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although it is well established that the motor control system is modular, the organization of muscle synergies during locomotion and their change with ground slope are not completely understood. For example, typical reciprocal flexor-extensor muscle synergies of level walking in cats break down in downslope: one-joint hip extensors are silent throughout the stride cycle, whereas hindlimb flexors demonstrate an additional stance phase-related electromyogram (EMG) burst (Smith JL, Carlson-Kuhta P, Trank TV. J Neurophysiol 79: 1702-1716, 1998). Here, we investigated muscle synergies during level, upslope (27°), and downslope (-27°) walking in adult cats to examine common and distinct features of modular organization of locomotor EMG activity. Cluster analysis of EMG burst onset-offset times of 12 hindlimb muscles revealed five flexor and extensor burst groups that were generally shared across slopes. Stance-related bursts of flexor muscles in downslope were placed in a burst group from level and upslope walking formed by the rectus femoris. Walking upslope changed swing/stance phase durations of level walking but not the cycle duration. Five muscle synergies computed using non-negative matrix factorization accounted for at least 95% of variance in EMG patterns in each slope. Five synergies were shared between level and upslope walking, whereas only three of those were shared with downslope synergies; these synergies were active during the swing phase and phase transitions. Two stance-related synergies of downslope walking were distinct; they comprised a mixture of flexors and extensors. We suggest that the modular organization of muscle activity during level and slope walking results from interactions between motion-related sensory feedback, CPG, and supraspinal inputs.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrated that the atypical EMG activities during cat downslope walking, silent one-joint hip extensors and stance-related EMG bursts in flexors, have many features shared with activities of level and upslope walking. Majority of EMG burst groups and muscle synergies were shared among these slopes, and upslope modulated the swing/stance phase duration but not cycle duration. Thus, synergistic EMG activities in all slopes might result from a shared CPG receiving somatosensory and supraspinal inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Klishko
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Adil Akyildiz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ricky Mehta-Desai
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Boris I Prilutsky
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
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