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Cano LA, Albarracín AL, Pizá AG, García-Cena CE, Fernández-Jover E, Farfán FD. Assessing Cognitive Workload in Motor Decision-Making through Functional Connectivity Analysis: Towards Early Detection and Monitoring of Neurodegenerative Diseases. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:1089. [PMID: 38400247 PMCID: PMC10893317 DOI: 10.3390/s24041089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and frontotemporal dementia, among others, are increasingly prevalent in the global population. The clinical diagnosis of these NDs is based on the detection and characterization of motor and non-motor symptoms. However, when these diagnoses are made, the subjects are often in advanced stages where neuromuscular alterations are frequently irreversible. In this context, we propose a methodology to evaluate the cognitive workload (CWL) of motor tasks involving decision-making processes. CWL is a concept widely used to address the balance between task demand and the subject's available resources to complete that task. In this study, multiple models for motor planning during a motor decision-making task were developed by recording EEG and EMG signals in n=17 healthy volunteers (9 males, 8 females, age 28.66±8.8 years). In the proposed test, volunteers have to make decisions about which hand should be moved based on the onset of a visual stimulus. We computed functional connectivity between the cortex and muscles, as well as among muscles using both corticomuscular and intermuscular coherence. Despite three models being generated, just one of them had strong performance. The results showed two types of motor decision-making processes depending on the hand to move. Moreover, the central processing of decision-making for the left hand movement can be accurately estimated using behavioral measures such as planning time combined with peripheral recordings like EMG signals. The models provided in this study could be considered as a methodological foundation to detect neuromuscular alterations in asymptomatic patients, as well as to monitor the process of a degenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Ariel Cano
- Neuroscience and Applied Technologies Laboratory (LINTEC), Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology (FACET), National University of Tucuman, Superior Institute of Biological Research (INSIBIO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucuman 4000, Argentina
| | - Ana Lía Albarracín
- Neuroscience and Applied Technologies Laboratory (LINTEC), Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology (FACET), National University of Tucuman, Superior Institute of Biological Research (INSIBIO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucuman 4000, Argentina
| | - Alvaro Gabriel Pizá
- Neuroscience and Applied Technologies Laboratory (LINTEC), Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology (FACET), National University of Tucuman, Superior Institute of Biological Research (INSIBIO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucuman 4000, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Elisabet García-Cena
- ETSIDI-Center for Automation and Robotics, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ronda de Valencia 3, 28012 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Fernández-Jover
- Institute of Bioengineering, Universidad Miguel Hernández of Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
- Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Daniel Farfán
- Neuroscience and Applied Technologies Laboratory (LINTEC), Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology (FACET), National University of Tucuman, Superior Institute of Biological Research (INSIBIO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucuman 4000, Argentina
- Institute of Bioengineering, Universidad Miguel Hernández of Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
- Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Perrey S. The potential of fNIRS, EEG, and transcranial current stimulation to probe neural mechanisms of resistance training. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1295993. [PMID: 38098763 PMCID: PMC10720034 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1295993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Perrey
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
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3
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Chen BJ, Liu TY, Wu HC, Tsai MW, Wei SH, Chou LW. Effects of sling exercises on pain, function, and corticomuscular functional connectivity in individuals with chronic low back pain- preliminary study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288405. [PMID: 38032998 PMCID: PMC10688743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) exhibit altered brain function and trunk muscle activation. AIM This study examined the effects of sling exercises on pain, function, and corticomuscular coherence (CMC) in healthy adults and individuals with CLBP. METHODS Eight individuals with CLBP and 15 healthy adults received sling exercise training for 6 weeks. Before and after training, participants performed two motor tasks: rapid arm lifts and repeated trunk flexion-extension tasks, and electromyography of the trunk muscles and electroencephalography of the sensorimotor cortex were recorded. Chi-squared test and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for between group comparison, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for pre- and post-training comparison. Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (Rs) was used to identify for the relationship between motor performance and Corticomuscular coherence. RESULTS Sling exercises significantly improved pain (median from 3 to 1, p = .01) and Oswestry Disability Index scores (median from 2.5 to 2, p = .03) in the CLBP group. During rapid arm lifts, individuals with CLBP showed lower beta CMC of the transverse abdominis and internal oblique (Tra/IO) (0.8 vs. 0.49, p = .01) and lumbar erector spinae (0.70 vs. 0.38, p = .04) than the control group at baseline. During trunk flexion-extension, the CLBP group showed higher gamma CMC of the left Tra/IO than the control group at baseline (0.28 vs. 0.16 , p = .001). After training, all CMC became statistically non-significant between groups. The training induced improvement in anticipatory activation of the Tra/IO was positively correlated with the beta CMC (rs = 0.7851, p = .02). CONCLUSION A 6-week sling exercises diminished pain and disability in patients with CLBP and improved the anticipatory activation and CMC in some trunk muscles. These improvements were associated with training induced changes in corticomuscular connectivity in individuals with CLBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Jhen Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Tzu-Ying Liu
- Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Hsin-Chi Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Mei-Wun Tsai
- Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Shun-Hwa Wei
- Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Li-Wei Chou
- Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
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Cho W, Vidaurre C, An J, Birbaumer N, Ramos-Murguialday A. Cortical processing during robot and functional electrical stimulation. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1045396. [PMID: 37025164 PMCID: PMC10070684 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1045396] [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: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Like alpha rhythm, the somatosensory mu rhythm is suppressed in the presence of somatosensory inputs by implying cortical excitation. Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) can be classified into two oscillatory frequency components: mu rhythm (8-13 Hz) and beta rhythm (14-25 Hz). The suppressed/enhanced SMR is a neural correlate of cortical activation related to efferent and afferent movement information. Therefore, it would be necessary to understand cortical information processing in diverse movement situations for clinical applications. Methods In this work, the EEG of 10 healthy volunteers was recorded while fingers were moved passively under different kinetic and kinematic conditions for proprioceptive stimulation. For the kinetics aspect, afferent brain activity (no simultaneous volition) was compared under two conditions of finger extension: (1) generated by an orthosis and (2) generated by the orthosis simultaneously combined and assisted with functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied at the forearm muscles related to finger extension. For the kinematic aspect, the finger extension was divided into two phases: (1) dynamic extension and (2) static extension (holding the extended position). Results In the kinematic aspect, both mu and beta rhythms were more suppressed during a dynamic than a static condition. However, only the mu rhythm showed a significant difference between kinetic conditions (with and without FES) affected by attention to proprioception after transitioning from dynamic to static state, but the beta rhythm was not. Discussion Our results indicate that mu rhythm was influenced considerably by muscle kinetics during finger movement produced by external devices, which has relevant implications for the design of neuromodulation and neurorehabilitation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woosang Cho
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- g.tec Medical Engineering GmbH, Schiedlberg, Austria
- *Correspondence: Woosang Cho,
| | - Carmen Vidaurre
- TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Neurotechnology Laboratory, San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque-Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Jinung An
- Interdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Niels Birbaumer
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- San Camillo Hospital, Institute for Hospitalization and Scientific Care, Venice Lido, Italy
| | - Ander Ramos-Murguialday
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Neurotechnology Laboratory, San Sebastián, Spain
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Cisotto G, Capuzzo M, Guglielmi AV, Zanella A. Feature stability and setup minimization for EEG-EMG-enabled monitoring systems. EURASIP JOURNAL ON ADVANCES IN SIGNAL PROCESSING 2022; 2022:103. [PMID: 36320592 PMCID: PMC9612609 DOI: 10.1186/s13634-022-00939-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Delivering health care at home emerged as a key advancement to reduce healthcare costs and infection risks, as during the SARS-Cov2 pandemic. In particular, in motor training applications, wearable and portable devices can be employed for movement recognition and monitoring of the associated brain signals. This is one of the contexts where it is essential to minimize the monitoring setup and the amount of data to collect, process, and share. In this paper, we address this challenge for a monitoring system that includes high-dimensional EEG and EMG data for the classification of a specific type of hand movement. We fuse EEG and EMG into the magnitude squared coherence (MSC) signal, from which we extracted features using different algorithms (one from the authors) to solve binary classification problems. Finally, we propose a mapping-and-aggregation strategy to increase the interpretability of the machine learning results. The proposed approach provides very low mis-classification errors ( < 0.1 ), with very few and stable MSC features ( < 10 % of the initial set of available features). Furthermore, we identified a common pattern across algorithms and classification problems, i.e., the activation of the centro-parietal brain areas and arm's muscles in 8-80 Hz frequency band, in line with previous literature. Thus, this study represents a step forward to the minimization of a reliable EEG-EMG setup to enable gesture recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cisotto
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6, 35121 Padova, Italy
- Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT), Padova, Italy
- Department of Informatics, Systems and Communications, University of Milano-Bicocca, Viale Sarca, 336, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Martina Capuzzo
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6, 35121 Padova, Italy
- Human Inspired Technologies Research Center, University of Padova, Via Luzzatti, 4, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Anna Valeria Guglielmi
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Zanella
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6, 35121 Padova, Italy
- Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT), Padova, Italy
- Human Inspired Technologies Research Center, University of Padova, Via Luzzatti, 4, 35121 Padova, Italy
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6
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Liu J, Tan G, Wang J, Wei Y, Sheng Y, Chang H, Xie Q, Liu H. Closed-Loop Construction and Analysis of Cortico-Muscular-Cortical Functional Network After Stroke. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2022; 41:1575-1586. [PMID: 35030075 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2022.3143133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Brain networks allow a topological understanding into the pathophysiology of stroke-induced motor deficits, and have been an influential tool for investigating brain functions. Unfortunately, currently applied methods generally lack in the recognition of the dynamic changes in the cortical networks related to muscle activity, which is crucial to clarify the alterations of the cooperative working patterns in the motor control system after stroke. In this study, we integrate corticomuscular and intermuscular interactions to cortico-cortical network and propose a novel closed-loop construction of cortico-muscular-cortical functional network, named closed-loop network (CLN). Directional characteristic in terms of differentiating causal interactions is endowed on basis of the CLN framework, further expanding the definition of functional connectivity (FC) and effective connectivity (EC) dedicated to CLN. Next, CLN is applied to stroke patients to reveal the underlying after-effects mechanism of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induced alterations of cortical physiologic functions during movement. Results show that the short-term modulation of rTMS is reflected in the enhancement of information interaction within the interhemispheric primary motor regions and inhibition of the coupling between motor cortex and effector muscles. CLN provides a new perspective for the study of motor-related cortical networks with muscle activities involvement instead of being restricted to brain network analysis of behaviors.
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Bao SC, Chen C, Yuan K, Yang Y, Tong RKY. Disrupted cortico-peripheral interactions in motor disorders. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:3136-3151. [PMID: 34749233 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Motor disorders may arise from neurological damage or diseases at different levels of the hierarchical motor control system and side-loops. Altered cortico-peripheral interactions might be essential characteristics indicating motor dysfunctions. By integrating cortical and peripheral responses, top-down and bottom-up cortico-peripheral coupling measures could provide new insights into the motor control and recovery process. This review first discusses the neural bases of cortico-peripheral interactions, and corticomuscular coupling and corticokinematic coupling measures are addressed. Subsequently, methodological efforts are summarized to enhance the modeling reliability of neural coupling measures, both linear and nonlinear approaches are introduced. The latest progress, limitations, and future directions are discussed. Finally, we emphasize clinical applications of cortico-peripheral interactions in different motor disorders, including stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, tremor, and other motor-related disorders. The modified interaction patterns and potential changes following rehabilitation interventions are illustrated. Altered coupling strength, modified coupling directionality, and reorganized cortico-peripheral activation patterns are pivotal attributes after motor dysfunction. More robust coupling estimation methodologies and combination with other neurophysiological modalities might more efficiently shed light on motor control and recovery mechanisms. Future studies with large sample sizes might be necessary to determine the reliabilities of cortico-peripheral interaction measures in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Chun Bao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Kai Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yuan Yang
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK, USA; Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA; Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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Gait-Phase Modulates Alpha and Beta Oscillations in the Pedunculopontine Nucleus. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8390-8402. [PMID: 34413208 PMCID: PMC8496192 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0770-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is a reticular collection of neurons at the junction of the midbrain and pons, playing an important role in modulating posture and locomotion. Deep brain stimulation of the PPN has been proposed as an emerging treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) or multiple system atrophy (MSA) who have gait-related atypical parkinsonian syndromes. In this study, we investigated PPN activities during gait to better understand its functional role in locomotion. Specifically, we investigated whether PPN activity is rhythmically modulated by gait cycles during locomotion. PPN local field potential (LFP) activities were recorded from PD or MSA patients with gait difficulties during stepping in place or free walking. Simultaneous measurements from force plates or accelerometers were used to determine the phase within each gait cycle at each time point. Our results showed that activities in the alpha and beta frequency bands in the PPN LFPs were rhythmically modulated by the gait phase within gait cycles, with a higher modulation index when the stepping rhythm was more regular. Meanwhile, the PPN-cortical coherence was most prominent in the alpha band. Both gait phase-related modulation in the alpha/beta power and the PPN-cortical coherence in the alpha frequency band were spatially specific to the PPN and did not extend to surrounding regions. These results suggest that alternating PPN modulation may support gait control. Whether enhancing alternating PPN modulation by stimulating in an alternating fashion could positively affect gait control remains to be tested.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The therapeutic efficacy of pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the extent to which it can improve quality of life are still inconclusive. Understanding how PPN activity is modulated by stepping or walking may offer insight into how to improve the efficacy of PPN DBS in ameliorating gait difficulties. Our study shows that PPN alpha and beta activity was modulated by the gait phase, and that this was most pronounced when the stepping rhythm was regular. It remains to be tested whether enhancing alternating PPN modulation by stimulating in an alternating fashion could positively affect gait control.
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Cortico-muscular interaction to monitor the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation pedaling training in chronic stroke. Comput Biol Med 2021; 137:104801. [PMID: 34481180 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been widely utilized in post-stroke motor restoration. However, its impact on the closed-loop sensorimotor control process remains largely unclear. This is the first study to investigate the directional changes in cortico-muscular interactions after repetitive rehabilitation training by measuring the noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) signals. In this study, 10 subjects with chronic stroke received 20 sessions of NMES-pedaling interventions, and each training session included three 10-min NMES-driven pedaling trials. In addition, pre- and post-intervention assessments of lower limb isometric contraction were conducted before and after the whole NMES-pedaling interventions. The EEG (128 channels) and EMG (3 bilateral lower limb sensors) signals were collected during the isometric contraction tasks for the paretic and non-paretic lower limbs. Both the cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) and generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC) values were analyzed between eight selected EEG channels in the central primary motor cortex and EMG channels. The results revealed significant clinical improvements. Additionally, rehabilitation training facilitated cortico-muscular interaction of the ipsilesional brain and paretic lower limbs (p = 0.004). Moreover, both the descending and ascending cortico-muscular pathways were altered after NMES-training (p = 0.001, p < 0.001). Therefore, the results implied potential applications of EEG-EMG in understanding neuromuscular changes during the post-stroke motor rehabilitation process.
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Fauvet M, Gasq D, Chalard A, Tisseyre J, Amarantini D. Temporal Dynamics of Corticomuscular Coherence Reflects Alteration of the Central Mechanisms of Neural Motor Control in Post-Stroke Patients. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:682080. [PMID: 34366811 PMCID: PMC8342994 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.682080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural control of muscular activity during a voluntary movement implies a continuous updating of a mix of afferent and efferent information. Corticomuscular coherence (CMC) is a powerful tool to explore the interactions between the motor cortex and the muscles involved in movement realization. The comparison of the temporal dynamics of CMC between healthy subjects and post-stroke patients could provide new insights into the question of how agonist and antagonist muscles are controlled related to motor performance during active voluntary movements. We recorded scalp electroencephalography activity, electromyography signals from agonist and antagonist muscles, and upper limb kinematics in eight healthy subjects and seventeen chronic post-stroke patients during twenty repeated voluntary elbow extensions and explored whether the modulation of the temporal dynamics of CMC could contribute to motor function impairment. Concomitantly with the alteration of elbow extension kinematics in post-stroke patients, dynamic CMC analysis showed a continuous CMC in both agonist and antagonist muscles during movement and highlighted that instantaneous CMC in antagonist muscles was higher for post-stroke patients compared to controls during the acceleration phase of elbow extension movement. In relation to motor control theories, our findings suggest that CMC could be involved in the online control of voluntary movement through the continuous integration of sensorimotor information. Moreover, specific alterations of CMC in antagonist muscles could reflect central command alterations of the selectivity in post-stroke patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fauvet
- ToNIC-Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - David Gasq
- ToNIC-Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France.,Department of Functional Physiological Explorations, University Hospital of Toulouse, Hôpital Rangueil, Toulouse, France
| | - Alexandre Chalard
- ToNIC-Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France.,Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,California Rehabilitation Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Joseph Tisseyre
- ToNIC-Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - David Amarantini
- ToNIC-Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France
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11
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Glories D, Soulhol M, Amarantini D, Duclay J. Specific modulation of corticomuscular coherence during submaximal voluntary isometric, shortening and lengthening contractions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6322. [PMID: 33737659 PMCID: PMC7973785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85851-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
During voluntary contractions, corticomuscular coherence (CMC) is thought to reflect a mutual interaction between cortical and muscle oscillatory activities, respectively measured by electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG). However, it remains unclear whether CMC modulation would depend on the contribution of neural mechanisms acting at the spinal level. To this purpose, modulations of CMC were compared during submaximal isometric, shortening and lengthening contractions of the soleus (SOL) and the medial gastrocnemius (MG) with a concurrent analysis of changes in spinal excitability that may be reduced during lengthening contractions. Submaximal contractions intensity was set at 50% of the maximal SOL EMG activity. CMC was computed in the time-frequency domain between the Cz EEG electrode signal and the unrectified SOL or MG EMG signal. Spinal excitability was quantified through normalized Hoffmann (H) reflex amplitude. The results indicate that beta-band CMC and normalized H-reflex were significantly lower in SOL during lengthening compared with isometric contractions, but were similar in MG for all three muscle contraction types. Collectively, these results highlight an effect of contraction type on beta-band CMC, although it may differ between agonist synergist muscles. These novel findings also provide new evidence that beta-band CMC modulation may involve spinal regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian Glories
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XToNIC, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XFaculty of Sport Science, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Mathias Soulhol
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XToNIC, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XFaculty of Sport Science, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - David Amarantini
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XToNIC, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XFaculty of Sport Science, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Julien Duclay
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XToNIC, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XFaculty of Sport Science, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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12
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Kenville R, Maudrich T, Vidaurre C, Maudrich D, Villringer A, Ragert P, Nikulin VV. Intermuscular coherence between homologous muscles during dynamic and static movement periods of bipedal squatting. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1045-1055. [PMID: 32816612 PMCID: PMC7742219 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00231.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordination of functionally coupled muscles is a key aspect of movement execution. Demands on coordinative control increase with the number of involved muscles and joints, as well as with differing movement periods within a given motor sequence. While previous research has provided evidence concerning inter- and intramuscular synchrony in isolated movements, compound movements remain largely unexplored. With this study, we aimed to uncover neural mechanisms of bilateral coordination through intermuscular coherence (IMC) analyses between principal homologous muscles during bipedal squatting (BpS) at multiple frequency bands (alpha, beta, and gamma). For this purpose, participants performed bipedal squats without additional load, which were divided into three distinct movement periods (eccentric, isometric, and concentric). Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from four homologous muscle pairs representing prime movers during bipedal squatting. We provide novel evidence that IMC magnitudes differ between movement periods in beta and gamma bands, as well as between homologous muscle pairs across all frequency bands. IMC was greater in the muscle pairs involved in postural and bipedal stability compared with those involved in muscular force during BpS. Furthermore, beta and gamma IMC magnitudes were highest during eccentric movement periods, whereas we did not find movement-related modulations for alpha IMC magnitudes. This finding thus indicates increased integration of afferent information during eccentric movement periods. Collectively, our results shed light on intermuscular synchronization during bipedal squatting, as we provide evidence that central nervous processing of bilateral intermuscular functioning is achieved through task-dependent modulations of common neural input to homologous muscles. NEW & NOTEWORTHY It is largely unexplored how the central nervous system achieves coordination of homologous muscles of the upper and lower body within a compound whole body movement, and to what extent this neural drive is modulated between different movement periods and muscles. Using intermuscular coherence analysis, we show that homologous muscle functions are mediated through common oscillatory input that extends over alpha, beta, and gamma frequencies with different synchronization patterns at different movement periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouven Kenville
- Institute for General Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Faculty of Sports Science, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tom Maudrich
- Institute for General Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Faculty of Sports Science, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carmen Vidaurre
- Department of Statistics, Informatics and Mathematics, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain.,Machine Learning Group, Faculty of EE and Computer Science, TU Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dennis Maudrich
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.,Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patrick Ragert
- Institute for General Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Faculty of Sports Science, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vadim V Nikulin
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany.,Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Neurophysics Group, Department of Neurology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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New Directions in Exercise Prescription: Is There a Role for Brain-Derived Parameters Obtained by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy? Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060342. [PMID: 32503207 PMCID: PMC7348779 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the literature, it is well established that regular physical exercise is a powerful strategy to promote brain health and to improve cognitive performance. However, exact knowledge about which exercise prescription would be optimal in the setting of exercise–cognition science is lacking. While there is a strong theoretical rationale for using indicators of internal load (e.g., heart rate) in exercise prescription, the most suitable parameters have yet to be determined. In this perspective article, we discuss the role of brain-derived parameters (e.g., brain activity) as valuable indicators of internal load which can be beneficial for individualizing the exercise prescription in exercise–cognition research. Therefore, we focus on the application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), since this neuroimaging modality provides specific advantages, making it well suited for monitoring cortical hemodynamics as a proxy of brain activity during physical exercise.
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