1
|
Audet J, Lecomte CG, Harnie J, Yassine S, Al Arab R, Soucy F, Morency C, Mari S, Jéhannin P, Merlet AN, Frigon A. Simultaneous control of forward and backward locomotion by spinal sensorimotor circuits. J Physiol 2024; 602:183-204. [PMID: 38016922 DOI: 10.1113/jp285473] [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: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammals walk in different directions, such as forward and backward. In human infants/adults and decerebrate cats, one leg can walk forward and the other backward simultaneously on a split-belt treadmill, termed hybrid or bidirectional locomotion. The purpose of the present study was to determine if spinal sensorimotor circuits generate hybrid locomotion and if so, how the limbs remain coordinated. We tested hybrid locomotion in 11 intact cats and in five following complete spinal thoracic transection (spinal cats) at three treadmill speeds with the hindlimbs moving forward, backward or bidirectionally. All intact cats generated hybrid locomotion with the forelimbs on a stationary platform. Four of five spinal cats generated hybrid locomotion, also with the forelimbs on a stationary platform, but required perineal stimulation. During hybrid locomotion, intact and spinal cats positioned their forward and backward moving hindlimbs caudal and rostral to the hip, respectively. The hindlimbs maintained consistent left-right out-of-phase alternation in the different stepping directions. Our results suggest that spinal locomotor networks generate hybrid locomotion by following certain rules at phase transitions. We also found that stance duration determined cycle duration in the different locomotor directions/conditions, consistent with a common rhythm-generating mechanism for different locomotor directions. Our findings provide additional insight on how left-right spinal networks and sensory feedback from the limbs interact to coordinate the hindlimbs and provide stability during locomotion in different directions. KEY POINTS: Terrestrial mammals can walk forward and backward, which is controlled in part by spinal sensorimotor circuits. Humans and cats also perform bidirectional or hybrid locomotion on a split-belt treadmill with one leg going forward and the other going backward. We show that cats with a spinal transection can perform hybrid locomotion and maintain left-right out-of-phase coordination, indicating that spinal sensorimotor circuits can perform simultaneous forward and backward locomotion. We also show that the regulation of cycle duration and phase duration is conserved across stepping direction, consistent with a common rhythm-generating mechanism for different stepping directions. The results help us better understand how spinal networks controlling the left and right legs enable locomotion in different directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johannie Audet
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Charly G Lecomte
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan Harnie
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sirine Yassine
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rasha Al Arab
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Félix Soucy
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Caroline Morency
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephen Mari
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pierre Jéhannin
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Angèle N Merlet
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Frigon
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cappellini G, Sylos-Labini F, Avaltroni P, Dewolf AH, Assenza C, Morelli D, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Comparison of the forward and sideways locomotor patterns in children with Cerebral Palsy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7286. [PMID: 37142631 PMCID: PMC10160037 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34369-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Switching locomotion direction is a common task in daily life, and it has been studied extensively in healthy people. Little is known, however, about the locomotor adjustments involved in changing locomotion direction from forward (FW) to sideways (SW) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The importance of testing the ability of children with CP in this task lies in the assessment of flexible, adaptable adjustments of locomotion as a function of the environmental context. On the one hand, the ability of a child to cope with novel task requirements may provide prognostic cues as to the chances of modifying the gait adaptively. On the other hand, challenging the child with the novel task may represent a useful rehabilitation tool to improve the locomotor performance. SW is an asymmetrical locomotor task and requires a differential control of right and left limb muscles. Here, we report the results of a cross-sectional study comparing FW and SW in 27 children with CP (17 diplegic, 10 hemiplegic, 2-10 years) and 18 age-matched typically developing (TD) children. We analyzed gait kinematics, joint moments, EMG activity of 12 pairs of bilateral muscles, and muscle modules evaluated by factorization of EMG signals. Task performance in several children with CP differed drastically from that of TD children. Only 2/3 of children with CP met the primary outcome, i.e. they succeeded to step sideways, and they often demonstrated attempts to step forward. They tended to rotate their trunk FW, cross one leg over the other, flex the knee and hip. Moreover, in contrast to TD children, children with CP often exhibited similar motor modules for FW and SW. Overall, the results reflect developmental deficits in the control of gait, bilateral coordination and adjustment of basic motor modules in children with CP. We suggest that the sideways (along with the backward) style of locomotion represents a novel rehabilitation protocol that challenges the child to cope with novel contextual requirements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Germana Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 306 Via Ardeatina, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Sylos-Labini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 306 Via Ardeatina, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Priscilla Avaltroni
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 306 Via Ardeatina, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Arthur H Dewolf
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Assenza
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Morelli
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 306 Via Ardeatina, 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, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, 306 Via Ardeatina, 00179, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Complexity of modular neuromuscular control increases and variability decreases during human locomotor development. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1256. [DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04225-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWhen 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.
Collapse
|