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Chambellant F, Gaveau J, Papaxanthis C, Thomas E. Deactivation and collective phasic muscular tuning for pointing direction: Insights from machine learning. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33461. [PMID: 39050418 PMCID: PMC11268187 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Arm movements in our daily lives have to be adjusted for several factors in response to the demands of the environment, for example, speed, direction or distance. Previous research has shown that arm movement kinematics is optimally tuned to take advantage of gravity effects and minimize muscle effort in various pointing directions and gravity contexts. Here we build upon these results and focus on muscular adjustments. We used Machine Learning to analyze the ensemble activities of multiple muscles recorded during pointing in various directions. The advantage of such a technique would be the observation of patterns in collective muscular activity that may not be noticed using univariate statistics. By providing an index of multimuscle activity, the Machine Learning (ML) analysis brought to light several features of tuning for pointing direction. In attempting to trace tuning curves, all comparisons were done with respects to pointing in the horizontal, gravity free plane. We demonstrated that tuning for direction does not take place in a uniform fashion but in a modular manner in which some muscle groups play a primary role. The antigravity muscles were more finely tuned to pointing direction than the gravity muscles. Of note, was their tuning during the first half of downward pointing. As the antigravity muscles were deactivated during this phase, it supported the idea that deactivation is not an on-off function but is tuned to pointing direction. Further support for the tuning of the negative portions of the phasic EMG was provided by the observation of progressively improving classification accuracies with increasing angular distance from the horizontal. We also demonstrated that the durations of these negative phases, without information on their amplitudes, is tuned to pointing directions. Overall, these results show that the motor system tunes muscle commands to exploit gravity effects and reduce muscular effort. It quantitatively demonstrates that phasic EMG negativity is an essential feature of muscle control. The ML analysis was done using Linear Discriminant analysis (LDA) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The two led to the same conclusions concerning the movements being investigated, hence showing that the former, computationally inexpensive technique is a viable tool for regular investigation of motor control.
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Raveendranath B, Pagano CC, Srinivasan D. Effects of arm-support exoskeletons on pointing accuracy and movement. Hum Mov Sci 2024; 95:103198. [PMID: 38452518 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2024.103198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Exoskeletons are wearable devices that support or augment users' physical abilities. Previous studies indicate that they reduce the physical demands of repetitive tasks such as those involving heavy material handling, work performed with arms elevated, and the use of heavy tools. However, there have been concerns about exoskeletons hindering movement and reducing its precision. To this end, the current study investigated how proprioception enables people to point to targets in a blindfolded, repetitive pointing task, and their ability to recalibrate their pointing movement based on visual feedback during an intervening calibration phase, both with and without an arm-support exoskeleton. On each trial, participants were instructed to follow a 40 BPM metronome to point six times alternating between two target points placed either on a vertical or horizontal line. Within a trial, each pointing movement alternated between flexion and extension. Results indicate that participants' average pointing error increased by 4% when they wore an exoskeleton, compared to when they did not. The average pointing error was 12% lower when the target points were aligned vertically as compared to horizontally. It was also observed that the average pointing error was 14% lower during flexion as compared to extension movement. Surprisingly, accuracy did not improve in the post-test as compared to the pre-test phase, likely due to accuracy being high from the beginning. Participants' movement dynamics were analyzed using Recurrence Quantification Analysis. It was found that movements were less deterministic (1% reduction in percentage of determinism) and less stable (13.6% reduction in average diagonal line length on the recurrence plot) when they wore the exoskeleton as compared to when they did not. These results have implications on the design of arm-support exoskeletons and for facilitating their integration into the natural motor synergies in humans.
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Guillaud E, Leconte V, Doat E, Guehl D, Cazalets JR. Sensorimotor adaptation of locomotor synergies to gravitational constraint. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:5. [PMID: 38212311 PMCID: PMC10784505 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00350-2] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of gravity on lower limb muscle coordination during pedaling. It explores how pedaling behaviors, kinematics, and muscle activation patterns dynamically adapts to changes in gravity and resistance levels. The experiment was conducted in parabolic flights, simulating microgravity, hypergravity (1.8 g), and normogravity conditions. Participants pedaled on an ergometer with varying resistances. The goal was to identify potential changes in muscle synergies and activation strategies under different gravitational contexts. Results indicate that pedaling cadence adjusted naturally in response to both gravity and resistance changes. Cadence increased with higher gravity and decreased with higher resistance levels. Muscular activities were characterized by two synergies representing pull and push phases of pedaling. The timing of synergy activation was influenced by gravity, with a delay in activation observed in microgravity compared to other conditions. Despite these changes, the velocity profile of pedaling remained stable across gravity conditions. The findings strongly suggest that the CNS dynamically manages the shift in body weight by finely tuning muscular coordination, thereby ensuring the maintenance of a stable motor output. Furthermore, electromyography analysis suggest that neuromuscular discharge frequencies were not affected by gravity changes. This implies that the types of muscle fibers recruited during exercise in modified gravity are similar to those used in normogravity. This research has contributed to a better understanding of how the human locomotor system responds to varying gravitational conditions, shedding light on the potential mechanisms underlying astronauts' gait changes upon returning from space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Guillaud
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Vincent Leconte
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Emilie Doat
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Dominique Guehl
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
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Verdel D, Bastide S, Geffard F, Bruneau O, Vignais N, Berret B. Reoptimization of single-joint motor patterns to non-Earth gravity torques induced by a robotic exoskeleton. iScience 2023; 26:108350. [PMID: 38026148 PMCID: PMC10665922 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108350] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gravity is a ubiquitous component of our environment that we have learned to optimally integrate in movement control. Yet, altered gravity conditions arise in numerous applications from space exploration to rehabilitation, thereby pressing the sensorimotor system to adapt. Here, we used a robotic exoskeleton to reproduce the elbow joint-level effects of arbitrary gravity fields ranging from 1g to -1g, passing through Mars- and Moon-like gravities, and tested whether humans can reoptimize their motor patterns accordingly. By comparing the motor patterns of actual arm movements with those predicted by an optimal control model, we show that our participants (N = 61 ) adapted optimally to each gravity-like torque. These findings suggest that the joint-level effects of a large range of gravities can be efficiently apprehended by humans, thus opening new perspectives in arm weight support training in manipulation tasks, whether it be for patients or astronauts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian Verdel
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Simon Bastide
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | | | - Olivier Bruneau
- LURPA, Mechanical Engineering Department, ENS Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Vignais
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Bastien Berret
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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Verdel D, Bruneau O, Sahm G, Vignais N, Berret B. The value of time in the invigoration of human movements when interacting with a robotic exoskeleton. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9533. [PMID: 37729420 PMCID: PMC10511201 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Time and effort are thought to be subjectively balanced during the planning of goal-directed actions, thereby setting the vigor of volitional movements. Theoretical models predicted that the value of time should then amount to high levels of effort. However, the time-effort trade-off has so far only been studied for a narrow range of efforts. To investigate the extent to which humans can invest in a time-saving effort, we used a robotic exoskeleton to substantially vary the energetic cost associated with a certain vigor during reaching movements. In this situation, minimizing the time-effort trade-off should lead to high and low human efforts for upward and downward movements, respectively. Consistently, all participants expended substantial amounts of energy upward and remained essentially inactive by harnessing the work of gravity downward, while saving time in both cases. A common time-effort trade-off may therefore determine the vigor of reaching movements for a wide range of efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian Verdel
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Olivier Bruneau
- LURPA, Mechanical Engineering Department, ENS Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Guillaume Sahm
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Vignais
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Bastien Berret
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, 91405 Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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Kent L. Mental Gravity: Depression as Spacetime Curvature of the Self, Mind, and Brain. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:1275. [PMID: 37761574 PMCID: PMC10528036 DOI: 10.3390/e25091275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The principle of mental gravity contends that the mind uses physical gravity as a mental model or simulacrum to express the relation between the inner self and the outer world in terms of "UP"-ness and "DOWN"-ness. The simulation of increased gravity characterises a continuum of mental gravity which states includes depression as the paradigmatic example of being down, low, heavy, and slow. The physics of gravity can also be used to model spacetime curvature in depression, particularly gravitational time dilation as a property of MG analogous to subjective time dilation (i.e., the slowing of temporal flow in conscious experience). The principle has profound implications for the Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) with regard to temporo-spatial alignment that establishes a "world-brain relation" that is centred on embodiment and the socialisation of conscious states. The principle of mental gravity provides the TTC with a way to incorporate the structure of the world into the structure of the brain, conscious experience, and thought. In concert with other theories of cognitive and neurobiological spacetime, the TTC can also work towards the "common currency" approach that also potentially connects the TTC to predictive processing frameworks such as free energy, neuronal gauge theories, and active inference accounts of depression. It gives the up/down dimension of space, as defined by the gravitational field, a unique status that is connected to both our embodied interaction with the physical world, and also the inverse, reflective, emotional but still embodied experience of ourselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Kent
- Mental Wellbeing Initiatives, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
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Keime M, Chomienne L, Goulon C, Sainton P, Lapole T, Casanova R, Bossard M, Nicol C, Martha C, Bolmont B, Hays A, Vercruyssen F, Chavet P, Bringoux L. How about running on Mars? Influence of sensorimotor coherence on running and spatial perception in simulated reduced gravity. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1201253. [PMID: 37601641 PMCID: PMC10433163 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1201253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor control, including locomotion, strongly depends on the gravitational field. Recent developments such as lower-body positive pressure treadmills (LBPPT) have enabled studies on Earth about the effects of reduced body weight (BW) on walking and running, up to 60% BW. The present experiment was set up to further investigate adaptations to a more naturalistic simulated hypogravity, mimicking a Martian environment with additional visual information during running sessions on LBPPT. Twenty-nine participants performed three sessions of four successive five-min runs at preferred speed, alternating Earth- or simulated Mars-like gravity (100% vs. 38% BW). They were displayed visual scenes using a virtual reality headset to assess the effects of coherent visual flow while running. Running performance was characterized by normal ground reaction force and pelvic accelerations. The perceived upright and vection (visually-induced self-motion sensation)in dynamic visual environments were also investigated at the end of the different sessions. We found that BW reduction induced biomechanical adaptations independently of the visual context. Active peak force and stance time decreased, while flight time increased. Strong inter-individual differences in braking and push-off times appeared at 38% BW, which were not systematically observed in our previous studies at 80% and 60% BW. Additionally, the importance given to dynamic visual cues in the perceived upright diminished at 38% BW, suggesting an increased reliance on the egocentric body axis as a reference for verticality when the visual context is fully coherent with the previous locomotor activity. Also, while vection was found to decrease in case of a coherent visuomotor coupling at 100% BW (i.e., post-exposure influence), it remained unaffected by the visual context at 38% BW. Overall, our findings suggested that locomotor and perceptual adaptations were not similarly impacted, depending on the -simulated- gravity condition and visual context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Keime
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
- École Centrale Marseille, Marseille, France
- KTH, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Cédric Goulon
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Thomas Lapole
- Université Jean Monnet Saint-Etienne, Lyon 1, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Rémy Casanova
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - Martin Bossard
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
- University Gustave Eiffel, COSYS-PICS-L, Marne-la-Vallée, France
| | | | - Cécile Martha
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Arnaud Hays
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
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Gueugneau N, Martin A, Gaveau J, Papaxanthis C. Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition. iScience 2023; 26:107150. [PMID: 37534144 PMCID: PMC10391940 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107150] [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: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, moving efficiently along the gravity axis requires shifts in muscular contraction modes. Raising the arm up involves shortening contractions of arm flexors, whereas the reverse movement can rely on lengthening contractions with the help of gravity. Although this control mode is universal, the neuromuscular mechanisms that drive gravity-oriented movements remain unknown. Here, we designed neurophysiological experiments that aimed to track the modulations of cortical, spinal, and muscular outputs of arm flexors during vertical movements with specific kinematics (i.e., optimal motor commands). We report a specific drop of corticospinal excitability during lengthening versus shortening contractions, with an increase of intracortical inhibition and no change in spinal motoneuron responsiveness. We discuss these contraction-dependent modulations of the supraspinal motor output in the light of feedforward mechanisms that may support gravity-tuned motor control. Generally, these results shed a new perspective on the neural policy that optimizes movement control along the gravity axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gueugneau
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Alain Martin
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jérémie Gaveau
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Charalambos Papaxanthis
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, France
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Opsomer L, Delhaye BP, Théate V, Thonnard JL, Lefèvre P. A haptic illusion created by gravity. iScience 2023; 26:107246. [PMID: 37485356 PMCID: PMC10362320 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107246] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Human dexterity requires very fine and efficient control of fingertip forces, which relies on the integration of cutaneous and proprioceptive feedback. Here, we examined the influence of gravity on isometric force control. We trained participants to reproduce isometric vertical forces on a dynamometer held between the thumb and the index finger in normal gravity and tested them during parabolic flight creating phases of microgravity and hypergravity, thereby strongly influencing the motor commands and the proprioceptive feedback. We found that gravity creates the illusion that upward forces are larger than downward forces of the same magnitude. The illusion increased under hypergravity and was abolished under microgravity. Gravity also affected the control of the grip force employed to secure the grasp. These findings suggest that gravity biases the haptic estimation of forces, which has implications for the design of haptic devices to be used during flight or space activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Opsomer
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Benoit P. Delhaye
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Vincent Théate
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Thonnard
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Boulenger V, Finos L, Koun E, Salemme R, Desoche C, Roy AC. Up right, not right up: Primacy of verticality in both language and movement. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:981330. [PMID: 36248682 PMCID: PMC9558293 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.981330] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
When describing motion along both the horizontal and vertical axes, languages from different families express the elements encoding verticality before those coding for horizontality (e.g., going up right instead of right up). In light of the motor grounding of language, the present study investigated whether the prevalence of verticality in Path expression also governs the trajectory of arm biological movements. Using a 3D virtual-reality setting, we tracked the kinematics of hand pointing movements in five spatial directions, two of which implied the vertical and horizontal vectors equally (i.e., up right +45° and bottom right −45°). Movement onset could be prompted by visual or auditory verbal cues, the latter being canonical in French (“en haut à droite”/up right) or not (“à droite en haut”/right up). In two experiments, analyses of the index finger kinematics revealed a significant effect of gravity, with earlier acceleration, velocity, and deceleration peaks for upward (+45°) than downward (−45°) movements, irrespective of the instructions. Remarkably, confirming the linguistic observations, we found that vertical kinematic parameters occurred earlier than horizontal ones for upward movements, both for visual and congruent verbal cues. Non-canonical verbal instructions significantly affected this temporal dynamic: for upward movements, the horizontal and vertical components temporally aligned, while they reversed for downward movements where the kinematics of the vertical axis was delayed with respect to that of the horizontal one. This temporal dynamic is so deeply anchored that non-canonical verbal instructions allowed for horizontality to precede verticality only for movements that do not fight against gravity. Altogether, our findings provide new insights into the embodiment of language by revealing that linguistic path may reflect the organization of biological movements, giving priority to the vertical axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Boulenger
- Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage, UMR 5596, CNRS/University Lyon 2, Lyon, France
- *Correspondence: Véronique Boulenger,
| | - Livio Finos
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Eric Koun
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (IMPACT), Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS U5292, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Roméo Salemme
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (IMPACT), Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS U5292, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Neuro-Immersion, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Lyon, France
| | - Clément Desoche
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (IMPACT), Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS U5292, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Neuro-Immersion, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Lyon, France
| | - Alice C. Roy
- Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage, UMR 5596, CNRS/University Lyon 2, Lyon, France
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Wannaprom N, Jull G, Treleaven J, Warner MB, Kamnardsiri T, Uthaikhup S. Clavicular and scapular, but not spinal kinematics vary with scapular dyskinesis type during arm elevation and lowering in persons with neck pain. Gait Posture 2022; 97:48-55. [PMID: 35872483 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.07.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scapular dyskinesis is often observed in patients with neck pain. However, it is unknown whether clavicular, scapular and spinal kinematics vary with different types of scapular dyskinesis during arm movement. RESEARCH QUESTION Are there differences in clavicular, scapular and spinal kinematics during unilateral arm elevation and lowering among neck pain patients presenting with (i) scapular winging, (ii) with dysrhythmia, (iii) with no scapular abnormality and (iv) healthy controls? METHODS Sixty participants with neck pain (20 in each group) and 20 asymptomatic controls were recruited. The 3D kinematic data were measured during unilateral arm elevation and lowering at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° in the scapular plane. A three-way mixed-effects ANOVA was used to determine the main effects (group, phase and angle) and the interactions between three independent variables on the kinematic data. RESULTS The neck pain group with scapular winging had decreased clavicular retraction and increased scapular internal rotation and anterior tilt compared to the other neck pain and control groups at all angles during both phases of arm movement (p < 0.01). The neck pain group with scapular dysrhythmia had decreased scapular upward rotation compared to all other groups (p < 0.01). Some alterations in the kinematics existed during the lowering phase compared to the raising phase for all groups (p < 0.05). Spinal kinematics were similar across all groups (p > 0.05). SIGNIFICANCE Specific patterns of clavicular and scapular kinematics were identified during arm movement relevant to the type of observed scapular dyskinesis in patients with neck pain. Such findings stand to inform more precise and relevant motor training in rehabilitation and improve understanding of the association between altered scapular kinematics and neck pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipaporn Wannaprom
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Gwendolen Jull
- Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Julia Treleaven
- Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Martin B Warner
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Teerawat Kamnardsiri
- Department of Digital Game, College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Sureeporn Uthaikhup
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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Hagio S, Ishihara A, Terada M, Tanabe H, Kibushi B, Higashibata A, Yamada S, Furukawa S, Mukai C, Ishioka N, Kouzaki M. Muscle synergies of multi-directional postural control in astronauts on Earth after a long-term stay in space. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:1230-1239. [PMID: 35353615 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00232.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Movements of the human biological system have adapted to the physical environment under the 1-g gravitational force on Earth. However, the effects of microgravity in space on the underlying functional neuromuscular control behaviors remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed to elucidate the effects of prolonged exposure to a microgravity environment on the functional coordination of multiple muscle activities. The activities of 16 lower limb muscles of 5 astronauts who stayed in space for at least 3 months were recorded while they maintained multidirectional postural control during bipedal standing. The coordinated activation patterns of groups of muscles, i.e., muscle synergies, were estimated from the muscle activation datasets using a factorization algorithm. The experiments were repeated a total of 5 times for each astronaut, once before and 4 times after spaceflight. The compositions of muscle synergies were altered, with a constant number of synergies, after long-term exposure to microgravity, and the extent of the changes was correlated with the severity of the deficits in postural stability. Furthermore, the muscle synergies extracted 3 months after the return were similar in their activation profile but not in their muscle composition compared with those extracted in the preflight condition. These results suggest that the modularity in the neuromuscular system became reorganized to adapt to the microgravity environment and then possibly reoptimized to the new sensorimotor environment after the astronauts were re-exposed to a gravitational force. It is expected that muscle synergies can be used as physiological markers of the status of astronauts with gravity-dependent change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Hagio
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ishihara
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Life Science, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masahiro Terada
- Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroko Tanabe
- Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Benio Kibushi
- Faculty of Sport Science, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akira Higashibata
- Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shin Yamada
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Furukawa
- Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Chiaki Mukai
- Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Noriaki Ishioka
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Motoki Kouzaki
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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13
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Poirier G, Papaxanthis C, Mourey F, Lebigre M, Gaveau J. Muscle effort is best minimized by the right-dominant arm in the gravity field. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:1117-1126. [PMID: 35353617 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00324.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) develops motor strategies that minimize various hidden criteria, such as end-point variance or effort. A large body of literature suggests that the dominant arm is specialized for such open-loop optimization-like processes, whilst the non-dominant arm is specialized for closed-loop postural control. Building on recent results suggesting that the brain plans arm movements that take advantage of gravity effects to minimize muscle effort, the present study tests the hypothesized superiority of the dominant arm motor system for effort minimization. Thirty participants (22.5 ± 2.1 years old; all right-handed) performed vertical arm movements between two targets (40° amplitude), in two directions (upwards and downwards) with their two arms (dominant and non-dominant). We recorded the arm kinematics and electromyographic activities of the anterior and posterior deltoid to compare two motor signatures of the gravity-related optimization process; i.e., directional asymmetries and negative epochs on phasic muscular activity. We found that these motor signatures were still present during movements performed with the non-dominant arm, indicating that the effort-minimization process also occurs for the non-dominant motor system. However, these markers were reduced compared with movements performed with the dominant arm. This difference was especially prominent during downward movements, where the optimization of gravity effects occurs early in the movement. Assuming that the dominant arm is optimal to minimize muscle effort, as demonstrated by previous studies, the present results support the hypothesized superiority of the dominant arm motor system for effort-minimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Poirier
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Dijon, France
| | - Charalambos Papaxanthis
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Dijon, France
| | - France Mourey
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Dijon, France
| | - Melanie Lebigre
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Dijon, France
| | - Jérémie Gaveau
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Dijon, France
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14
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Famié S, Ammi M, Bourdin V, Amorim MA. Evidence for an internal model of friction when controlling kinetic energy at impact to slide an object along a surface toward a target. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264370. [PMID: 35202414 PMCID: PMC8870541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the role of an internal model of gravity for the predictive control of the upper limbs is quite well established, evidence is lacking regarding an internal model of friction. In this study, 33 male and female human participants performed a striking movement (with the index finger) to slide a plastic cube-like object to a given target distance. The surface material (aluminum or balsa wood) on which the object slides, the surface slope (-10°, 0, or +10°) and the target distance (25 cm or 50 cm) varied across conditions, with ten successive trials in each condition. Analysis of the object speed at impact and spatial error suggests that: 1) the participants chose to impart a similar speed to the object in the first trial regardless of the surface material to facilitate the estimation of the coefficient of friction; 2) the movement is parameterized across repetitions to reduce spatial error; 3) an internal model of friction can be generalized when the slope changes. Biomechanical analysis showed interindividual variability in the recruitment of the upper limb segments and in the adjustment of finger speed at impact in order to transmit the kinetic energy required to slide the object to the target distance. In short, we provide evidence that the brain builds an internal model of friction that makes it possible to parametrically control a striking movement in order to regulate the amount of kinetic energy required to impart the appropriate initial speed to the object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Famié
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, Orsay, France
- Université d’Orléans, CIAMS, Orléans, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, LIMSI, Orsay, France
- Université Paris 8, LIASD, Saint-Denis, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Mehdi Ammi
- Université Paris 8, LIASD, Saint-Denis, France
| | | | - Michel-Ange Amorim
- Université Paris-Saclay, CIAMS, Orsay, France
- Université d’Orléans, CIAMS, Orléans, France
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15
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Verdel D, Bastide S, Vignais N, Bruneau O, Berret B. Human Weight Compensation With a Backdrivable Upper-Limb Exoskeleton: Identification and Control. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:796864. [PMID: 35096793 PMCID: PMC8793740 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.796864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Active exoskeletons are promising devices for improving rehabilitation procedures in patients and preventing musculoskeletal disorders in workers. In particular, exoskeletons implementing human limb’s weight support are interesting to restore some mobility in patients with muscle weakness and help in occupational load carrying tasks. The present study aims at improving weight support of the upper limb by providing a weight model considering joint misalignments and a control law including feedforward terms learned from a prior population-based analysis. Three experiments, for design and validation purposes, are conducted on a total of 65 participants who performed posture maintenance and elbow flexion/extension movements. The introduction of joint misalignments in the weight support model significantly reduced the model errors, in terms of weight estimation, and enhanced the estimation reliability. The introduced control architecture reduced model tracking errors regardless of the condition. Weight support significantly decreased the activity of antigravity muscles, as expected, but increased the activity of elbow extensors because gravity is usually exploited by humans to accelerate a limb downwards. These findings suggest that an adaptive weight support controller could be envisioned to further minimize human effort in certain applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian Verdel
- CIAMS, Sport Sciences Department, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
- *Correspondence: Dorian Verdel,
| | - Simon Bastide
- CIAMS, Sport Sciences Department, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Vignais
- CIAMS, Sport Sciences Department, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Olivier Bruneau
- LURPA, Mechanical Engineering Department, ENS Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
| | - Bastien Berret
- CIAMS, Sport Sciences Department, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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16
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Gravano S, Lacquaniti F, Zago M. Mental imagery of object motion in weightlessness. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:50. [PMID: 34862387 PMCID: PMC8642442 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00179-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental imagery represents a potential countermeasure for sensorimotor and cognitive dysfunctions due to spaceflight. It might help train people to deal with conditions unique to spaceflight. Thus, dynamic interactions with the inertial motion of weightless objects are only experienced in weightlessness but can be simulated on Earth using mental imagery. Such training might overcome the problem of calibrating fine-grained hand forces and estimating the spatiotemporal parameters of the resulting object motion. Here, a group of astronauts grasped an imaginary ball, threw it against the ceiling or the front wall, and caught it after the bounce, during pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight experiments. They varied the throwing speed across trials and imagined that the ball moved under Earth's gravity or weightlessness. We found that the astronauts were able to reproduce qualitative differences between inertial and gravitational motion already on ground, and further adapted their behavior during spaceflight. Thus, they adjusted the throwing speed and the catching time, equivalent to the duration of virtual ball motion, as a function of the imaginary 0 g condition versus the imaginary 1 g condition. Arm kinematics of the frontal throws further revealed a differential processing of imagined gravity level in terms of the spatial features of the arm and virtual ball trajectories. We suggest that protocols of this kind may facilitate sensorimotor adaptation and help tuning vestibular plasticity in-flight, since mental imagery of gravitational motion is known to engage the vestibular cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Gravano
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy ,grid.6530.00000 0001 2300 0941Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - 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.
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy. .,Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering & Center of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
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17
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Carriot J, Mackrous I, Cullen KE. Challenges to the Vestibular System in Space: How the Brain Responds and Adapts to Microgravity. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:760313. [PMID: 34803615 PMCID: PMC8595211 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.760313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the next century, flying civilians to space or humans to Mars will no longer be a subject of science fiction. The altered gravitational environment experienced during space flight, as well as that experienced following landing, results in impaired perceptual and motor performance-particularly in the first days of the new environmental challenge. Notably, the absence of gravity unloads the vestibular otolith organs such that they are no longer stimulated as they would be on earth. Understanding how the brain responds initially and then adapts to altered sensory input has important implications for understanding the inherent abilities as well as limitations of human performance. Space-based experiments have shown that altered gravity causes structural and functional changes at multiple stages of vestibular processing, spanning from the hair cells of its sensory organs to the Purkinje cells of the vestibular cerebellum. Furthermore, ground-based experiments have established the adaptive capacity of vestibular pathways and neural mechanism that likely underlie this adaptation. We review these studies and suggest that the brain likely uses two key strategies to adapt to changes in gravity: (i) the updating of a cerebellum-based internal model of the sensory consequences of gravity; and (ii) the re-weighting of extra-vestibular information as the vestibular system becomes less (i.e., entering microgravity) and then again more reliable (i.e., return to earth).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérome Carriot
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Kathleen E. Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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18
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Gaveau J, Grospretre S, Berret B, Angelaki DE, Papaxanthis C. A cross-species neural integration of gravity for motor optimization. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/15/eabf7800. [PMID: 33827823 PMCID: PMC8026131 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf7800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent kinematic results, combined with model simulations, have provided support for the hypothesis that the human brain shapes motor patterns that use gravity effects to minimize muscle effort. Because many different muscular activation patterns can give rise to the same trajectory, here, we specifically investigate gravity-related movement properties by analyzing muscular activation patterns during single-degree-of-freedom arm movements in various directions. Using a well-known decomposition method of tonic and phasic electromyographic activities, we demonstrate that phasic electromyograms (EMGs) present systematic negative phases. This negativity reveals the optimal motor plan's neural signature, where the motor system harvests the mechanical effects of gravity to accelerate downward and decelerate upward movements, thereby saving muscle effort. We compare experimental findings in humans to monkeys, generalizing the Effort-optimization strategy across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremie Gaveau
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sidney Grospretre
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
- EA4660-C3S Laboratory-Culture, Sport, Health and Society Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Bastien Berret
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- CIAMS, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) , Paris, France
| | | | - Charalambos Papaxanthis
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
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19
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Rousseau C, Barbiero M, Pozzo T, Papaxanthis C, White O. Actual and Imagined Movements Reveal a Dual Role of the Insular Cortex for Motor Control. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2586-2594. [PMID: 33300566 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Movements rely on a mixture of feedforward and feedback mechanisms. With experience, the brain builds internal representations of actions in different contexts. Many factors are taken into account in this process among which is the immutable presence of gravity. Any displacement of a massive body in the gravitational field generates forces and torques that must be predicted and compensated by appropriate motor commands. The insular cortex is a key brain area for graviception. However, no attempt has been made to address whether the same internal representation of gravity is shared between feedforward and feedback mechanisms. Here, participants either mentally simulated (only feedforward) or performed (feedforward and feedback) vertical movements of the hand. We found that the posterior part of the insular cortex was engaged when feedback was processed. The anterior insula, however, was activated only in mental simulation of the action. A psychophysical experiment demonstrates participants' ability to integrate the effects of gravity. Our results point toward a dual internal representation of gravity within the insula. We discuss the conceptual link between these two dualities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Rousseau
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Marie Barbiero
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France.,Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), 75001, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Pozzo
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France.,IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Charalambos Papaxanthis
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Olivier White
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
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20
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Poirier G, Ohayon A, Juranville A, Mourey F, Gaveau J. Deterioration, Compensation and Motor Control Processes in Healthy Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. Geriatrics (Basel) 2021; 6:33. [PMID: 33807008 PMCID: PMC8006018 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics6010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with modifications of several brain structures and functions. These modifications then manifest as modified behaviors. It has been proposed that some brain function modifications may compensate for some other deteriorated ones, thus maintaining behavioral performance. Through the concept of compensation versus deterioration, this article reviews the literature on motor function in healthy and pathological aging. We first highlight mechanistic studies that used paradigms, allowing us to identify precise compensation mechanisms in healthy aging. Subsequently, we review studies investigating motor function in two often-associated neurological conditions, i.e., mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. We point out the need to expand the knowledge gained from descriptive studies with studies targeting specific motor control processes. Teasing apart deteriorated versus compensating processes represents precious knowledge that could significantly improve the prevention and rehabilitation of age-related loss of mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Poirier
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
- Espace d’Étude du Mouvement—Étienne Jules MAREY, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Alice Ohayon
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
| | - Adrien Juranville
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
| | - France Mourey
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
- Espace d’Étude du Mouvement—Étienne Jules MAREY, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jeremie Gaveau
- INSERM U1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France; (A.O.); (A.J.); (F.M.); (J.G.)
- Espace d’Étude du Mouvement—Étienne Jules MAREY, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000 Dijon, France
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21
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Opsomer L, Crevecoeur F, Thonnard JL, McIntyre J, Lefèvre P. Distinct adaptation patterns between grip dynamics and arm kinematics when the body is upside-down. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:862-874. [PMID: 33656927 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00357.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, practically all movements are learnt and performed in a constant gravitational field. Yet, studies on arm movements and object manipulation in parabolic flight have highlighted very fast sensorimotor adaptations to altered gravity environments. Here, we wondered if the motor adjustments observed in those altered gravity environments could also be observed on Earth in a situation where the body is upside-down. To address this question, we asked participants to perform rhythmic arm movements in two different body postures (right-side-up and upside-down) while holding an object in precision grip. Analyses of grip-load force coordination and of movement kinematics revealed distinct adaptation patterns between grip and arm control. Grip force and load force were tightly synchronized from the first movements performed in upside-down posture, reflecting a malleable allocentric grip control. In contrast, velocity profiles showed a more progressive adaptation to the upside-down posture and reflected an egocentric planning of arm kinematics. In addition to suggesting distinct mechanisms between grip dynamics and arm kinematics for adaptation to novel contexts, these results also suggest the existence of general mechanisms underlying gravity-dependent motor adaptation that can be used for fast sensorimotor coordination across different postures on Earth and, incidentally, across different gravitational conditions in parabolic flights, in human centrifuges, or in Space.NEW & NOTEWORTHY During rhythmic arm movements performed in an upside-down posture, grip control adapted very quickly, but kinematics adaptation was more progressive. Our results suggest that grip control and movement kinematics planning might operate in different reference frames. Moreover, by comparing our results with previous results from parabolic flight studies, we propose that a common mechanism underlies adaptation to unfamiliar body postures and adaptation to altered gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Opsomer
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - F Crevecoeur
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - J-L Thonnard
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - J McIntyre
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Paris, France.,TECNALIA,Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.,Ikerbasque Science Foundation, Bilbao, Spain
| | - P Lefèvre
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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22
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Botzheim L, Laczko J, Torricelli D, Mravcsik M, Pons JL, Oliveira Barroso F. Effects of gravity and kinematic constraints on muscle synergies in arm cycling. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:1367-1381. [PMID: 33534650 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00415.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Arm cycling is a bimanual motor task used in medical rehabilitation and in sports training. Understanding how muscle coordination changes across different biomechanical constraints in arm cycling is a step toward improved rehabilitation approaches. This exploratory study aims to get new insights on motor control during arm cycling. To achieve our main goal, we used the muscle synergies analysis to test three hypotheses: 1) body position with respect to gravity (sitting and supine) has an effect on muscle synergies; 2) the movement size (crank length) has an effect on the synergistic behavior; 3) the bimanual cranking mode (asynchronous and synchronous) requires different synergistic control. Thirteen able-bodied volunteers performed arm cranking on a custom-made device with unconnected cranks, which allowed testing three different conditions: body position (sitting vs. supine), crank length (10 cm vs. 15 cm), and cranking mode (synchronous vs. asynchronous). For each of the eight possible combinations, subjects cycled for 30 s while electromyography of eight muscles (four from each arm) were recorded: biceps brachii, triceps brachii, anterior deltoid, and posterior deltoid. Muscle synergies in this eight-dimensional muscle space were extracted by nonnegative matrix factorization. Four synergies accounted for over 90% of muscle activation variances in all conditions. Results showed that synergies were affected by body position and cranking mode but practically unaffected by movement size. These results suggest that the central nervous system may employ different motor control strategies in response to external constraints such as cranking mode and body position during arm cycling.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Recent studies analyzed muscle synergies in lower limb cycling. Here, we examine upper limb cycling and specifically the effect of body position with respect to gravity, movement size, and cranking mode on muscle coordination during arm cranking tasks. We show that altered body position and cranking mode affects modular organization of muscle activities. To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing motor control through muscle synergies framework during upper limb cycling with different constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilla Botzheim
- Department of Information Technology and Biorobotics, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Neurorehabilitation and Motor Control Research Group, Department of Computational Sciences, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jozsef Laczko
- Department of Information Technology and Biorobotics, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Neurorehabilitation and Motor Control Research Group, Department of Computational Sciences, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Diego Torricelli
- Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariann Mravcsik
- Department of Information Technology and Biorobotics, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Neurorehabilitation and Motor Control Research Group, Department of Computational Sciences, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jose L Pons
- Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.,Legs & Walking AbilityLab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Filipe Oliveira Barroso
- Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Bringoux L, Macaluso T, Sainton P, Chomienne L, Buloup F, Mouchnino L, Simoneau M, Blouin J. Double-Step Paradigm in Microgravity: Preservation of Sensorimotor Flexibility in Altered Gravitational Force Field. Front Physiol 2020; 11:377. [PMID: 32390872 PMCID: PMC7193114 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The way we can correct our ongoing movements to sudden and unforeseen perturbations is key to our ability to rapidly adjust our behavior to novel environmental demands. Referred to as sensorimotor flexibility, this ability can be assessed by the double-step paradigm in which participants must correct their ongoing arm movements to reach targets that unexpectedly change location (i.e., target jump). While this type of corrections has been demonstrated in normogravity in the extent of reasonable spatiotemporal constraints underpinning the target jumps, less is known about sensorimotor flexibility in altered gravitational force fields. We thus aimed to assess sensorimotor flexibility by comparing online arm pointing corrections observed during microgravity episodes of parabolic flights with normogravity standards. Seven participants were asked to point as fast and as accurately as possible toward one of two visual targets with their right index finger. The targets were aligned vertically in the mid-sagittal plane and were separated by 10 cm. In 20% of the trials, the initially illuminated lower target was switched off at movement onset while the upper target was concomitantly switched on prompting participants to change the trajectory of their ongoing movements. Results showed that, both in normogravity and microgravity, participants successfully performed the pointing task including when the target jumped unexpectedly (i.e., comparable success rate). Most importantly, no significant difference was found in target jump trials regarding arm kinematics between both gravitational environments, neither in terms of peak velocity, relative deceleration duration, peak acceleration or time to peak acceleration. Using inverse dynamics based on experimental and anthropometrical data, we demonstrated that the shoulder torques for accelerating and decelerating the vertical arm movements substantially differed between microgravity and normogravity. Our data therefore highlight the capacity of the central nervous system to perform very fast neuromuscular adjustments that are adapted to the gravitational constraints. We discuss our findings by considering the contribution of feedforward and feedback mechanisms in the online control of arm pointing movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Bringoux
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - T Macaluso
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - P Sainton
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - L Chomienne
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - F Buloup
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - L Mouchnino
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Marseille, France
| | - M Simoneau
- Département de Kinésiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale (CIRRIS) du CIUSSS de la Capitale Nationale, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - J Blouin
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Marseille, France
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24
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White O, Gaveau J, Bringoux L, Crevecoeur F. The gravitational imprint on sensorimotor planning and control. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:4-19. [PMID: 32348686 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00381.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans excel at learning complex tasks, and elite performers such as musicians or athletes develop motor skills that defy biomechanical constraints. All actions require the movement of massive bodies. Of particular interest in the process of sensorimotor learning and control is the impact of gravitational forces on the body. Indeed, efficient control and accurate internal representations of the body configuration in space depend on our ability to feel and anticipate the action of gravity. Here we review studies on perception and sensorimotor control in both normal and altered gravity. Behavioral and modeling studies together suggested that the nervous system develops efficient strategies to take advantage of gravitational forces across a wide variety of tasks. However, when the body was exposed to altered gravity, the rate and amount of adaptation exhibited substantial variation from one experiment to another and sometimes led to partial adjustment only. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that the brain uses a multimodal and flexible representation of the effect of gravity on our body and movements. Future work is necessary to better characterize the nature of this internal representation and the extent to which it can adapt to novel contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- O White
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - J Gaveau
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - L Bringoux
- Institut des Sciences du Mouvement, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - F Crevecoeur
- Institute of Communication and Information Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), UCLouvain, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Belgium
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25
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Angelaki DE, Ng J, Abrego AM, Cham HX, Asprodini EK, Dickman JD, Laurens J. A gravity-based three-dimensional compass in the mouse brain. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1855. [PMID: 32296057 PMCID: PMC7160108 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15566-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gravity sensing provides a robust verticality signal for three-dimensional navigation. Head direction cells in the mammalian limbic system implement an allocentric neuronal compass. Here we show that head-direction cells in the rodent thalamus, retrosplenial cortex and cingulum fiber bundle are tuned to conjunctive combinations of azimuth and tilt, i.e. pitch or roll. Pitch and roll orientation tuning is anchored to gravity and independent of visual landmarks. When the head tilts, azimuth tuning is affixed to the head-horizontal plane, but also uses gravity to remain anchored to the allocentric bearings in the earth-horizontal plane. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a three-dimensional, gravity-based, neural compass is likely a ubiquitous property of mammalian species, including ground-dwelling animals. Head direction neurons constitute the brain’s compass, and are classically known to indicate head orientation in the horizontal plane. Here, the authors show that head direction neurons form a three-dimensional compass that can also indicate head tilt, and anchors to gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora E Angelaki
- Center for Neural Science and Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Julia Ng
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amada M Abrego
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Henry X Cham
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eftihia K Asprodini
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - J David Dickman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jean Laurens
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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26
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Clément G, Bukley A, Loureiro N, Lindblad L, Sousa D, Zandvilet A. Horizontal and Vertical Distance Perception in Altered Gravity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5471. [PMID: 32214172 PMCID: PMC7096486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62405-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The perception of the horizontal and vertical distances of a visual target to an observer was investigated in parabolic flight during alternating short periods of normal gravity (1 g). microgravity (0 g), and hypergravity (1.8 g). The methods used for obtaining absolute judgments of egocentric distance included verbal reports and visually directed motion toward a memorized visual target by pulling on a rope with the arms (blind pulling). The results showed that, for all gravity levels, the verbal reports of distance judgments were accurate for targets located between 0.6 and 6.0 m. During blind pulling, subjects underestimated horizontal distances as distances increased, and this underestimation decreased in 0 g. Vertical distances for up targets were overestimated and vertical distances for down targets were underestimated in both 1 g and 1.8 g. This vertical asymmetry was absent in 0 g. The results of the present study confirm that blind pulling and verbal reports are independently influenced by gravity. The changes in distance judgments during blind pulling in 0 g compared to 1 g support the view that, during an action-based task, subjects base their perception of distance on the estimated motor effort of navigating to the perceived object.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angie Bukley
- International Space University Org., Inc., Webster, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nuno Loureiro
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | | | - André Zandvilet
- European Space Research and Technology Center, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
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27
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Poirier G, Papaxanthis C, Mourey F, Gaveau J. Motor Planning of Vertical Arm Movements in Healthy Older Adults: Does Effort Minimization Persist With Aging? Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:37. [PMID: 32161533 PMCID: PMC7052522 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Several sensorimotor modifications are known to occur with aging, possibly leading to adverse outcomes such as falls. Recently, some of those modifications have been proposed to emerge from motor planning deteriorations. Motor planning of vertical movements is thought to engage an internal model of gravity to anticipate its mechanical effects on the body-limbs and thus to genuinely produce movements that minimize muscle effort. This is supported, amongst other results, by direction-dependent kinematics where relative durations to peak accelerations and peak velocity are shorter for upward than for downward movements. The present study compares the motor planning of fast and slow vertical arm reaching movements between 18 young (24 ± 3 years old) and 17 older adults (70 ± 5 years old). We found that older participants still exhibit strong directional asymmetries (i.e., differences between upward and downward movements), indicating that optimization processes during motor planning persist with healthy aging. However, the size of these differences was increased in older participants, indicating that gravity-related motor planning changes with age. We discuss this increase as the possible result of an overestimation of gravity torque or increased weight of the effort cost in the optimization process. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that feedforward processes and, more precisely, optimal motor planning, remain active with healthy aging.
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28
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La Scaleia B, Ceccarelli F, Lacquaniti F, Zago M. Visuomotor Interactions and Perceptual Judgments in Virtual Reality Simulating Different Levels of Gravity. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:76. [PMID: 32133351 PMCID: PMC7039824 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Virtual reality is used to manipulate sensorimotor interactions in a controlled manner. A critical issue is represented by the extent to which virtual scenarios must conform to physical realism to allow ecological human–machine interactions. Among the physical constraints, Earth gravity is one of the most pervasive and significant for sensorimotor coordination. However, it is still unclear whether visual perception is sensitive to the level of gravity acting on target motion displayed in virtual reality, given the poor visual discrimination of accelerations. To test gravity sensitivity, we asked participants to hit a virtual ball rolling down an incline and falling in air, and to report whether ball motion was perceived as natural or unnatural. We manipulated the gravity level independently for the motion on the incline and for the motion in air. The ball was always visible during rolling, whereas it was visible or occluded during falling before interception. The scene included several cues allowing metric calibration of visual space and motion. We found that the perception rate of natural motion was significantly higher and less variable when ball kinematics was congruent with Earth gravity during both rolling and falling. Moreover, the timing of target interception was accurate only in this condition. Neither naturalness perception nor interception timing depended significantly on whether the target was visible during free-fall. Even when occluded, free-fall under natural gravity was correctly extrapolated from the preceding, visible phase of rolling motion. Naturalness perception depended on motor performance, in addition to the gravity level. In sum, both motor and perceptual responses were guided by an internal model of Earth gravity effects. We suggest that, in order to enhance perceptual sensitivity to physical realism, virtual reality should involve visual backgrounds with metric cues and closed-loop sensorimotor interactions. This suggestion might be especially relevant for the design of rehabilitation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ceccarelli
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine and Centre of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, Centre of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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29
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Yamamoto S, Fujii K, Zippo K, Kushiro K, Araki M. The kinetic mechanisms of vertical pointing movements. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02012. [PMID: 31360781 PMCID: PMC6637177 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study utilized induced acceleration analysis to clarify the contributions of muscular and gravitational torques to the kinematics of vertical pointing movements performed by the upper limb. The study included eight healthy men with a mean age of 25 years. The experiment was divided into three blocks with ten trials in each, comprising five upward and five downward, randomly executed movements. The movements were recorded by a motion capture system and were subsequently analyzed. During the deceleration phase of the upward movement and the acceleration phase of the downward movement, the angular acceleration induced by gravitational torque contributed more to the generation of net induced angular acceleration than the angular acceleration induced by muscular torque. In addition, the difference between the net induced angular acceleration profiles during the upward and downward movements was mainly attributable to the difference between the respective angular acceleration profiles induced by muscular torque. These findings suggest that the central nervous system considers the gravitational effect on the upper limb in a phase-specific manner and accordingly generates a torque-derived kinematic difference with respect to the movement direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Yamamoto
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Nihon Fukushi University, Mihama-cho, Japan
| | - Keisuke Fujii
- Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, RIKEN, Suita, Japan
| | - Kisho Zippo
- Graduate School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Kumatori-cho, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kushiro
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masanobu Araki
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Nihon Fukushi University, Mihama-cho, Japan
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30
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Bastide S, Vignais N, Geffard F, Berret B. Analysing human-exoskeleton interaction: on the human adaptation to modified gravito-inertial dynamics. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2020.1714999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Bastide
- CIAMS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - N. Vignais
- CIAMS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - F. Geffard
- Interactive Robotics Laboratory, CEA, LIST, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - B. Berret
- CIAMS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex, France
- CIAMS, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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31
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Portnoy S, Mimouni-Bloch A, Rosenberg L, Offek H, Berman T, Kochavi M, Orman G, Friedman J. Graphical Product Quality and Muscle Activity in Children With Mild Disabilities Drawing on a Horizontally or Vertically Oriented Tablet. Am J Occup Ther 2019; 72:7206205040p1-7206205040p7. [PMID: 30760396 DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2018.027532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We compared performance level and muscle activity patterns during shape copying and tracing in two positions, while sitting at a desk and while standing in front of a wall, between typically developing (TD) preschool children and children with mild disabilities (MD). METHOD Twenty-two TD children (8 boys, 14 girls; mean [M] age = 5.2 yr, standard deviation [SD] = 0.1) and 13 children with MD (9 boys, 4 girls; M age = 4.9 yr, SD = 0.5) participated in this study. RESULTS The children performed faster and smoother movements when copying shapes on the vertical surface, with no reduction of accuracy, than on the horizontal surface. Children with MD exerted their upper trapezius while performing the short tasks on the vertical surface compared with their muscle activity on the horizontal surface. CONCLUSION Incorporating short copying or drawing tasks on a vertical surface may increase the control of proximal muscles and ease graphomotor performance in children with MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigal Portnoy
- Sigal Portnoy, PhD, is Lecturer, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel;
| | - Aviva Mimouni-Bloch
- Aviva Mimouni-Bloch, MD, is Director, Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Unit, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel, and Senior Lecturer, Department of Pediatrics, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Limor Rosenberg
- Limor Rosenberg, PhD, OT, is Senior Teacher, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hagar Offek
- Hagar Offek, MSc, is Researcher, Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Unit, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel
| | - Tamar Berman
- Tamar Berman is Occupational Therapy Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Kochavi
- Michal Kochavi is Occupational Therapy Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Orman
- Gal Orman is Occupational Therapy Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jason Friedman
- Jason Friedman, PhD, is Senior Lecturer, Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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32
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La Scaleia B, Lacquaniti F, Zago M. Body orientation contributes to modelling the effects of gravity for target interception in humans. J Physiol 2019; 597:2021-2043. [PMID: 30644996 DOI: 10.1113/jp277469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS It is known that interception of targets accelerated by gravity involves internal models coupled with visual signals. Non-visual signals related to head and body orientation relative to gravity may also contribute, although their role is poorly understood. In a novel experiment, we asked pitched observers to hit a virtual target approaching with an acceleration that was either coherent or incoherent with their pitch-tilt. Initially, the timing errors were large and independent of the coherence between target acceleration and observer's pitch. With practice, however, the timing errors became substantially smaller in the coherent conditions. The results show that information about head and body orientation can contribute to modelling the effects of gravity on a moving target. Orientation cues from vestibular and somatosensory signals might be integrated with visual signals in the vestibular cortex, where the internal model of gravity is assumed to be encoded. ABSTRACT Interception of moving targets relies on visual signals and internal models. Less is known about the additional contribution of non-visual cues about head and body orientation relative to gravity. We took advantage of Galileo's law of motion along an incline to demonstrate the effects of vestibular and somatosensory cues about head and body orientation on interception timing. Participants were asked to hit a ball rolling in a gutter towards the eyes, resulting in image expansion. The scene was presented in a head-mounted display, without any visual information about gravity direction. In separate blocks of trials participants were pitched backwards by 20° or 60°, whereas ball acceleration was randomized across trials so as to be compatible with rolling down a slope of 20° or 60°. Initially, the timing errors were large, independently of the coherence between ball acceleration and pitch angle, consistent with responses based exclusively on visual information because visual stimuli were identical at both tilts. At the end of the experiment, however, the timing errors were systematically smaller in the coherent conditions than the incoherent ones. Moreover, the responses were significantly (P = 0.007) earlier when participants were pitched by 60° than when they were pitched by 20°. Therefore, practice with the task led to incorporation of information about head and body orientation relative to gravity for response timing. Instead, posture did not affect response timing in a control experiment in which participants hit a static target in synchrony with the last of a predictable series of stationary audiovisual stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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33
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Klein J, Whitsell B, Artemiadis PK, Buneo CA. Perception of Arm Position in Three-Dimensional Space. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:331. [PMID: 30186128 PMCID: PMC6110942 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Proprioception refers to the senses of body position, movement, force and effort. Previous studies have demonstrated workspace and direction-dependent differences in arm proprioceptive sensitivity within the horizontal plane. In addition, studies of reaching in the vertical plane have shown that proprioception plays a key role in anticipating arm configuration dependent effects of gravity. This suggests that proprioceptive sensitivity could vary with the direction of arm displacement relative to the gravitational vector, as well as with arm configuration. To test these hypotheses, and to characterize proprioception more generally, we assessed the direction-dependence and arm postural-dependence of proprioceptive sensitivity in 3D space using a novel robotic paradigm. A subject’s right arm was coupled to a 7-df robot through a trough that stabilized the wrist and forearm, allowing for changes in configuration largely at the elbow and shoulder. Sensitivity was evaluated using a “same-different” task, where the subject’s hand was moved 1–4 cm away from an initial “test” position to a 2nd “judgment” position. The proportion of trials where subjects responded “different” when the positions were different (“hit rate”), and where they responded “different” when the positions were the same, (“false alarm rate”), were used to calculate d’, a measure of sensitivity derived from signal detection theory (SDT). Initially, a single initial arm posture was used and displacements were performed in six directions: upward, downward, forward, backward, leftward and rightward of the test position. In a follow-up experiment, data were obtained for four directions and two initial arm postures. As expected, sensitivity (d’) increased monotonically with distance for all six directions. Sensitivity also varied between directions, particularly at position differences of 2 and 3 cm. Overall, sensitivity reached near maximal values in this task at 2 cm for the leftward/rightward directions, 3 cm for upward/forward and 4 cm for the downward/backward directions. In addition, when data were grouped together for opposing directions, sensitivity showed a dependence upon arm posture. These data suggest arm proprioceptive sensitivity is both anisotropic in 3D space and configuration-dependent, which has important implications for sensorimotor control of the arm and human-robot interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Klein
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Alliance for Person-Centered Accessible Technologies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Bryan Whitsell
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Panagiotis K Artemiadis
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Christopher A Buneo
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Alliance for Person-Centered Accessible Technologies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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34
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Opsomer L, Théate V, Lefèvre P, Thonnard JL. Dexterous Manipulation During Rhythmic Arm Movements in Mars, Moon, and Micro-Gravity. Front Physiol 2018; 9:938. [PMID: 30065666 PMCID: PMC6056656 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting the consequences of one’s own movements can be challenging when confronted with completely novel environmental dynamics, such as microgravity in space. The absence of gravitational force disrupts internal models of the central nervous system (CNS) that have been tuned to the dynamics of a constant 1-g environment since birth. In the context of object manipulation, inadequate internal models produce prediction uncertainty evidenced by increases in the grip force (GF) safety margin that ensures a stable grip during unpredicted load perturbations. This margin decreases with practice in a novel environment. However, it is not clear how the CNS might react to a reduced, but non-zero, gravitational field, and if adaptation to reduced gravity might be beneficial for subsequent microgravity exposure. That is, we wondered if a transfer of learning can occur across various reduced-gravity environments. In this study, we investigated the kinematics and dynamics of vertical arm oscillations during parabolic flight maneuvers that simulate Mars gravity, Moon gravity, and microgravity, in that order. While the ratio of and the correlation between GF and load force (LF) evolved progressively with practice in Mars gravity, these parameters stabilized much quicker to subsequently presented Moon and microgravity conditions. These data suggest that prior short-term adaptation to one reduced-gravity field facilitates the CNS’s ability to update its internal model during exposure to other reduced gravity fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Opsomer
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Mathematical Engineering Department, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Vincent Théate
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Mathematical Engineering Department, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Mathematical Engineering Department, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Thonnard
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Mathematical Engineering Department, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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35
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Tajadura-Jiménez A, Deroy O, Marquardt T, Bianchi-Berthouze N, Asai T, Kimura T, Kitagawa N. Audio-tactile cues from an object's fall change estimates of one's body height. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199354. [PMID: 29949607 PMCID: PMC6021069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
When we drop an object from our hands, we use internal models of both our body height and object-motion to predict when it will hit the floor. What happens if the sensory feedback finally received from the impact conflicts with this prediction? The present study shows that such conflict results in changes in the internal estimates of our body height: When the object people dropped takes longer than expected to hit the floor, they report feeling taller and behave as if their legs were longer. This provides the first evidence of cross-modal recalibration of body-height representations as a function of changes in the distant environment. Crucially, the recalibration results from a mismatch between the predicted and actual outcome of an action, the ball’s release and impact, which are causally-related but separated in space and time. These results suggest that implicit models of object-motion can interact with implicit and explicit models of one’s body height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Tajadura-Jiménez
- UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC), University College London, London, United Kingdom
- DEI Interactive Systems Group, Computer Science Department, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain
- Human and Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ophelia Deroy
- Centre for the Study of the Senses, School of Advanced Study, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Munich Center for Neuroscience, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Torsten Marquardt
- UCL Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tomohisa Asai
- Human and Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Kimura
- Human and Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Norimichi Kitagawa
- Human and Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
- BKC Research Organization of Social Sciences, Ritsmeikan University, Shiga, Japan
- Yoshika Institute of Psychology, Shimane, Japan
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36
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Tani K, Shiraki Y, Yamamoto S, Kodaka Y, Kushiro K. Whole-Body Roll Tilt Influences Goal-Directed Upper Limb Movements through the Perceptual Tilt of Egocentric Reference Frame. Front Psychol 2018; 9:84. [PMID: 29497389 PMCID: PMC5819084 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In our day-to-day life, we can accurately reach for an object in our gravitational environment without any effort. This can be achieved even when the body is tilted relative to gravity. This is accomplished by the central nervous system (CNS) compensation for gravitational forces and torque acting on the upper limbs, based on the magnitude of body tilt. The present study investigated how performance of upper limb movements was influenced by the alteration of body orientation relative to gravity. We observed the spatial trajectory of the index finger while the upper limb reached for a memorized target with the body tilted in roll plane. Results showed that the terminal location of the fingertip shifted toward the direction of body tilt away from the actual target location. The subsequent experiment examined if the perceived direction of the body longitudinal axis shifted relative to the true direction in roll plane. The results showed that the perceived direction of the body longitudinal axis shifted toward the direction of the body tilt, which correlated with the shift of the terminal location in the first experiment. These results suggest that the dissociation between the egocentric and gravitational coordinates induced by whole-body tilt leads to systematic shifts of the egocentric reference frame for action, which in turn influences the motor performance of goal-directed upper limb movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Tani
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Shiraki
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinji Yamamoto
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Nihon Fukushi University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kodaka
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Neuroscience Research Institute, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kushiro
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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37
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Dakin CJ, Rosenberg A. Gravity estimation and verticality perception. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 159:43-59. [PMID: 30482332 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63916-5.00003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Gravity is a defining force that governs the evolution of mechanical forms, shapes and anchors our perception of the environment, and imposes fundamental constraints on our interactions with the world. Within the animal kingdom, humans are relatively unique in having evolved a vertical, bipedal posture. Although a vertical posture confers numerous benefits, it also renders us less stable than quadrupeds, increasing susceptibility to falls. The ability to accurately and precisely estimate our orientation relative to gravity is therefore of utmost importance. Here we review sensory information and computational processes underlying gravity estimation and verticality perception. Central to gravity estimation and verticality perception is multisensory cue combination, which serves to improve the precision of perception and resolve ambiguities in sensory representations by combining information from across the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems. We additionally review experimental paradigms for evaluating verticality perception, and discuss how particular disorders affect the perception of upright. Together, the work reviewed here highlights the critical role of multisensory cue combination in gravity estimation, verticality perception, and creating stable gravity-centered representations of our environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Dakin
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States.
| | - Ari Rosenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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38
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Macaluso T, Bourdin C, Buloup F, Mille ML, Sainton P, Sarlegna FR, Vercher JL, Bringoux L. Sensorimotor Reorganizations of Arm Kinematics and Postural Strategy for Functional Whole-Body Reaching Movements in Microgravity. Front Physiol 2017; 8:821. [PMID: 29104544 PMCID: PMC5654841 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the impact of weightlessness on human behavior during the forthcoming long-term space missions is of critical importance, especially when considering the efficiency of goal-directed movements in these unusual environments. Several studies provided a large set of evidence that gravity is taken into account during the planning stage of arm reaching movements to optimally anticipate its consequence upon the moving limbs. However, less is known about sensorimotor changes required to face weightless environments when individuals have to perform fast and accurate goal-directed actions with whole-body displacement. We thus aimed at characterizing kinematic features of whole-body reaching movements in microgravity, involving high spatiotemporal constraints of execution, to question whether and how humans are able to maintain the performance of a functional behavior in the standards of normogravity execution. Seven participants were asked to reach as fast and as accurately as possible visual targets while standing during microgravity episodes in parabolic flight. Small and large targets were presented either close or far from the participants (requiring, in the latter case, additional whole-body displacement). Results reported that participants successfully performed the reaching task with general temporal features of movement (e.g., movement speed) close to land observations. However, our analyses also demonstrated substantial kinematic changes related to the temporal structure of focal movement and the postural strategy to successfully perform -constrained- whole-body reaching movements in microgravity. These immediate reorganizations are likely achieved by rapidly taking into account the absence of gravity in motor preparation and execution (presumably from cues about body limbs unweighting). Specifically, when compared to normogravity, the arm deceleration phase substantially increased. Furthermore, greater whole-body forward displacements due to smaller trunk flexions occurred when reaching far targets in microgravity. Remarkably, these changes of focal kinematics and postural strategy appear close to those previously reported when participants performed the same task underwater with neutral buoyancy applied to body limbs. Overall, these novel findings reveal that humans are able to maintain the performance of functional goal-directed whole-body actions in weightlessness by successfully managing spatiotemporal constraints of execution in this unusual environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Frank Buloup
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
| | - Marie-Laure Mille
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France.,UFR STAPS, Université de Toulon, La Garde, France.,Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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39
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Olesh EV, Pollard BS, Gritsenko V. Gravitational and Dynamic Components of Muscle Torque Underlie Tonic and Phasic Muscle Activity during Goal-Directed Reaching. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:474. [PMID: 29018339 PMCID: PMC5623018 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human reaching movements require complex muscle activations to produce the forces necessary to move the limb in a controlled manner. How gravity and the complex kinetic properties of the limb contribute to the generation of the muscle activation pattern by the central nervous system (CNS) is a long-standing and controversial question in neuroscience. To tackle this issue, muscle activity is often subdivided into static and phasic components. The former corresponds to posture maintenance and transitions between postures. The latter corresponds to active movement production and the compensation for the kinetic properties of the limb. In the present study, we improved the methodology for this subdivision of muscle activity into static and phasic components by relating them to joint torques. Ten healthy subjects pointed in virtual reality to visual targets arranged to create a standard center-out reaching task in three dimensions. Muscle activity and motion capture data were synchronously collected during the movements. The motion capture data were used to calculate postural and dynamic components of active muscle torques using a dynamic model of the arm with 5 degrees of freedom. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was then applied to muscle activity and the torque components, separately, to reduce the dimensionality of the data. Muscle activity was also reconstructed from gravitational and dynamic torque components. Results show that the postural and dynamic components of muscle torque represent a significant amount of variance in muscle activity. This method could be used to define static and phasic components of muscle activity using muscle torques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erienne V Olesh
- Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States.,Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Bradley S Pollard
- Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States.,Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Valeriya Gritsenko
- Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States.,Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
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40
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Gaveau J, Berret B, Papaxanthis C. [Optimal adaptation of human movement to the gravity field]. Med Sci (Paris) 2017; 33:704-706. [PMID: 28945551 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20173308006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Gaveau
- Inserm U1093, laboratoire cognition, action et plasticité sensorimotrice ; université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Institut Marey, 64, rue de Sully, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Bastien Berret
- Inserm U1093, laboratoire cognition, action et plasticité sensorimotrice ; université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Institut Marey, 64, rue de Sully, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Charalambos Papaxanthis
- Inserm U1093, laboratoire cognition, action et plasticité sensorimotrice ; université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Institut Marey, 64, rue de Sully, 21000 Dijon, France
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41
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Gravano S, Zago M, Lacquaniti F. Mental imagery of gravitational motion. Cortex 2017; 95:172-191. [PMID: 28910670 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that gravitational acceleration is taken into account in the interaction with falling targets through an internal model of Earth gravity. Here we asked whether this internal model is accessed also when target motion is imagined rather than real. In the main experiments, naïve participants grasped an imaginary ball, threw it against the ceiling, and caught it on rebound. In different blocks of trials, they had to imagine that the ball moved under terrestrial gravity (1g condition) or under microgravity (0g) as during a space flight. We measured the speed and timing of the throwing and catching actions, and plotted ball flight duration versus throwing speed. Best-fitting duration-speed curves estimate the laws of ball motion implicit in the participant's performance. Surprisingly, we found duration-speed curves compatible with 0g for both the imaginary 0g condition and the imaginary 1g condition, despite the familiarity with Earth gravity effects and the added realism of performing the throwing and catching actions. In a control experiment, naïve participants were asked to throw the imaginary ball vertically upwards at different heights, without hitting the ceiling, and to catch it on its way down. All participants overestimated ball flight durations relative to the durations predicted by the effects of Earth gravity. Overall, the results indicate that mental imagery of motion does not have access to the internal model of Earth gravity, but resorts to a simulation of visual motion. Because visual processing of accelerating/decelerating motion is poor, visual imagery of motion at constant speed or slowly varying speed appears to be the preferred mode to perform the tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Gravano
- Center of Space BioMedicine of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology of the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Center of Space BioMedicine of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology of the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
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42
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Barbiero M, Rousseau C, Papaxanthis C, White O. Coherent Multimodal Sensory Information Allows Switching between Gravitoinertial Contexts. Front Physiol 2017; 8:290. [PMID: 28553233 PMCID: PMC5425486 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether the central nervous system is capable to switch between contexts critically depends on experimental details. Motor control studies regularly adopt robotic devices to perturb the dynamics of a certain task. Other approaches investigate motor control by altering the gravitoinertial context itself as in parabolic flights and human centrifuges. In contrast to conventional robotic experiments, where only the hand is perturbed, these gravitoinertial or immersive settings coherently plunge participants into new environments. However, radically different they are, perfect adaptation of motor responses are commonly reported. In object manipulation tasks, this translates into a good matching of the grasping force or grip force to the destabilizing load force. One possible bias in these protocols is the predictability of the forthcoming dynamics. Here we test whether the successful switching and adaptation processes observed in immersive environments are a consequence of the fact that participants can predict the perturbation schedule. We used a short arm human centrifuge to decouple the effects of space and time on the dynamics of an object manipulation task by adding an unnatural explicit position-dependent force. We created different dynamical contexts by asking 20 participants to move the object at three different paces. These contextual sessions were interleaved such that we could simulate concurrent learning. We assessed adaptation by measuring how grip force was adjusted to this unnatural load force. We found that the motor system can switch between new unusual dynamical contexts, as reported by surprisingly well-adjusted grip forces, and that this capacity is not a mere consequence of the ability to predict the time course of the upcoming dynamics. We posit that a coherent flow of multimodal sensory information born in a homogeneous milieu allows switching between dynamical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Barbiero
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France.,Institut National de Santé et de Recherche Médicale, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France
| | - Célia Rousseau
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France.,Institut National de Santé et de Recherche Médicale, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France
| | - Charalambos Papaxanthis
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France.,Institut National de Santé et de Recherche Médicale, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France
| | - Olivier White
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France.,Institut National de Santé et de Recherche Médicale, Cognition Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice UMR1093Dijon, France
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43
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Jörges B, López-Moliner J. Gravity as a Strong Prior: Implications for Perception and Action. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:203. [PMID: 28503140 PMCID: PMC5408029 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the future, humans are likely to be exposed to environments with altered gravity conditions, be it only visually (Virtual and Augmented Reality), or visually and bodily (space travel). As visually and bodily perceived gravity as well as an interiorized representation of earth gravity are involved in a series of tasks, such as catching, grasping, body orientation estimation and spatial inferences, humans will need to adapt to these new gravity conditions. Performance under earth gravity discrepant conditions has been shown to be relatively poor, and few studies conducted in gravity adaptation are rather discouraging. Especially in VR on earth, conflicts between bodily and visual gravity cues seem to make a full adaptation to visually perceived earth-discrepant gravities nearly impossible, and even in space, when visual and bodily cues are congruent, adaptation is extremely slow. We invoke a Bayesian framework for gravity related perceptual processes, in which earth gravity holds the status of a so called “strong prior”. As other strong priors, the gravity prior has developed through years and years of experience in an earth gravity environment. For this reason, the reliability of this representation is extremely high and overrules any sensory information to its contrary. While also other factors such as the multisensory nature of gravity perception need to be taken into account, we present the strong prior account as a unifying explanation for empirical results in gravity perception and adaptation to earth-discrepant gravities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Jörges
- Department of Cognition, Development and Psychology of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de BarcelonaCatalonia, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de BarcelonaCatalonia, Spain
| | - Joan López-Moliner
- Department of Cognition, Development and Psychology of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de BarcelonaCatalonia, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de BarcelonaCatalonia, Spain
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