|
|
||||||||
The Journal of Neurophysiology Vol. 86 No. 3 September 2001, pp. 1266-1276
Copyright ©2001 by the American Physiological Society
Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Medical Physiology, The Panum Institute, Copenhagen University, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
Hansen, N. L.,
S. Hansen,
L.O.D. Christensen,
N.
T. Petersen, and
J. B. Nielsen.
Synchronization of Lower Limb Motor Unit Activity During Walking
in Human Subjects. J. Neurophysiol. 86: 1266-1276, 2001. Synchronization of motor unit activity was
investigated during treadmill walking (speed: 3-4 km/h) in 25 healthy
human subjects. Recordings were made by pairs of wire electrodes
inserted into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle and by pairs of surface
electrodes placed over this muscle and a number of other lower limb
muscles (soleus, gastrocnemius lateralis, gastrocnemius medialis,
biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis). Short-lasting synchronization (average duration: 9.6 ± 1.1 ms) was observed between spike trains generated from multiunit electromyographic (EMG)
signals recorded by the wire electrodes in TA in eight of nine
subjects. Synchronization with a slightly longer duration (12.8 ± 1.2 ms) was also found in 13 of 14 subjects for paired TA surface EMG
recordings. The duration and size of this synchronization was within
the same range as that observed during tonic dorsiflexion in sitting
subjects. There was no relationship between the amount of
synchronization and the speed of walking. Synchronization was also
observed for pairs of surface EMG recordings from different ankle
plantarflexors (soleus, medial gastrocnemius, and lateral gastrocnemius) and knee extensors (vastus lateralis and medialis of
quadriceps), but not or rarely for paired recordings from ankle and
knee muscles. The data demonstrate that human motor units within a
muscle as well as synergistic muscles acting on the same joint receive
a common synaptic drive during human gait. It is speculated that the
common drive responsible for the motor unit synchronization during gait
may be similar to that responsible for short-term synchronization
during tonic voluntary contraction.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. G. Keenan, D. Farina, F. G. Meyer, R. Merletti, and R. M. Enoka Sensitivity of the cross-correlaton between simulated surface EMGs for two muscles to detect motor unit synchronization J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2007; 102(3): 1193 - 1201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. F. Yang and M. Gorassini Spinal and Brain Control of Human Walking: Implications for Retraining of Walking Neuroscientist, October 1, 2006; 12(5): 379 - 389. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. A. Norton and M. A. Gorassini Changes in Cortically Related Intermuscular Coherence Accompanying Improvements in Locomotor Skills in Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2006; 95(4): 2580 - 2589. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Nielsen, B. A. Conway, D. M. Halliday, M.-C. Perreault, and H. Hultborn Organization of common synaptic drive to motoneurones during fictive locomotion in the spinal cat J. Physiol., November 15, 2005; 569(1): 291 - 304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. L. Hansen, B. A. Conway, D. M. Halliday, S. Hansen, H. S. Pyndt, F. Biering-Sorensen, and J. B. Nielsen Reduction of Common Synaptic Drive to Ankle Dorsiflexor Motoneurons During Walking in Patients With Spinal Cord Lesion J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2005; 94(2): 934 - 942. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Mochizuki, T. D. Ivanova, and S. J. Garland Synchronization of Motor Units in Human Soleus Muscle During Standing Postural Tasks J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2005; 94(1): 62 - 69. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. G. Keenan, D. Farina, K. S. Maluf, R. Merletti, and R. M. Enoka Influence of amplitude cancellation on the simulated surface electromyogram J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2005; 98(1): 120 - 131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Macaluso, A. Young, K. S. Gibb, D. A. Rowe, and G. De Vito Cycling as a novel approach to resistance training increases muscle strength, power, and selected functional abilities in healthy older women J Appl Physiol, December 1, 2003; 95(6): 2544 - 2553. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Nielsen How we Walk: Central Control of Muscle Activity during Human Walking Neuroscientist, June 1, 2003; 9(3): 195 - 204. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. M. Halliday, B. A. Conway, L.O.D. Christensen, N. L. Hansen, N. P. Petersen, and J. B. Nielsen Functional Coupling of Motor Units Is Modulated During Walking in Human Subjects J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2003; 89(2): 960 - 968. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. C. Tresch and O. Kiehn Synchronization of Motor Neurons during Locomotion in the Neonatal Rat: Predictors and Mechanisms J. Neurosci., November 15, 2002; 22(22): 9997 - 10008. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |