Abstract
The two major modes of locomotion in humans, walking and running, may be regarded as a function of different speed (walking as slower and running as faster). Recent results using motor learning tasks in humans, as well as more direct evidence from animal models, advocate for independence in the neural control mechanisms underlying different locomotion tasks. In the current study, we investigated the possible independence of the neural mechanisms underlying human walking and running. Subjects were tested on a split-belt treadmill and adapted to walking or running on an asymmetrically driven treadmill surface. Despite the acquisition of asymmetrical movement patterns in the respective modes, the emergence of asymmetrical movement patterns in the subsequent trials was evident only within the same modes (walking after learning to walk and running after learning to run) and only partial in the opposite modes (walking after learning to run and running after learning to walk) (thus transferred only limitedly across the modes). Further, the storage of the acquired movement pattern in each mode was maintained independently of the opposite mode. Combined, these results provide indirect evidence for independence in the neural control mechanisms underlying the two locomotive modes.
Highlights
In everyday life, humans use two major modes of locomotion: walking and running
All of the subjects reported that their movement patterns were disturbed when returning to the symmetrical belt conditions after walking on the asymmetrically driven treadmill, as described in previous studies [11,16]
With exposure to the asymmetrical belt condition, the shapes resulted in prominent differences, an indication of different movement patterns between the fast and the slow sides
Summary
By definition, walking is known as a movement in which at least one foot is always in contact with the ground, whereas running involves aerial phases where both feet are off the ground. Both similarities and dissimilarities between the modes have been demonstrated from the perspectives of energetics [1], limb movements [2,3], and muscle functions [2,4,5]. 2) storage of the novel movement pattern in the respective mode is maintained independently of the opposite mode The acceptance of these working hypotheses will provide indirect evidence of independent neural mechanisms underlying human walking and running. A section of the results in the present study have been presented in abstract form [15]
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