Participation of Activation of Corticospinal Tract during Dual Task Walking by EMG Coherence Analysis in Healthy Adults

Takashi Kamimura,Ken Muramats,Jyunya Komagata

doi:10.15344/2455-7498/2016/119

Abstract

In the coherence analysis of muscles, beta bands of 15-35 Hz were reflecting activation of corticospinal tract (CST). The purpose of this study was to investigate the participation of activation of CST during dual task walking by electromyography (EMG) coherence analysis in healthy adults. Six healthy subjects were performed two types walking in a straight; A) normal walking, B) calculation task during walking. The walking performances were recorded using a video camera. The stride and cadence of steps, walking speed were measured from video movies. EMG signals were measured from proximal and distal of tibial anterior, medial gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles of right leg, and these were analyzed integrated EMG and coherence of flexor and extensor muscles. The walking speed, stride, and cadence of dual task condition were decreased compared with normal walking. Integrated EMG of proximal of tibial anterior was decreased in dual task walking. The coherence of EMG activity during dual task walking was not significantly changed flexor and extensor muscles compared to normal walking. These results suggested that the change of walking performance during dual task condition might not be due to decrease of input from CST to motor neurons. In addition, the measurement method of cognitive function during walking was necessary of other way to investigation.

Highlights

Walking is common and essential movement in various daily and physical activities.In the walking of human, it was happened command in the upper central, such as the cerebral cortex, and activating the brain stem, it is transmitted to the central pattern generator (CPG) of the spinal cordto the muscle of the effector activities during began to move with the objective
The values of the Integrated of the EMG (iEMG) of TAp of dual task walking were lower compared to normal walking (p
We considered the walking performance and change of EMG activity of lower limbduring normal walking and dual task walking

Summary

Introduction

Walking is common and essential movement in various daily and physical activities.In the walking of human, it was happened command in the upper central, such as the cerebral cortex, and activating the brain stem, it is transmitted to the central pattern generator (CPG) of the spinal cordto the muscle of the effector activities during began to move with the objective. The study of the elderly people suggested that the walking speed and swing time variability were significantly decreased during 3s and/ or 7s of the dual task walking compared to normal walking [2]. The walking speed and swing time variability of walking of fallers were significantly lower than that of non-fallers [3]. In the previous study of compared to older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal control subjects, the walking speed, time of stride, and gait variability were significantly decreased by MCI group compared to control group. In the previous research investigating relationship between the cognitive function and EMG activity of muscle, coactivation time of EMG activities of agonist and antagonist during walking was significantly increased in the elderly people [5]

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