Intralimb Coordination Research Articles

우세한 다리와 비우세한 다리 사이의 태권도 발차기 비교

The balanced performance of dominant and non-dominant leg is very important to Taekwondo sparring. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether elite Taekwondo athletes would have balanced biomechanical performance and intra-limb coordination in executing different types of Taekwondo kicks. Twelve athletes(more than 10 year practice experience) participated in this study and performed six basic kicks(i.e., the front, roundhouse, side, back, thrashing, and turning-back kick). Results indicated no statistical difference on response time, peak kicking velocity, single limb vertical jump height, and angle-angle plot between dominant leg and non-dominant leg(p>.05). In conclusion, elite Taekwondo athletes had equivalent ability between dominant leg and non-dominant leg in performing Taekwondo kicks. This might be an advantage to elite athletes for Taekwondo sparring because they could use both leg without any restriction.

The Effect of Practice and Chronic Ankle Instability on Intralimb Coordination and Movement Economy

The Effect of Practice and Chronic Ankle Instability on Intralimb Coordination and Movement Economy

Spontaneous kicking in full‐term and preterm infants with and without white matter disorder

Early damage to white matter of the brain may have developmental consequences for prematurely born infants including the coordination of leg movements. Our perspective is that white matter damage initiates an ontogenetic course that may lead to movement dysfunction leading to disability. In this study, spontaneous kicking in the human infant is a "window" for evaluating the potential consequences of perinatal brain damage for sensori-motor coordination. We compare the intra-limb coordination patterns of 5-month-old premature infants with white matter damage (PTWMD) to a group of prematurely born infants without WMD (PT) and a group of full-term (FT) infants. The PT group demonstrates advanced kicking patterns in comparison to both the PTWMD and FT groups. The PTWMD group has less mature patterns than the FT group on some, but not all measures. The movement challenge for PTWMD infants may be in the transition from spontaneous kicking to movements with the legs that require decoupling of intralimb joints.

Effect of ankle-foot orthoses on gait in typically developing children: Developmental trend in segmental coordination

As orthoses, and particularly ankle-foot orthoses, are widely used in the management of children with motor disorders, including cerebral palsy, we aimed to study their effect in normal children in order to add to normative gait data, which are essential for diagnosing, understanding and treating abnormal gait patterns. We analyzed the effect of ankle-foot orthoses on classical gait parameters and lower limb segments coordination patterns in typically developing children in two age groups reflecting different neuromaturational/developmental situations. We recorded 3D kinematic gait patterns in 9 children (4-5 years) and 11 children (9-10 years) walking barefoot or wearing bilateral solid ankle-foot orthoses maintaining the ankle joint angle at a neutral position. Ankle-foot orthoses induced little change in cadence, step length, step width or walking velocity in younger children, though they altered intralimb coordination through the gait cycle. In older children, walking velocity was reduced, shank elevation amplitude increased, while lower limb coordination changed less significantly. In this age group, ankle-foot orthoses significantly reduced the variability of coordinative strategies. Ankle-foot orthoses affect the gait pattern in children with a typical development at different levels in younger and older subjects, but the resulting changes are minimal.

Intensive coordinative training improves motor performance in degenerative cerebellar disease

The cerebellum is known to play a strong functional role in both motor control and motor learning. Hence, the benefit of physiotherapeutic training remains controversial for patients with cerebellar degeneration. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a 4-week intensive coordinative training for 16 patients with progressive ataxia due to cerebellar degeneration (n = 10) or degeneration of afferent pathways (n = 6). Effects were assessed by clinical ataxia rating scales, individual goal attainment scores, and quantitative movement analysis. Four assessments were performed: 8 weeks before, immediately before, directly after, and 8 weeks after training. To control for variability in disease progression, we used an intraindividual control design, where performance changes with and without training were compared. Significant improvements in motor performance and reduction of ataxia symptoms were observed in clinical scores after training and were sustained at follow-up assessment. Patients with predominant cerebellar ataxia revealed more distinct improvement than patients with afferent ataxia in several aspects of gait like velocity, lateral sway, and intralimb coordination. Consistently, in patients with cerebellar but without afferent ataxia, the regulation of balance in static and dynamic balance tasks improved significantly. In patients with cerebellar ataxia, coordinative training improves motor performance and reduces ataxia symptoms, enabling them to achieve personally meaningful goals in everyday life. Training effects were more distinct for patients whose afferent pathways were not affected. For both groups, continuous training seems crucial for stabilizing improvements and should become standard of care. This study provides Class III evidence that coordinative training improves motor performance and reduces ataxia symptoms in patients with progressive cerebellar ataxia.

Gait quality is improved by locomotor training in individuals with SCI regardless of training approach

BackgroundWhile various body weight supported locomotor training (BWSLT) approaches are reported in the literature for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), none have evaluated outcomes in terms of gait quality. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in measures of gait quality associated with four different BWSLT approaches in individuals with chronic motor-incomplete SCI, and to identify how gait parameters differed from those of non-disabled (ND) individuals.MethodsData were analyzed from 51 subjects with SCI who had been randomized into one of four BWSLT groups: treadmill with manual assistance (TM), treadmill with electrical stimulation (TS), overground with electrical stimulation (OG), treadmill with locomotor robot (LR). Subjects with SCI performed a 10-meter kinematic walk test before and after 12 weeks of training. Ten ND subjects performed the test under three conditions: walking at preferred speed, at speed comparable to subjects with SCI, and with a walker at comparable speed. Six kinematic gait quality parameters were calculated including: cadence, step length, stride length, symmetry index, intralimb coordination, and timing of knee extension.ResultsIn subjects with SCI, all training approaches were associated with improvements in gait quality. After training, subjects with SCI walked at higher cadence and had longer step and stride lengths. No significant differences were found among training groups, however there was an interaction effect indicating that step and stride length improved least in the LR group. Compared to when walking at preferred speed, gait quality of ND subjects was significantly different when walking at speeds comparable to those of the subjects with SCI (both with and without a walker). Post training, gait quality measures of subjects with SCI were more similar to those of ND subjects.ConclusionBWSLT leads to improvements in gait quality (values closer to ND subjects) regardless of training approach. We hypothesize that the smaller changes in the LR group were due to the passive settings used for the robotic device. Compared to walking at preferred speed, gait quality values of ND individuals walking at a slower speed and while using a walker were more similar to those of individuals with SCI.

Whole-body vibration improves walking function in individuals with spinal cord injury: A pilot study

Injury to the central nervous system often results in impairments that negatively affect walking function. Prior evidence suggests that vibration may improve walking function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether repeated use of whole-body vibration (WBV) is associated with improvements in walking function in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Subjects were 17 individuals with chronic (≥1 year), motor-incomplete SCI. Subjects were tested before and after participation in a 12-session (3 days/week for 4 weeks) intervention of WBV. We assessed change in walking function via 3D motion capture, with walking speed as the primary outcome measure. We also assessed the influence of the WBV intervention on secondary gait characteristics, including cadence, step length, and hip-knee intralimb coordination. Walking speed increased by a mean of 0.062 ± 0.011 m/s, a change that was statistically significant ( p < 0.001). The WBV intervention was also associated with statistically significant increases in cadence, and both the stronger and weaker legs exhibited increased step length and improved consistency of intralimb coordination. Changes in cadence and step length of the stronger leg were strongly correlated with improvements in walking speed. The improvement in walking speed observed with the WBV intervention was comparable to that reported in the literature in association with locomotor training. This magnitude of change has been identified as being clinically meaningful, even in non-clinical populations. These findings suggest WBV may be useful to improve walking function with effects that may persist for some time following the intervention.

Invited Commentary on “Allowing Intralimb Kinematic Variability During Locomotor Training Poststroke Improves Kinematic Consistency: A Subgroup Analysis From a Randomized Clinical Trial”

We congratulate Lewek and colleagues1 on this contribution to PTJ and the rehabilitation literature. Their work provokes consideration of a timeless question: What is the goal of gait rehabilitation? To walk faster—regardless of the locomotor strategy? Or to walk better? Of course, these ruminations beg the question: What is “better”? Moreover, is it even possible to change the fundamental locomotor pattern in people poststroke? The research by Lewek et al inspires some reflection on the remaining unanswered questions and raises a few points of possible alternative interpretation. Does their measure of intralimb coordination fully capture the intended construct? How certain can we be that the participants in the study actually did change their fundamental motor patterns following rehabilitation? How certain can we be that this change, if present, represents a positive adaptation? And, finally, should this adaptation be attributed to the presence of variability during manual training? The current environment for neurorehabilitation research and practice is unparalleled in history. Contemporary basic and clinical research reveal tremendous potential for plasticity in the adult nervous system following central nervous system injuries, including stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and even degenerative conditions such as Parkinson disease or multiple sclerosis. Our knowledge of biomechanics and neuromotor control as it relates to pathologic movement …

Effects of visual deprivation on intra-limb coordination during walking in children and adults

Following the laws of planar covariation, intersegmental coordination is defined with respect to the vertical and heading direction. This vertical reference can be estimated using multisensory information, amongst others visual cues play a role. In the past it was already shown that visual deprivation and/or perturbation of visual information largely affect gait kinematics. The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of visual deprivation on intra-limb movement coordination. Children aged between 3 and 11 years and young adults are included in this study to investigate age-related differences in the visual control of locomotion. Intersegmental coordination was tested under two different conditions: full vision (FV) and no vision (NV). Heading direction and walking speed were taken into account. A significant interaction effect was observed between visual condition and age for walking speed. Between age groups, no differences are observed in the FV condition but in the NV condition children walk significantly slower than adults. This shows that the relative importance of visual information is age dependent. Between age groups significant differences were found in heading direction. Coordination was characterized using the planar covariation technique, by constructing thigh versus shank and shank versus foot angle-angle plots and by cross-correlation function analysis. Regardless of the presence or absence of visual information, the planarity index remains high, indicating that the laws of planar covariation hold in the absence of visual afferent information. On the other hand, the shape of the gait loop does show significant differences between FV and NV conditions. Changes in the shape of the gait loop are primarily determined by changes in the coupling between the thigh and shank elevation angles. The coupling between the shank and foot elevation angles is dependent upon walking speed and does not differ between FV and NV conditions. Between age groups significant differences are observed in covariation plane orientation.

Allowing Intralimb Kinematic Variability During Locomotor Training Poststroke Improves Kinematic Consistency: A Subgroup Analysis From a Randomized Clinical Trial

Locomotor training (LT) to improve walking ability in people poststroke can be accomplished with therapist assistance as needed to promote continuous stepping. Various robotic devices also have been developed that can guide the lower limbs through a kinematically consistent gait pattern. It is unclear whether LT with either therapist or robotic assistance could improve kinematic coordination patterns during walking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether LT with physical assistance as needed was superior to guided, symmetrical, robotic-assisted LT for improving kinematic coordination during walking poststroke. This study was a randomized clinical trial. Nineteen people with chronic stroke (>6 months' duration) participating in a larger randomized control trial comparing therapist- versus robotic-assisted LT were recruited. Prior to and following 4 weeks of LT, gait analysis was performed at each participant's self-selected speed during overground walking. Kinematic coordination was defined as the consistency of intralimb hip and knee angular trajectories over repeated gait cycles and was compared before and after treatment for each group. Locomotor training with therapist assistance resulted in significant improvements in the consistency of intralimb movements of the impaired limb. Providing consistent kinematic assistance during robotic-assisted LT did not result in improvements in intralimb consistency. Only minimal changes in discrete kinematics were observed in either group. The limitations included a relatively small sample size and a lack of quantification regarding the extent of movement consistency during training sessions for both groups. Coordination of intralimb kinematics appears to improve in response to LT with therapist assistance as needed. Fixed assistance, as provided by this form of robotic guidance during LT, however, did not alter intralimb coordination.

Biomechanics of trailing leg response to slipping - Evidence of interlimb and intralimb coordination

This gait study characterizes the trailing leg's biomechanical response to slips. Twenty-eight healthy participants divided into two age groups (20–33 years and 55–67 years) were asked to walk in two conditions: a known dry floor and a glycerol-contaminated floor expected to be dry, inducing an unexpected slip of the leading foot at heel contact. Four slip-related trailing leg response strategies were identified, ranging from a minimal disruption of the swing phase to a premature (∼50 ms after toe off) interruption of the swing phase. Aging effects were minimal. The response of the leading/slipping leg preceded that of the trailing limb. The magnitude of the trailing leg's response was associated with that of the knee in the leading/slipping leg, suggesting interlimb coordination. The corrective moment at the knee of the trailing leg was also correlated with that measured at the hip in the same leg, suggesting intralimb coordination. The specific trailing leg's strategy used in a slip is partially determined by pre-slip walking patterns and early stance slip dynamics.

The effects of shoe traction and obstacle height on lower extremity coordination dynamics during walking

This study aims to investigate the effects of shoe traction and obstacle height on lower extremity relative phase dynamics (analysis of intralimb coordination) during walking to better understand the mechanisms employed to avoid slippage following obstacle clearance. Ten participants walked at a self-selected pace during eight conditions: four obstacle heights (0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% of limb length) while wearing two pairs of shoes (low and high traction). A coordination analysis was used and phasing relationships between lower extremity segments were examined. The results demonstrated that significant behavioral changes were elicited under varied obstacle heights and frictional conditions. Both decreasing shoe traction and increasing obstacle height resulted in a more in-phase relationship between the interacting lower limb segments. The higher the obstacle and the lower the shoe traction, the more unstable the system became. These changes in phasing relationship and variability are indicators of alterations in coordinative behavior, which if pushed further may have lead to falling.

Coordination of complex bimanual multijoint movements under increasing cycling frequencies: The prevalence of mirror-image and translational symmetry

The present study examined the principles underlying inter and intralimb coordination constraints during performance of bimanual elbow–wrist movements at different cycling frequencies (from 0.75 Hz to 2.50 Hz). Participants performed eight coordination tasks that consisted of a combination of in-phase (IN) and/or anti-phase (AN) coordination modes between both elbows and wrists (interlimb), with isodirectional (Iso) or non-isodirectional (NonI) coordination modes within each limb (intralimb). As expected, the principle of muscle homology (in-phase coordination), giving rise to mirror symmetrical movements with respect to the mid-sagittal plane, had a powerful influence on the quality of global coordinative behavior both between and within limbs. When this principle was violated (i.e., when the anti-phase mode was introduced in one or both joint pairs), the non-isodirectional intralimb mode exhibited a (de)stabilizing role in coordination, which became more pronounced at higher cycling frequencies. However, pattern loss with increasing cycling frequency resulted not only in convergence toward the more stable in-phase patterns with the elbows and wrists but also to the anti-phase patterns (which were associated with directional compatibility of within-limb motions). Moreover, participants generally preserved their initial mode of coordination (either in-phase or anti-phase) in the proximal joints (i.e., elbows) while shifting from anti-phase to in-phase (or vice versa) with their distal joint pair (i.e., wrists). Taken together, these findings reflect the impact of two immanent types of symmetry in bimanual coordination: mirror-image and translational symmetry.

Kinematic analysis of a functional and sequential bimanual task in patients with left hemiparesis: intra-limb and interlimb coordination

Purpose. To characterise upper limb performance of each hand (intra-limb coordination) and interlimb coordination on a functional, sequential bimanual task in patients with left hemiparesis and age-matched controls.Method. Fourteen patients with left hemiparesis (age: 60.01±9.09 years) and 13 adults without neurological impairments (age: 59.14±10.59 years) were instructed to reach-to-grasp a jar with the affected/left limb and to unscrew the jar cap with the unaffected/right limb. Reaching and grasping kinematics were analysed for intra-limb coordination and bimanual synchronisation and temporal correlation for interlimb coordination.Results. The patients showed significantly less efficient, less smooth, and less forceful movement and spent significantly more time for on-line error correction with the affected hand than the healthy controls. Interlimb coordination was disrupted at movement onset but was preserved at movement end in the hemiparetic patients.Conclusions. The major deficits of the left hemiparetic patients involved heavy reliance on feedback control with the affected hand, and poor bimanual coordination at movement onset, which might be specifically retrained during stroke rehabilitation. Preservation of interlimb coordination at movement end in stroke patients suggested that they retained flexibility in response to the impaired temporal performance of the affected hand to achieve the end goal.

Efeitos do peso externo nos chutes espontâneos de lactentes nos primeiros dois meses de vida

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the spontaneous kicking patterns among one and two-month-old infants, and find whether an external load can modify such patterns at this age. METHODS: Eight infants were filmed at the ages of one and two months, while in the supine position in a baby chair reclined at 0°. There was a mobile above the infants' arms and a board above their legs. The experiment lasted for six minutes and 20 seconds and, during this time, the infants' kicking movements with and without external loads of 1/10 and 1/3 of their leg mass were observed. The external loads were added to the infants' ankles. The analysis of the images collected using digital video recorders were used to verify the frequency of kicking, the frequency of foot contact with the board, the frequency of one or two-foot movements, foot preference and intra-limb coordination pattern. RESULTS: The chi-square test showed that the frequency of kicking was significantly increased at the age of two months and under the conditions of 1/10-load and post-load. Foot contact with the board was less under the condition of 1/3-load but increased at the age of two months. One-foot kicking predominated under all the conditions and at all ages, and the infants showed no preference between the legs. In addition, the intra-limb coordination pattern of the kicking was characterized as in-phase at both ages. CONCLUSIONS: Intrinsic factors such as the infants' age and extrinsic factors such as external loads of 1/10 of their leg mass promoted increased frequency of spontaneous kicking in one and two-month-old infants.

The organization of intralimb and interlimb synergies in response to different joint dynamics.

We sought to understand differences in joint coordination between the dominant and nondominant arms when performing repetitive tasks. The uncontrolled manifold approach was used to decompose the variability of joint motions into components that reflect the use of motor redundancy or movement error. First, we hypothesized that coordination of the dominant arm would demonstrate greater use of motor redundancy to compensate for interaction forces than would coordination of the nondominant arm. Secondly, we hypothesized that when interjoint dynamics were more complex, control of the interlimb relationship would remain stable despite differences in control of individual hand paths. Healthy adults performed bimanual tracing of two orientations of ellipses that resulted in different magnitudes of elbow interaction forces. For the dominant arm, joint variance leading to hand path error was the same for both ellipsis orientations, whereas joint variance reflecting the use of motor redundancy increased when interaction moment was highest. For the nondominant arm, more joint error variance was found when interaction moment was highest, whereas motor redundancy did not differ across orientations. There was no apparent difference in interjoint dynamics between the two arms. Thus, greater skill exhibited by the dominant arm may be related to its ability to utilize motor redundancy to compensate for the effect of interaction forces. However, despite the greater error associated with control of the nondominant hand, control of the interlimb relationship remained stable when the interaction moment increased. This suggests separate levels of control for inter- versus intra-limb coordination in this bimanual task.

The influence of focal cerebellar lesions on the control and adaptation of gait

Cerebellar ataxic gait is influenced greatly by balance disorders, most likely caused by lesions of the medial zone of the cerebellum. The contributions of the intermediate and lateral zone to the control of limb dynamics for gait and the adaptation of locomotor patterns are less well understood. In this study, we analysed locomotion and goal-directed leg movements in 12 patients with chronic focal lesions after resection of benign cerebellar tumours. The extent of the cortical lesion and possible involvement of the cerebellar nuclei was determined by 3D-MR imaging. The subjects (age range 13-39 years, mean 20.3; seven female; ICARS score: mean 5.7, SD 6.3) performed three tasks: goal-directed leg placement, walking and walking with additional weights on the shanks. Based on the performance on the first two tasks, patients were categorized as impaired or unimpaired for leg placement and for dynamic balance control in gait. The subgroup with impaired leg placement but not the subgroup with impaired balance showed abnormalities in the adaptation of locomotion to additional loads. A detailed analysis revealed specific abnormalities in the temporal aspects of intra-limb coordination for leg placement and adaptive locomotion. These findings indicate that common neural substrates could be responsible for intra-limb coordination in both tasks. Lesion-based MRI subtraction analysis revealed that the interposed and the adjacent dentate nuclei were more frequently affected in patients with impaired compared to unimpaired leg placement, whereas the fastigial nuclei (and to a lesser degree the interposed nuclei) were more frequently affected in patients with impaired compared with unimpaired dynamic balance control. The intermediate zone appears thus to be of particular importance for multi-joint limb control in both goal-directed leg movements and in locomotion. For locomotion, our results indicate an influence of the intermediate zone on dynamic balance control as well as on the adaptation to changes in limb dynamics.

Effects of Object Size on Intralimb and Interlimb Coordination during a Bimanual Prehension Task in Patients with Left Cerebral Vascular Accidents

Stroke patients are often left with hemiplegia or hemiparesis of the upper extremities, severely limiting the ability to perform bimanual and functional activities. No studies have investigated how stroke patients adapt their movements to changes in object size in functionally asymmetric bimanual tasks. The influence of object size on intralimb and interlimb coordination during an asymmetrical, functional bimanual task was examined in patients with left cerebral vascular accidents (LCVA) and healthy controls. Fourteen LCVA patients and 13 age-matched controls were instructed to reach to grasp a large and a small jar with the right/affected hand and to open the cap with the other hand. Movement kinematics was analyzed for intralimb coordination (spatial and temporal planning of reaching and grasping) and interlimb coordination (bimanual synchronization and temporal association of the hands). The results demonstrate a spatial adaptation of reaching in the affected hand to the object size and deficits in temporal planning of grasping with the affected hand to object size in the stroke patients. Movement adaptations of the unaffected hand in the stroke patients were similar to those in the healthy adults. Bimanual coordination was independent of object size for both groups.

The Effect of Chronic Ankle Instability on Intralimb Coordination During the Pre-Landing Phase of a Jump-Landing Task

Previous research has found that chronic ankle instability (CAI) causes functional deficits at the ankle and the proximal joints of the lower extremity. What has not been investigated is the effect on intralimb coordination of the proximal joints. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of CAI on continuous shank-thigh relative phase during the pre-landing phase of a jump-landing task. METHODS: Fifteen unilateral CAI (Age: 20.8 ± 2.88) and 15 healthy (HEA; Age: 23.07 ± 3.92) participants were matched according to gender, age, height, and weight as well as "injured" and "non-injured" sides. Participants completed 10 jumps on each leg involving a double-leg take-off 70 cm from the center of a force plate, a reach to 50% of maximum vertical jump height, a single-leg landing on the force plate, and as rapid a stabilization as possible. Angular displacement data for the knee and hip were collected with a three-dimensional electromagnetic tracking system and used to calculate angular velocities at both joints and continuous shank-thigh relative phase. Mean and standard deviation relative phase values were calculated for each participant. Mean absolute relative phase (MARP) and deviation phase (DP) were calculated for the phase from 100 ms pre-landing to just before landing. Two-way (Group x Side) repeated measures ANOVAs were administered. RESULTS: Pre-landing DP demonstrated main effects for group (F1,27 = 5.40, p = .03) with the CAI group exhibiting significantly greater variability(CAI 62.01 ± 13.33° vs. HEA 50.50 ± 13.34°). Pre-landing MARP demonstrated no significant main effects or interactions. CONCLUSIONS: The CAI group demonstrated a shank-thigh coordinative relationship that was less stable in the pre-landing phase.

Intralimb Coordination and Locomotor Compensation Mechanisms After Peripheral Nerve Injury

Intralimb Coordination and Locomotor Compensation Mechanisms After Peripheral Nerve Injury