Rhythmic Movements Research Articles

The cerebellum shapes motions by encoding motor frequencies with precision and cross-individual uniformity.

Understanding brain behaviour encoding or designing neuroprosthetics requires identifying precise, consistent neural algorithms across individuals. However, cerebral microstructures and activities are individually variable, posing challenges for identifying precise codes. Here, despite cerebral variability, we report that the cerebellum shapes motor kinematics by encoding dynamic motor frequencies with remarkable numerical precision and cross-individual uniformity. Using in vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics in mice, we confirm that deep cerebellar neurons encode frequencies using populational tuning of neuronal firing probabilities, creating cerebellar oscillations and motions with matched frequencies. The mechanism is consistently presented in self-generated rhythmic and non-rhythmic motions triggered by a vibrational platform or skilled tongue movements of licking in all tested mice with cross-individual uniformity. The precision and uniformity allowed us to engineer complex motor kinematics with designed frequencies. We further validate the frequency-coding function of the human cerebellum using cerebellar electroencephalography recordings and alternating current stimulation during voluntary tapping tasks. Our findings reveal a cerebellar algorithm for motor kinematics with precision and uniformity, the mathematical foundation for a brain-computer interface for motor control.

Self‐Rhythmic Soft Pneumatic Pressure Regulation System Based on Self‐Excited Oscillation of Jet Hose

Most of pneumatic soft robots rely on external rigid controllers and valves to achieve rhythmic movements. This article introduces a soft pneumatic pressure regulation system with self‐rhythmic characteristics and simple structure. In this system, the hose generates self‐excited oscillations due to jet force, which realizes the transformation of constant pressure to periodically varying pressure. This mechanism allows soft robots to perform rhythmic movements. A mathematical model is developed to describe the self‐excited oscillations of the jet hose. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the impact of various parameters on system oscillations. The system operates under pressures from 90 to 150 kPa. By adjusting the pressure, hose length, and jet hole diameter, the oscillation frequency of the pressure can be tuned between 5.9 and 11.1 Hz. The comparison between simulation results and experimental data verifies the correctness of the mathematical model. Finally, a soft robot capable of crawling based on anisotropic friction is designed and fabricated. Powered solely by the soft pneumatic pressure regulation system, the robot achieves self‐rhythmic crawling. By adjusting the air source pressure, hose length, and jet hole diameter, the robot's crawling speed can be effectively controlled, ranging from 2.5 to 6.8 mm s−1.

Form of Shanxi Folk Dance from the Perspective of Semiotics

Among the many difficulties facing traditional folk dancing are the possibility of cultural homogenization and the disintegration of heritage. The impact of foreign culture weakens cultural distinctiveness, national identity in dance is lost, and movements and emotional expressions tend to be identical. It is becoming more difficult for the essence of many dances to survive as a result of the concurrent decline of inheritors, rise in senior artists, and fracture in the skills inheritance. This article took Shanxi folk dance as the research object and innovatively analyzed its dance form from a semiotic perspective. Taking Zuoquan Xiaohua Opera as an example, this article explored in detail the symbolic significance and cultural connotations of body posture, movement rhythm, and props such as colorful fans in dance, aiming to address the phenomenon of fading of Shanxi folk dance culture. This article used the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) to accurately capture data from the database and analyze the symbolic features in dance forms. In Shanxi Province traditional dance analysis, HOG is essential for differentiating the various dance genres in addition to providing a correct depiction of the body characteristics. To successfully separate the stylistic characteristics of various dance forms, HOG can precisely identify the individual symbolic elements in the dance by extracting the direction information of the edges in the image. This method also offers great technological assistance for the research of dance morphology. At the same time, in order to better recognize the features of dance symbols, the transfer learning technology was creatively applied to accelerate the learning process of Shanxi dance form symbol recognition tasks. The research results showed that the semiotic perspective profoundly revealed the aesthetic value of Shanxi folk dance, helping to solve the problem of cultural fading. This study not only enriches the application of semiotic theory in the field of dance art, but also broadens the perspective of dance research, providing strong support for the inheritance and innovation of folk dance art in Shanxi.

Letter to the Editor Regarding: "Analysis of Endoscope-Assisted Retrosigmoid Approach versus Modified Transjugular Approach for Microvascular Decompression of the Facial Nerve: A Comparative Cadaveric Study".

Microvascular decompression (MVD) is the standard surgical treatment for hemifacial spasm (HFS), with the retrosigmoid (RA) and modified transjugular (MTA) approaches being the most commonly used. Cadaveric models play a crucial role in neurosurgical training by providing anatomical accuracy and hands-on experience. However, traditional cadaveric models have notable limitations, including the absence of intraoperative bleeding, brain pulsations, and natural tissue elasticity, all of which reduce the realism of surgical simulations. Formalin fixation preserves tissue structure but increases stiffness, altering the tactile feedback essential for precise surgical maneuvers. Similarly, while silicone injection enhances vascular visualization, it does not simulate active bleeding, preventing trainees from practicing hemostatic techniques. Latex injection has been proposed as an alternative, offering better vessel flexibility and more realistic perfusion. Another key limitation is the lack of pulsatility, a critical factor in live surgeries where rhythmic vessel movements influence precision. Rumi Faizer's study on pulsatile cadaveric models demonstrated enhanced vascular training by improving realism in vessel handling and procedural execution. Applying similar pulsatile perfusion techniques to MVD training could create more dynamic simulations, allowing trainees to refine their skills in conditions that closely mimic live surgery. Incorporating fresh cadavers, latex perfusion, and pulsatile models into neurosurgical education could significantly enhance training fidelity, ensuring better preparedness and improved surgical outcomes.

Cannabidiol interactions with oxycodone analgesia in an operant orofacial cutaneous thermal pain assay following oral administration in rats.

Cannabidiol interactions with oxycodone analgesia in an operant orofacial cutaneous thermal pain assay following oral administration in rats.

The application of a musical intervention in hemodialysis: patient satisfaction and appropriateness

Introduction: For patients, hemodialysis represents a challenge in their living conditions, characterized by suffering, anxiety, depression, and a poor quality of life. Evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions can enhance the existential condition of patients. Music is an intervention with the potential to improve their psychological well-being.Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction and the appropriateness of a live music intervention during hemodialysis sessions. Both were measured using a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 to 5). Eleven musicians performed using instruments (guitar, flute, violin, accordion, Celtic harp, and oboe) for 30 minutes daily over six days.Results: The sample included 122 participants: 89 patients and 33 healthcare providers. Among patients, 97.8% expressed satisfaction with the musical intervention, with an average score of 4.98 (SD = 0.447). Among patients, 98.8% found music during hemodialysis appropriate, with an average score of 4.93 (SD = 0.447). Among healthcare providers, 93.2% were satisfied, with an average score of 4.70 (SD = 0.810), while 97% considered the music intervention appropriate, with an average score of 4.76 (SD = 0.502). There was a significant association between satisfaction and appropriateness levels (χ² = 98.0, p < 0.001). No undesirable effects or disruptions to healthcare activities were observed during the musical intervention. Qualitative observations revealed dynamics such as singing, hand clapping, rhythmic movements, smiles, laughter, a general atmosphere of well-being, and improved communication between patients and healthcare providers. Conclusions: Live music during hemodialysis sessions appears to be an appropriate and satisfying intervention for patients and healthcare providers.

Effect of yogic breathing (pranayama) on periodontal health status, salivary oxidative stress, and antioxidant levels in adults aged 35 to 44 in India: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe overproduction of oxygen-derived free radicals and their byproducts, as well as a deficiency in antioxidants, are key factors in the progression of periodontitis. Pranayama, a yogic practice, involves deliberate, rhythmic, and intense movements and expansion of the respiratory organs. Engaging in rhythmic breathing exercises has been proven to lower resting levels of inflammatory cytokines and enhance the oxidant-antioxidant defence system. The objective of this study is to analyse the levels of salivary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and salivary oxidative stress markers in individuals who regularly practice pranayama.Materials and methodThis cross-sectional study included 224 participants aged between 35 and 44 years, divided into two groups: 112 individuals practicing pranayama regularly (exposed group) and 112 individuals with no history of pranayama practice (control group). The periodontal health status of both exposed and unexposed group was evaluated using Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Salivary TAC and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were assessed using the double antibody sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and the Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) method, respectively.ResultsThe pranayama group showed a significantly higher mean salivary TAC (0.58 ± 0.098) compared to the control group (0.50 ± 0.090) (p = 0.000). In contrast, the mean salivary MDA levels were notably lower in the pranayama group (0.44 ± 0.09) than in the control group (0.60 ± 0.11) (p = 0.000).ConclusionThe findings indicate that regular pranayama practice lowers salivary oxidative stress levels while increasing salivary antioxidant levels. Therefore, pranayama may serve as a complementary approach for promoting periodontal health.Clinical relevancePranayama has demonstrated positive effects on stress by lowering cortisol levels, a key stress marker. It also promotes phagocytosis and regulates the production of fibroblasts and epithelial cells, thereby improving periodontal health. Consequently, pranayama could be considered a complementary alternative therapy alongside conventional periodontal treatments in the future.

Surface EEG Evidence for Cerebellar Control of Distal Upper Limbs in Humans.

Background/Objectives: The cerebellum plays a crucial role in motor control, but its direct electrophysiological investigation in humans is challenging. Electrocerebellograms (ECeGs), recorded via surface electrodes below the inion, have been proposed as a non-invasive method to assess cerebellar activity. However, its interpretation is complicated by potential interference from occipital alpha rhythms and neck muscle signals. This study aimed to investigate whether ECeG signals genuinely reflect cerebellar involvement during upper limb movement and to explore possible confounding influences. Methods: We recorded electroencephalograms (EEGs) from occipital (Oz) and cerebellar electrodes (Cb1 and Cb2), alongside EMGs from forearm muscles in healthy individuals performing sinusoidal (~1 Hz) and tremor-like (~4 Hz) wrist movements. To assess occipital contamination, recordings were obtained under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Results: Occipital alpha power was present in Cb1 and Cb2 but was less affected by eye-opening than at Oz, suggesting a partially distinct neural source. During the tremor condition, movement-frequency power increased at Cb2 and C3 (corresponding to the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere and contralateral motor cortex), indicating authentic cerebellar activity. No significant movement-related EEG changes were observed during sinusoidal movements, likely due to weaker neuronal synchronization. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ECeGs can detect cerebellar signals linked to movement, especially during faster and rhythmic motions, and are only moderately affected by occipital contamination. This supports the feasibility of non-invasive cerebellar electrophysiology and underscores the need for further methodological refinement to enhance signal specificity.

Artificial intelligence real-time automated recognition of the gastric antrum cross-sectional area and motility rhythm via bedside ultrasound: a pilot study

The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the gastric antrum and its motility rhythm reflects the gastrointestinal function of critically ill patients. Monitoring the CSA and motility rhythm is crucial but remains time-consuming and operator dependent. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) system for real-time automated recognition of the gastric antrum CSA and motility rhythm using bedside ultrasound. Gastric antrum ultrasound videos were prospectively collected from West China Hospital to establish training and validation datasets. The AI system’s predictions were validated against senior clinicians’ annotations to assess accuracy. Additionally, videos were collected to evaluate the performance of the AI system. The antrum motility rhythms of patients and volunteers were preliminarily classified to lay the foundation for the subsequent establishment of gastrointestinal motility rhythm phenotypes in critically ill patients. A total of 907 videos (620 patients and 287 volunteers) were included to develop and validate the AI system from January 2022 to November 2023. 49,240 images were used as training datasets to train the model’s ability to locate and segment gastric antrum ultrasound images. The remaining 12,309 images were used as the internal validation dataset, achieving a mean dice coefficient (mDice) of 87.36% and an mean intersection over union (mIOU) of 77.56%. For the external validation dataset, 2334 images were used, resulting in mDice and mIOU values of 86.82% and 76.26%, respectively. Moreover, the AI system demonstrated robust performance in video cut frame analysis, achieving a mDice of 90.23% and a mIOU of 85.16% across 105 videos. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between human operators and the AI model was good (ICC (2, K): 0.813, 95% CI 0.728–0.871). In terms of antrum motility rhythm phenotypes, we identified several distinct patterns, such as regular movement, minimal movement, and irregular movement, reflecting different statuses, such as fasting, postmeal, postexercise, and postduty. We developed an AI system that is comparable to experienced clinicians in identifying the gastric antrum and measuring its CSA. Furthermore, the system can generate a curve representing the rhythm of antrum movement, reflecting the varying statuses of patients and volunteers. This system may optimize enteral nutrition (EN) protocols by reducing clinicians’ workload and minimizing operator dependence.

Training decision making in sports using virtual reality: a scoping review

ABSTRACT There is wide interest in using technologies to enhance the training of sports-specific skills. One promising immersive technology is virtual reality (VR) because it can provide the athlete with rich, immersive, and representative scenarios. The key question is whether training with these systems will transfer to real-world performance. This scoping review examines the existing literature on using VR to improve sports decision-making. We identified 25 papers that used VR (which was very broadly defined by researchers) to train decision-making, and evaluated them with respect to transfer using the Modified Perceptual Training Framework [MPTF: Hadlow et al. (2018). Modified perceptual training in sport: A new classification framework. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(9), 950–958]. In general, research is taking advantage of VR’s ability to provide realistic environment, however many papers still rely on simple, non-representative actions from the athletes. Importantly, only six papers assessed transfer of training to real-world behaviour; given that transfer is the purpose of this training, this is a strong limitation on the developing evidence. The existing work does show that VR is worth investigating, so we make a series of recommendations to strengthen future research, with an emphasis on always measuring transfer and doing so guided by ecological approaches such as task dynamics [e.g. Leach, D., Kolokotroni, Z., & Wilson, A. D. (2021a). Perceptual information supports transfer of learning in coordinated rhythmic movement. Psychological Research, 85(3), 1167–1182; Leach, D., Kolokotroni, Z., & Wilson, A. D. (2021b). The ecological task dynamics of learning and transfer in coordinated rhythmic movement. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 506] and the MPTF.

Marching to Your Own Beat: Self-entrainment as a Missing Link Between Rhythm Perception and Synchronization

In the study of auditory rhythm perception, a key question is the relationship between the perception of a beat and moving to the beat. The most obvious way to observe an individual’s perceived beat is to ask them to move along with it (e.g., tap a finger on the beat). But this type of observation affects the observed percept: experiments show that rhythm perception is altered in several ways during movement, even if that movement is as minimal as a finger tap. In particular, rhythmic movement seems to give perceptual “momentum” to a beat percept, helping it continue and making it robust to input perturbations and complexity. Here, we argue that this phenomenon can be elegantly accounted for by assuming that our perception of a periodic beat is partly entrained by the sensory feedback from our own movement. We show that this under-studied aspect of human rhythm provides a parsimonious explanation for a range of experimental results in healthy and disordered populations; that it poses challenges to existing models of rhythm production and entrainment; and that it may be a key to understanding the role of the cerebellum in sensorimotor synchronization and the observation of synchronization differences in autism.

Using Textile Art Practices as a Place of Knowing and Finding Ground: A Musing on the Role of Personal Artmaking and the Expressive Therapies Continuum (Utiliser les pratiques d’art textile comme espace de savoir et d’ancrage : réflexion sur le rôle de la création artistique personnelle et du Continuum des thérapies expressives)

Through the lens of a practicing artist/art therapist, this paper examines the role textile art practices have had on their personal artmaking and emotional wellness by posing the question: Why am I drawn to engaging in textile art practices? It also acknowledges how artmaking can be used as a means of self-education, professional value, and artistic authenticity for art therapists. Preliminary research on textiles in art therapy highlights the hierarchical framing of art materials where a connection to “craft” is intimately linked to femininity. The qualitative research used art-based research methodology (ABR) and reflected on five collections of textile artwork. The expressive therapies continuum (ETC) framework was used to derive observations and insights regarding the therapeutic value of each collection. Sensory, Kinesthetic, and Perceptual dimensions were identified, and it was observed that textile artmaking supported self-regulation and tactile processing by cultivating actions of repetitive and rhythmic movement. The paper calls attention to the active use of artmaking for art therapists as a source of self-care and offers insight to the value of adding textile materials to their professional toolbox. Future research that broadens the use of textiles and considers the sociocultural-historical implications of the role of materials is proposed.

Entanglements in painting: tracing embodied cognition, diffraction and iteration in the painting process

ABSTRACT Art criticism, grounded in rational philosophy, limits its focus to intellectual and visual analyses of the painted object. This objectification, perpetuated by common models of creativity taught in art education, negates painters’ subjective experiences, and petrifies the creative process into a linear and systematic series of iterations. This article features interviews with studio painters that delve into their subjective accounts of the painting process, revealing that painters value moments of improvisational engagement with their materials; ones that generate surprising encounters, disrupting this systematic understanding of iteration. These interviews highlight the crucial role materials play in activating surfaces of the painters’ body to rupture this understanding. These embodied experiences can be accounted for by a methodology introduced by Karen Barad, whose notion of diffraction refers to entangled wave movements as waves encounter surfaces. Rather than reducing iteration to stasis and objectification, iteration is re-conceived as the rhythmical movement of bodily surfaces generated by diffraction. Diffraction accounts for the shifts in a painter’s perspective that ignites imagination and activates, not just the intellect, but all the senses of the body. This material engagement reinstates embodied cognition at the heart of innovation and discovery and opens opportunities for art and science to cooperate.

Evidence for a command neuron controlling calling song in the cricket Gryllus assimilis.

Evidence for a command neuron controlling calling song in the cricket Gryllus assimilis.

Wavelet Movement Primitives: A Unified Framework for Learning Discrete and Rhythmic Movements

Wavelet Movement Primitives: A Unified Framework for Learning Discrete and Rhythmic Movements

Essential tremor disrupts rhythmic brain networks during naturalistic movement.

Essential tremor disrupts rhythmic brain networks during naturalistic movement.

From struggle for pleasure to pleasure in struggling: psychoanalytic ideas on pleasure.

Pleasure in the human being has always been a major theme, associated with pain, excess and needs, determining many moral dilemmas, including the ethics of medical, social, and educational intervention. The rhythmic movement between the multiple pleasurable experiences, the effort to retain them or avoid different pains present themselves in the mental structure as a key approach in the evolving way of learning and integrating reality and influences the development of the symbolic capacity. This paper shows the evolutionary place and the function that pleasure itself has had in the clinical field, as well as some of the main pleasures of becoming and being a psychoanalyst.

Analysis of rhythmic movement techniques in female college long jump athletes: Insights from athletics open

This study aims to investigate the kinematic characteristics of the long jump in female college athletes. Video data from 10 Asian female college athletes in the Athletics Open Long Jump Competition were analyzed using high-speed digital cameras with a 240 Hz sampling rate. The captured footage was processed through motion analysis software, with joint markers manually digitized. The results showed that during the rhythmic movement phases, both the horizontal and resultant velocity of the center of gravity and the hip joint angle increase at the heel strike of the swing leg. However, at the toe-off of the swing leg, vertical velocity, angle, and height of the center of gravity decrease, leading to a reduction in flight distance. At the heel strike of the take-off leg, the center of gravity height decreases, and the ankle joint angle increases. At the toe-off of the take-off leg, both the resultant velocity of the center of gravity and the hip and ankle joint angles increase. This method allows coaches to use video analysis to guide athletes in refining their technique, ultimately improving performance and coaching efficiency.

Technical analysis and simulation of dance movements based on biomechanical theory

Dance movements are a form of expressive physical activity that communicates emotions, stories, and cultural significance through the rhythmic motions of the body. Viewed through the lens of biomechanical theory, it offers a unique understanding of the body’s physical actions and interactions in space. Biomechanics, the science of movement explains the mechanical principles of human motion, including forces, motion, and body structure. It aims to analyze the biomechanical principles underlying various dance movements, including forefoot (FT) landing, entire foot (ET) landing, single-leg landing, bounce, rock step, and side chassé step. A total of 42 dancers performed these movements in the jive and cha-cha, synchronized with corresponding music. Data were collected using a Vicon motion capture system and pressure sensors, which were uploaded into the OpenSim simulation model to create musculoskeletal models. Statistical Parameter Mapping (SPM) analysis was used to assess biomechanical differences across various dance movements. Depending on the data distribution, ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, and paired t-tests were employed to examine muscle forces involved in the different dance movements. The biomechanical analysis revealed that FT landing increased ankle inversion and instability, while ET landing provided greater stability. Single-leg landing generated higher forces, while the bounce movement was energy-efficient with increased plantarflexion. It may also increase the risk of injury due to higher forces. With careful technique to avoid overloading and injury, these findings may be used in dance training by implementing controlled ET landings for stability and balance, as well as single-leg landings to increase force absorption and build lower limb muscles. The side chasse step and rock step required greater lateral stability, with higher muscle activation in the hip and ankle joints. In conclusion, the biomechanical analysis highlights significant differences in muscle activation, joint angles, and stability across the dance movements.

Development of coordination abilities of children aged 5-6 years by means of sports dances

Purpose: to experimentally substantiate the methodology of development of coordination abilities of children aged 5-6 years by means of sports dances. The experimental methodology included exercises for the development of spatial orientation, time orientation, agility, and balance function. The selection of exercises was based on the principle of ‘from simple to complex’, so children's coordination movements did not encounter any obstacles. Having learnt a simple movement, various elements involving the arms, shoulders and head were added. This contributed to the development of the ability to control body movements. The exercises are unusual in their structure, so children like to do them with musical accompaniment. Under the influence of music, the movements became clearer, more rhythmic, and coordinated. Musical and rhythmic movements helped children to learn to control their body, coordinate movements, coordinating them with movements of other children, taught to orientate in space, consolidated basic types of movements, and contributed to mastering dance elements. The organisation of the educational and training process in the control and experimental groups had common features and differences. Exercises for development of coordination abilities in the control group were performed at the beginning of the lesson (during warm-up), at the end of the main part and after physical activity at the end of the lesson; Exercises for development of coordination abilities in the experimental group were performed during the lesson when performing each task. For each dance task a complex of coordination exercises was developed. The study determined the effectiveness of the influence of health-improving classes with elements of sports dances on the development of coordination abilities of children aged 5-6 years; significant improvements were noted in the level of vestibular stability, dynamic balance and sense of rhythm.