Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 190, Issue 3, pp 337–345 | Cite as

Grip force control during gait initiation with a hand-held object

  • Gudrun Diermayr
  • Priska Gysin
  • Chris J. Hass
  • Andrew M. Gordon
Research Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

When walking with a hand-held object, grip force is coupled in an anticipatory manner to changes in inertial force resulting from the accelerations and decelerations of gait. However, it is not known how grip and inertial forces are organized at the onset of gait, and if the two forces are coupled in the early phases of gait initiation. Moreover, initiating walking with an object involves the coordination of anticipatory postural (e.g., ground reaction force changes) and grasping adjustments. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of ground reaction, grip, and inertial force onsets, and the subsequent development of the coupling of grip and inertial forces during gait initiation with a hand-held object. Ten subjects performed gait initiation with a hand-held object following predictable and unpredictable start signals. We found that ground reaction and grip force onsets were closely linked in time regardless of the predictability of the start signal. In the early period of gait initiation, the grip force started to increase prior to inertial force changes. While the strength of the coupling of grip and inertial forces was moderate in this early phase, it increased to values observed during steady-state gait after the swing foot left the ground. The early grip force increase and the coupling of grip and inertial forces represent an anticipatory control process. This process establishes an appropriate grip-inertial force ratio to ensure object stability during acceleration after foot-off and maintains this increased ratio thereafter. The results suggest that grasping and whole body movements are governed by a common internal representation.

Keywords

Anticipatory grip force control Anticipatory postural adjustments Fingertip forces Gait initiation Grasp 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Greg Gates for technical support in the data analysis, and Dr. Terry Kaminski and Dr. Ann Gentile for helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation (# 0320393, # 0519077) (A.M.G.).

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gudrun Diermayr
    • 1
  • Priska Gysin
    • 1
  • Chris J. Hass
    • 2
  • Andrew M. Gordon
    • 1
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers CollegeColumbia UniversityNew YorkUSA
  2. 2.Department of Applied Physiology and KinesiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleUSA
  3. 3.Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Physicians and SurgeonsColumbia UniversityNew YorkUSA

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