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Modular organization of muscle activity patterns in the leading and trailing limbs during obstacle clearance in healthy adults

Experimental Brain Research volume 235, pages 2011–2026 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Human locomotor patterns require precise adjustments to successfully navigate complex environments. Studies suggest that the central nervous system may control such adjustments through supraspinal signals modifying a basic locomotor pattern at the spinal level. To explore this proposed control mechanism in the leading and trailing limbs during obstructed walking, healthy young adults stepped over obstacles measuring 0.1 and 0.2 m in height. Unobstructed walking with no obstacle present was also performed as a baseline. Full body three-dimensional kinematic data were recorded and electromyography (EMG) was collected from 14 lower limb muscles on each side of the body. EMG data were analyzed using two techniques: by mapping the EMG data to the approximate location of the motor neuron pools on the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord and by applying a nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm to unilateral and bilateral muscle activations separately. Results showed that obstacle clearance may be achieved not only with the addition of a new activation pattern in the leading limb, but with a temporal shift of a pattern present during unobstructed walking in both the leading and trailing limbs. An investigation of the inter-limb coordination of these patterns suggested a strong bilateral linkage between lower limbs. These results highlight the modular organization of muscle activation in the leading and trailing limbs, as well as provide a mechanism of control when implementing a locomotor adjustment when stepping over an obstacle.

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Acknowledgements

Data collection and analysis was supported by Holly Atchison, Samantha Baldassaro, Kelly Buddell, Stephen Canton, Elizabeth Doise, Carlyn Franckiewicz, Olivia Hocevar, Lindsey Larson, and Delaney Neighbors. The author thanks Dr. Yuri Ivanenko for his comments on an earlier draft. This project was funded with an LSU Summer Stipend Award and an LSU Faculty Travel Grant.

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  1. School of Kinesiology, College of Human Sciences and Education, Louisiana State University, 112 Huey P. Long Field House, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Michael J. MacLellan

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Correspondence to Michael J. MacLellan.

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MacLellan, M.J. Modular organization of muscle activity patterns in the leading and trailing limbs during obstacle clearance in healthy adults. Exp Brain Res 235, 2011–2026 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-017-4946-z

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Keywords

  • Adaptive locomotion
  • EMG activity
  • Spinal cord
  • Motor control