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Muscle synergies in preparation to a step made with and without obstacle

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To study multi-muscle synergies during preparation in making a step (self-paced level stepping vs. obstacle crossing stepping).

Methods

The uncontrolled manifold hypothesis was used to explore the organization of leg and trunk muscles into groups (M-modes) and co-variation of M-mode involvement (M-mode synergies) during stepping tasks. Subjects performed two tasks: (1) making a comfortable step from quiet stance (STCS), (2) stepping over an obstacle of 15 % body height from quiet stance, STOS. Electromyographic (EMG) signals of 10 postural muscles were recorded and analyzed. Principal component analysis was used to identify M-modes within the space of integrated indices of muscle activity. Variance in the M-mode space across stepping trials was partitioned into two components, one that did not affect the average value of center of pressure (COP) shift and the other that did. An index (ΔV) corresponding to the normalized difference between two components of variance was computed.

Results

Under the two tasks, strong multi-M-mode synergies stabilizing trajectories of the COP in the anterior-posterior direction were found. Despite the significant differences in the COP shifts and EMG patterns of postural adjustments, the synergies showed only minor differences across the conditions.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate the robustness of multi-M-mode synergies across different manners of making a step.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

AP:

Anterior-posterior

BF:

Biceps femoris

COP:

Center of pressure

EMG:

Electromyographic

ES:

Erector spinae

GL:

Lateral head of gastrocnemius

GM:

Medial head of gastrocnemius

PCA:

Principal component analysis

RA:

Rectus abdominis

RF:

Rectus femoris

SOL:

Soleus

ST:

Semitendinosus

TA:

Tibialis anterior

UCM:

Uncontrolled manifold

VL:

Vastus lateralis

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31371207).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tianjin Key Lab of Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine, Department of Health and Exercise Science, Tianjin University of Sport, 51 Weijin South Street, Hexi, Tianjin, 300381, China

    Yun Wang & Fatao Wan

  2. Institute of Sports and Health Science, 3-10-31, Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan

    Kazuhiko Watanabe

  3. Department of Rehabilitation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12-W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0826, Japan

    Tadayoshi Asaka

Authors
  1. Yun Wang
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  2. Kazuhiko Watanabe
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  3. Tadayoshi Asaka
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  4. Fatao Wan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yun Wang.

Additional information

Communicated by Fausto Baldissera.

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Wang, Y., Watanabe, K., Asaka, T. et al. Muscle synergies in preparation to a step made with and without obstacle. Eur J Appl Physiol 114, 2561–2569 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2978-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2978-7

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