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The Features of Synergetic Interaction of Skeletal Muscles of the Lower Extremities under Spinal Cord Electrical Stimulation

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the neural basis of the synergetic interaction of the skeletal muscles of the lower extremities during locomotor activity. It was supposed to determine the relationship of the locomotor-related neuronal networks with the centers regulating the spatiotemporal modes of muscle interaction in the structure of the step cycle and its phases. The subjects walked the treadmill both under normal conditions and during percutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation at T11–T12 and L1–L2 levels within certain phases of the step cycle. The parameters of the synergies extracted using the principal component method were analyzed. Under the influence of stimulation, a significant decrease in the number of extracted “amplitude” synergies in the structure of the step cycle and the swing phase, as well as a decrease in the number of “frequency” synergies in the stance phase, was established. A clear differentiation of the synergistic activity of the muscles of both legs in the first two synergies was noted, and under stimulation, a change in the contribution of the activity of the gastrocnemius, anterior tibial, and lateral vastus muscles to the first two synergies was observed, mainly in the swing phase. The synergy structure demonstrated combined temporal profiles with several peaks of activity. During stimulation, the formation of a basic profile with a clear outline of the main fluctuations was revealed. The spatiotemporal structure of muscle synergy patterns during the stance phase turned out to be more stable, which is probably due to an increase in afferentations from the foot support-sensitive zones, which creates optimal conditions for initiating the central generators of locomotor pattern.

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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

The authors express their gratitude to the staff of the Research Institute of Sports and Health-Improving Physical Culture under Velikiye Luki State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports: A.M. Pukhov, V.V. Markevich, and S.M. Ivanov for their help in organizing the research.

Funding

Funding was provided as part of the planned work of the Velikiye Luki State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports (Velikiye Luki).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Velikiye Luki State Academy of Physical Education and Sports, Velikiye Luki, Russia

    S. A. Moiseev & R. M. Gorodnichev

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  1. S. A. Moiseev
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  2. R. M. Gorodnichev
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Correspondence to S. A. Moiseev.

Ethics declarations

All studies were carried out in accordance with the principles of biomedical ethics formulated in the Declaration of Helsinki of 1964 and its subsequent updates and approved by the local bioethical committee of the Velikiye Luki State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports (Velikiye Luki) (Protocol no. 2, dated September 6, 2021).

Informed consent. Each participant in the study provided a voluntary written informed consent signed by him after explaining to him the potential risks and benefits, as well as the nature of the upcoming study.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no obvious or potential conflict of interest related to the publication of this article.

Contribution of authors to the publication. S.A. Moiseev—organized the research, processed and analyzed the data, reviewed the research on the topic, and worked on the text of the manuscript. R.M. Gorodnichev performed general supervision of research and work on the text of the manuscript.

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Translated by A. Deryabina

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Moiseev, S.A., Gorodnichev, R.M. The Features of Synergetic Interaction of Skeletal Muscles of the Lower Extremities under Spinal Cord Electrical Stimulation. Hum Physiol 49, 65–76 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119722600333

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