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Tuning of Muscle Synergies During Walking Along Rectilinear and Curvilinear Trajectories in Humans

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a methodology based on muscle synergies to investigate whether rectilinear and curvilinear walking shared the same neuro-motor organization, and how this organization was fine-tuned by the walking condition. Thirteen healthy subjects walked on rectilinear and curvilinear paths. Electromyographic data from thirteen back and lower-limb muscles were acquired, together with kinematic data using inertial sensors. Four macroscopically invariant muscle synergies, extracted through non-negative matrix factorization, proved a shared modular organization across conditions. The fine-tuning of muscle synergies was studied through non-negative matrix reconstruction, applied by fixing muscle weights or activation profiles to those of the rectilinear condition. The activation profiles tended to be recruited for a longer period and with a larger amplitude during curvilinear walking. The muscles of the posterior side of the lower limb were those mainly influenced by the fine-tuning, with the muscles inside the rotation path being more active than the outer muscles. This study shows that rectilinear and curvilinear walking share a unique motor command. However, a fine-tuning in muscle synergies is introduced during curvilinear conditions, adapting the kinematic strategy to the new biomechanical needs.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (Grant No. 2010R277FT) and the Italian Ministry of Health (Grant No. GR-2010-2312228).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Noelia Chia Bejarano, Alessandra Pedrocchi, Walter Baccinelli, Giancarlo Ferrigno & Simona Ferrante

  2. Posture and Movement Laboratory, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Scientific Institute of Veruno, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri (IRCCS), Veruno, Novara, Italy

    Antonio Nardone

  3. Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy

    Antonio Nardone

  4. Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Marco Schieppati

  5. Centro Studi Attività Motorie (CSAM), Scientific Institute of Pavia, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri (IRCCS), Pavia, Italy

    Marco Schieppati

  6. Ab.Acus, Milan, Italy

    Walter Baccinelli

  7. Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Marco Monticone

  8. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Scientific Institute of Lissone, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri (IRCCS), Lissone, Monza Brianza, Italy

    Marco Monticone

Authors
  1. Noelia Chia Bejarano
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  2. Alessandra Pedrocchi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Noelia Chia Bejarano.

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Associate Editor Thurmon E. Lockhart oversaw the review of this article.

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Chia Bejarano, N., Pedrocchi, A., Nardone, A. et al. Tuning of Muscle Synergies During Walking Along Rectilinear and Curvilinear Trajectories in Humans. Ann Biomed Eng 45, 1204–1218 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-017-1802-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-017-1802-z

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