functional movement patterns: Topics by Science.gov

Sample records for functional movement patterns

The Effect of Core Stability Training on Functional Movement Patterns in Collegiate Athletes.

PubMed

Bagherian, Sajad; Ghasempoor, Khodayar; Rahnama, Nader; Wikstrom, Erik A

2018-02-06

Pre-participation examinations are the standard approach for assessing poor movement quality that would increase musculoskeletal injury risk. However, little is known about how core stability influences functional movement patterns. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an 8-week core stability program on functional movement patterns in collegiate athletes. The secondary purpose was to determine if the core stability training program would be more effective in those with worse movement quality (i.e. ≤14 baseline FMS score). Quasi-experimental design. Athletic Training Facility. One-hundred collegiate athletes. Functional movement patterns included the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Lateral step down (LSD) and Y balance test (YBT) and were assessed before and after the 8-week program. Participants were placed into 1 of the 2 groups: intervention and control. The intervention group was required to complete a core stability training program that met 3 times per week for 8-week. Significant group x time interactions demonstrated improvements in FMS, LSD and YBT scores in the experimental group relative to the control group (p<0.001). Independent sample t-tests demonstrate that change scores were larger (greater improvement) for the FMS total score and Hurdle step (p<0.001) in athletes with worse movement quality. An 8-week core stability training program enhances functional movement patterns and dynamic postural control in collegiate athletes. The benefits are more pronounced in collegiate athletes with poor movement quality.
Consistency of a lumbar movement pattern across functional activities in people with low back pain.

PubMed

Marich, Andrej V; Hwang, Ching-Ting; Salsich, Gretchen B; Lang, Catherine E; Van Dillen, Linda R

2017-05-01

Limitation in function is a primary reason people with low back pain seek medical treatment. Specific lumbar movement patterns, repeated throughout the day, have been proposed to contribute to the development and course of low back pain. Varying the demands of a functional activity test may provide some insight into whether people display consistent lumbar movement patterns during functional activities. Our purpose was to examine the consistency of the lumbar movement pattern during variations of a functional activity test in people with low back pain and back-healthy people. 16 back-healthy adults and 32 people with low back pain participated. Low back pain participants were classified based on the level of self-reported functional limitations. Participants performed 5 different conditions of a functional activity test. Lumbar excursion in the early phase of movement was examined. The association between functional limitations and early phase lumbar excursion for each test condition was examined. People with low back pain and high levels of functional limitation demonstrated a consistent pattern of greater early phase lumbar excursion across test conditions (p<0.05). For each test condition, the amount of early phase lumbar excursion was associated with functional limitation (r=0.28-0.62). Our research provides preliminary evidence that people with low back pain adopt consistent movement patterns during the performance of functional activities. Our findings indicate that the lumbar spine consistently moves more readily into its available range in people with low back pain and high levels of functional limitation. How the lumbar spine moves during a functional activity may contribute to functional limitations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Event-Related Beta EEG Changes During Active, Passive Movement and Functional Electrical Stimulation of the Lower Limb.

PubMed

Qiu, Shuang; Yi, Weibo; Xu, Jiapeng; Qi, Hongzhi; Du, Jingang; Wang, Chunfang; He, Feng; Ming, Dong

2016-02-01

A number of electroencephalographic (EEG) studies have reported on event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) during active movements, passive movements, and the movements induced by functional electrical stimulation (FES). However, the quantitative differences in ERD values and affected frequency bands associated with the lower limb have not been discussed. The goal of this paper was to quantitatively compare the ERD patterns during active movement, passive movement and FES-induced movement of the lower limb. 64-channel EEG signals were recorded to investigate the brain oscillatory patterns during active movement, passive movement and FES-induced movement of the lower limb in twelve healthy subjects. And passive movement and FES-induced movement were also performed in a hemiplegic stroke patient. For healthy subjects, FES-induced movement presented significantly higher characteristic frequency of central beta ERD while there was no significant difference in ERD values compared with active or passive movement. Meanwhile, beta ERD values of FES-induced movement were significantly correlated with those of active movement, and spatial distribution of beta ERD pattern for FES-induced movement was more correlated with that for active movement. In addition, the stroke patient presented central ERD patterns during FES-induced movement, while no ERD with similar frequencies could be found during passive movement. This work implies that the EEG oscillatory pattern under FES-induced movement tends more towards active movement instead of passive movement. The quantification of ERD patterns could be expected as a potential technique to evaluate the brain response during FES-induced movement.
Defining functional groups based on running kinematics using Self-Organizing Maps and Support Vector Machines.

PubMed

Hoerzer, Stefan; von Tscharner, Vinzenz; Jacob, Christian; Nigg, Benno M

2015-07-16

A functional group is a collection of individuals who react in a similar way to a specific intervention/product such as a sport shoe. Matching footwear features to a functional group can possibly enhance footwear-related comfort, improve running performance, and decrease the risk of movement-related injuries. To match footwear features to a functional group, one has to first define the different groups using their distinctive movement patterns. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to propose and apply a methodological approach to define functional groups with different movement patterns using Self-Organizing Maps and Support Vector Machines. Further study objectives were to identify differences in age, gender and footwear-related comfort preferences between the functional groups. Kinematic data and subjective comfort preferences of 88 subjects (16-76 years; 45 m/43 f) were analysed. Eight functional groups with distinctive movement patterns were defined. The findings revealed that most of the groups differed in age or gender. Certain functional groups differed in their comfort preferences and, therefore, had group-specific footwear requirements to enhance footwear-related comfort. Some of the groups, which had group-specific footwear requirements, did not show any differences in age or gender. This is important because when defining functional groups simply using common grouping criteria like age or gender, certain functional groups with group-specific movement patterns and footwear requirements might not be detected. This emphasises the power of the proposed pattern recognition approach to automatically define groups by their distinctive movement patterns in order to be able to address their group-specific product requirements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Integrating individual movement behaviour into dispersal functions.

PubMed

Heinz, Simone K; Wissel, Christian; Conradt, Larissa; Frank, Karin

2007-04-21

Dispersal functions are an important tool for integrating dispersal into complex models of population and metapopulation dynamics. Most approaches in the literature are very simple, with the dispersal functions containing only one or two parameters which summarise all the effects of movement behaviour as for example different movement patterns or different perceptual abilities. The summarising nature of these parameters makes assessing the effect of one particular behavioural aspect difficult. We present a way of integrating movement behavioural parameters into a particular dispersal function in a simple way. Using a spatial individual-based simulation model for simulating different movement behaviours, we derive fitting functions for the functional relationship between the parameters of the dispersal function and several details of movement behaviour. This is done for three different movement patterns (loops, Archimedean spirals, random walk). Additionally, we provide measures which characterise the shape of the dispersal function and are interpretable in terms of landscape connectivity. This allows an ecological interpretation of the relationships found.
Strategy of arm movement control is determined by minimization of neural effort for joint coordination.

PubMed

Dounskaia, Natalia; Shimansky, Yury

2016-06-01

Optimality criteria underlying organization of arm movements are often validated by testing their ability to adequately predict hand trajectories. However, kinematic redundancy of the arm allows production of the same hand trajectory through different joint coordination patterns. We therefore consider movement optimality at the level of joint coordination patterns. A review of studies of multi-joint movement control suggests that a 'trailing' pattern of joint control is consistently observed during which a single ('leading') joint is rotated actively and interaction torque produced by this joint is the primary contributor to the motion of the other ('trailing') joints. A tendency to use the trailing pattern whenever the kinematic redundancy is sufficient and increased utilization of this pattern during skillful movements suggests optimality of the trailing pattern. The goal of this study is to determine the cost function minimization of which predicts the trailing pattern. We show that extensive experimental testing of many known cost functions cannot successfully explain optimality of the trailing pattern. We therefore propose a novel cost function that represents neural effort for joint coordination. That effort is quantified as the cost of neural information processing required for joint coordination. We show that a tendency to reduce this 'neurocomputational' cost predicts the trailing pattern and that the theoretically developed predictions fully agree with the experimental findings on control of multi-joint movements. Implications for future research of the suggested interpretation of the trailing joint control pattern and the theory of joint coordination underlying it are discussed.
The role of insect dispersal and migration in population processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rabb, R. L.; Stinner, R. E.

1979-01-01

Movement functions in the population dynamics of insects are discussed. Modes of movement, movement from a population view, and population patterns are described and predicted. A wide-area of spatial and temporal patterns are presented.
Feeding & Motor Functioning: Start at the Hips to Get to the Lips

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donato, Jessica; Fox, Cathy; Mormon, Johnnie; Mormon, Mike

2008-01-01

Swallowing is one of the most complex movement patterns that people must use accurately throughout the day and night from the time they are born. These movement patterns are very closely integrated with breathing and movement of food through the aerodigestive tract. Malalignment or dysfunction in any part of these integrated patterns and systems…
Pre-Participation Screening: The Use of Fundamental Movements as an Assessment of Function – Part 1

PubMed Central

Burton, Lee; Hoogenboom, Barb

2006-01-01

To prepare an athlete for the wide variety of activities needed to participate in their sport, the analysis of fundamental movements should be incorporated into pre-participation screening in order to determine who possesses, or lacks, the ability to perform certain essential movements. In a series of two articles, the background and rationale for the analysis of fundamental movement will be provided. In addition, one such evaluation tool that attempts to assess the fundamental movement patterns performed by an individual, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™), will be described. Three of the seven fundamental movement patterns that comprise the FMS™ are described in detail in Part I: deep squat, hurdle step, and in-line lunge. Part II of this series, which will be published in the August issue of NAJSPT, will provide a brief review of the analysis of fundamental movements, as well a detailed description of the four additional patterns that complement those presented in Part I (to complete the total of seven fundamental movement patterns which comprise the FMS™): shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up, and rotary stability. The intent of this two part series is to introduce the concept of the evaluation of fundamental movements, whether it is the FMS™ system or a different system devised by another clinician. Such a functional assessment should be incorporated into pre-participation screening in order to determine whether the athlete has the essential movements needed to participate in sports activities with a decreased risk of injury. PMID:21522216
Mutual information in the evolution of trajectories in discrete aiming movements.

PubMed

Lai, Shih-Chiung; Mayer-Kress, Gottfried; Newell, Karl M

2008-07-01

This study investigated the mutual information in the trajectories of discrete aiming movements on a computer controlled graphics tablet where movement time ( 300 - 2050 ms) was manipulated in a given distance (100 mm) and movement distance (15-240 mm) in 2 given movement times (300 ms and 800 ms ). For the distance-fixed conditions, there was higher mutual information in the slower movements in the 0 vs. 80-100% trajectory point comparisons, whereas the mutual information was higher for the faster movements when comparing within the 80 and 100% points of the movement trajectory. For the time-fixed conditions, the spatial constraints led to a decreasing pattern of the mutual information throughout the points of the trajectory, with the highest mutual information found in the 80 vs. 100% comparison. Overall, the pattern of mutual information reveals systematic modulation of the trajectories between the attractive fixed point of the target as a function of movement condition. These mutual information patterns are postulated to be the consequence of the different relative contributions of feedforward and feedback control processes in trajectory formation as a function of task constraints.
Immediate Effects of a Single Session of Motor Skill Training on the Lumbar Movement Pattern During a Functional Activity in People With Low Back Pain: A Repeated-Measures Study.

PubMed

Marich, Andrej V; Lanier, Vanessa M; Salsich, Gretchen B; Lang, Catherine E; Van Dillen, Linda R

2018-04-06

People with low back pain (LBP) may display an altered lumbar movement pattern of early lumbar motion compared to people with healthy backs. Modifying this movement pattern during a clinical test decreases pain. It is unknown whether similar effects would be seen during a functional activity. The objective of this study is was to examine the lumbar movement patterns before and after motor skill training, effects on pain, and characteristics that influenced the ability to modify movement patterns. The design consisted of a repeated-measures study examining early-phase lumbar excursion in people with LBP during a functional activity test. Twenty-six people with chronic LBP received motor skill training, and 16 people with healthy backs were recruited as a reference standard. Twenty minutes of motor skill training to decrease early-phase lumbar excursion during the performance of a functional activity were used as a treatment intervention. Early-phase lumbar excursion was measured before and after training. Participants verbally reported increased pain, decreased pain, or no change in pain during performance of the functional activity test movement in relation to their baseline pain. The characteristics of people with LBP that influenced the ability to decrease early-phase lumbar excursion were examined. People with LBP displayed greater early-phase lumbar excursion before training than people with healthy backs (LBP: mean = 11.2°, 95% CI = 9.3°-13.1°; healthy backs: mean = 7.1°, 95% CI = 5.8°-8.4°). Following training, the LBP group showed a decrease in the amount of early-phase lumbar excursion (mean change = 4.1°, 95% CI = 2.4°-5.8°); 91% of people with LBP reported that their pain decreased from baseline following training. The longer the duration of LBP (β = - 0.22) and the more early-phase lumbar excursion before training (β = - 0.82), the greater the change in early-phase lumbar excursion following training. The long-term implications of modifying the movement pattern and whether the decrease in pain attained was clinically significant are unknown. People with LBP were able to modify their lumbar movement pattern and decrease their pain with the movement pattern within a single session of motor skill training.
Reorganization of finger coordination patterns through motor exploration in individuals after stroke.

PubMed

Ranganathan, Rajiv

2017-09-11

Impairment of hand and finger function after stroke is common and affects the ability to perform activities of daily living. Even though many of these coordination deficits such as finger individuation have been well characterized, it is critical to understand how stroke survivors learn to explore and reorganize their finger coordination patterns for optimizing rehabilitation. In this study, I examine the use of a body-machine interface to assess how participants explore their movement repertoire, and how this changes with continued practice. Ten participants with chronic stroke wore a data glove and the finger joint angles were mapped on to the position of a cursor on a screen. The task of the participants was to move the cursor back and forth between two specified targets on a screen. Critically, the map between the finger movements and cursor motion was altered so that participants sometimes had to generate coordination patterns that required finger individuation. There were two phases to the experiment - an initial assessment phase on day 1, followed by a learning phase (days 2-5) where participants trained to reorganize their coordination patterns. Participants showed difficulty in performing tasks which had maps that required finger individuation, and the degree to which they explored their movement repertoire was directly related to clinical tests of hand function. However, over four sessions of practice, participants were able to learn to reorganize their finger movement coordination pattern and improve their performance. Moreover, training also resulted in improvements in movement repertoire outside of the context of the specific task during free exploration. Stroke survivors show deficits in movement repertoire in their paretic hand, but facilitating movement exploration during training can increase the movement repertoire. This suggests that exploration may be an important element of rehabilitation to regain optimal function.
TauG-guidance of transients in expressive musical performance.

PubMed

Schogler, Benjaman; Pepping, Gert-Jan; Lee, David N

2008-08-01

The sounds in expressive musical performance, and the movements that produce them, offer insight into temporal patterns in the brain that generate expression. To gain understanding of these brain patterns, we analyzed two types of transient sounds, and the movements that produced them, during a vocal duet and a bass solo. The transient sounds studied were inter-tone f (0)(t)-glides (the continuous change in fundamental frequency, f (0)(t), when gliding from one tone to the next), and attack intensity-glides (the continuous rise in sound intensity when attacking, or initiating, a tone). The temporal patterns of the inter-tone f (0)(t)-glides and attack intensity-glides, and of the movements producing them, all conformed to the mathematical function, tau (G)(t) (called tauG), predicted by General Tau Theory, and assumed to be generated in the brain. The values of the parameters of the tau (G)(t) function were modulated by the performers when they modulated musical expression. Thus the tau (G)(t) function appears to be a fundamental of brain activity entailed in the generation of expressive temporal patterns of movement and sound.
Differential effects of power training versus functional task practice on compensation and restoration of arm function after stroke.

PubMed

Corti, Manuela; McGuirk, Theresa E; Wu, Samuel S; Patten, Carolynn

2012-09-01

Improved upper-extremity (UE) movement with stroke rehabilitation may involve restoration of more normal or development of compensatory movement patterns. The authors investigated the differential effects of functional task practice (FTP) and dynamic resistance training (POWER) on clinical function and reaching kinematics in an effort to distinguish between mechanisms of gains. A total of 14 hemiparetic individuals were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of either FTP or POWER and then crossed over to 10 weeks of the alternate treatment. Treatment order A was FTP followed by POWER, whereas treatment order B was POWER followed by FTP. Evaluation before and after each treatment block included a battery of clinical evaluations and kinematics of paretic UE functional reach to grasp. Both FTP and POWER improved movement accuracy, as revealed by a shift toward normal, including fewer submovements and reduced reach-path ratio. However, active range of motion revealed differential treatment effects. Shoulder flexion and elbow extension decreased with FTP and were associated with increased trunk displacement. In contrast, shoulder flexion and elbow extension excursion increased with POWER and were associated with significantly reduced trunk displacement. Treatment order B (POWER followed by FTP) revealed greater overall improvements. FTP increases compensatory movement patterns to improve UE function. POWER leads to more normal movement patterns. POWER prior to FTP may enhance the benefits of repetitive task practice.
Effect of coordination movement using the PNF pattern underwater on the balance and gait of stroke patients

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyoung; Lee, Dong-Kyu; Jung, Sang-In

2015-01-01

[Purpose] To investigate the effect of coordination movement using the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation pattern underwater on the balance and gait of stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty stroke patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group that performed coordination movement using the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation pattern underwater and a control group (n =10 each). Both the groups underwent neurodevelopmental treatment, and the experimental group performed coordination movement using the Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern underwater. Balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale and Functional Reach Test, and gait was measured using the 10-Meter Walk Test and Timed Up and Go Test. To compare in-group data before and after the intervention, paired t-test was used. Independent t-test was used to compare differences in the results of the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, and Timed Up and Go Test before and after the intervention between the groups. [Results] Comparison within the groups showed significant differences in the results of the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, and Timed Up and Go Test before and after the experimental intervention. On comparison between the groups, there were greater improvements in the scores of the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, and Timed Up and Go Test in the experimental group. [Conclusion] The findings demonstrate that coordination movement using the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation pattern under water has a significant effect on the balance and gait of stroke patients. PMID:26834335
Influence of gravity compensation training on synergistic movement patterns of the upper extremity after stroke, a pilot study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The majority of stroke patients have to cope with impaired arm function. Gravity compensation of the arm instantaneously affects abnormal synergistic movement patterns. The goal of the present study is to examine whether gravity compensated training improves unsupported arm function. Methods Seven chronic stroke patients received 18 half-hour sessions of gravity compensated reach training, in a period of six weeks. During training a motivating computer game was played. Before and after training arm function was assessed with the Fugl-Meyer assessment and a standardized, unsupported circle drawing task. Synergistic movement patterns were identified based on concurrent changes in shoulder elevation and elbow flexion/extension angles. Results Median increase of Fugl-Meyer scores was 3 points after training. The training led to significantly increased work area of the hemiparetic arm, as indicated by the normalized circle area. Roundness of the drawn circles and the occurrence of synergistic movement patterns remained similar after the training. Conclusions A decreased strength of involuntary coupling might contribute to the increased arm function after training. More research is needed to study working mechanisms involved in post stroke rehabilitation training. The used training setup is simple and affordable and is therefore suitable to use in clinical settings. PMID:22824488
Motor unit recruitment for dynamic tasks: current understanding and future directions.

PubMed

Hodson-Tole, Emma F; Wakeling, James M

2009-01-01

Skeletal muscle contains many muscle fibres that are functionally grouped into motor units. For any motor task there are many possible combinations of motor units that could be recruited and it has been proposed that a simple rule, the 'size principle', governs the selection of motor units recruited for different contractions. Motor units can be characterised by their different contractile, energetic and fatigue properties and it is important that the selection of motor units recruited for given movements allows units with the appropriate properties to be activated. Here we review what is currently understood about motor unit recruitment patterns, and assess how different recruitment patterns are more or less appropriate for different movement tasks. During natural movements the motor unit recruitment patterns vary (not always holding to the size principle) and it is proposed that motor unit recruitment is likely related to the mechanical function of the muscles. Many factors such as mechanics, sensory feedback, and central control influence recruitment patterns and consequently an integrative approach (rather than reductionist) is required to understand how recruitment is controlled during different movement tasks. Currently, the best way to achieve this is through in vivo studies that relate recruitment to mechanics and behaviour. Various methods for determining motor unit recruitment patterns are discussed, in particular the recent wavelet-analysis approaches that have allowed motor unit recruitment to be assessed during natural movements. Directions for future studies into motor recruitment within and between functional task groups and muscle compartments are suggested.
Scientific basis for learning transfer from movements to urinary bladder functions for bladder repair in human patients with CNS injury.

PubMed

Schalow, G

2010-01-01

Coordination Dynamics Therapy (CDT) has been shown to be able to partly repair CNS injury. The repair is based on a movement-based re-learning theory which requires at least three levels of description: the movement or pattern (and anamnesis) level, the collective variable level, and the neuron level. Upon CDT not only the actually performed movement pattern itself is repaired, but the entire dynamics of CNS organization is improved, which is the theoretical basis for (re-) learning transfer. The transfer of learning for repair from jumping on springboard and exercising on a special CDT and recording device to urinary bladder functions is investigated at the neuron level. At the movement or pattern level, the improvement of central nervous system (CNS) functioning in human patients can be seen (or partly measured) by the improvement of the performance of the pattern. At the collective variable level, coordination tendencies can be measured by the so-called 'coordination dynamics' before, during and after treatment. At the neuron level, re-learning can additionally be assessed by surface electromyography (sEMG) as alterations of single motor unit firings and motor programs. But to express the ongoing interaction between the numerous neural, muscular, and metabolic elements involved in perception and action, it is relevant to inquire how the individual afferent and efferent neurons adjust their phase and frequency coordination to other neurons to satisfy learning task requirements. With the single-nerve fibre action potential recording method it was possible to measure that distributed single neurons communicate by phase and frequency coordination. It is shown that this timed firing of neurons is getting impaired upon injury and has to be improved by learning The stability of phase and frequency coordination among afferent and efferent neuron firings can be related to pattern stability. The stability of phase and frequency coordination at the neuron level can therefore be assessed integratively at the (non-invasive) collective variable level by the arrhythmicity of turning (coordination dynamics) when a patient is exercising on a special CDT device. Upon jumping on springboard and exercising on the special CDT device, the intertwined neuronal networks, subserving movements (somatic) and urinary bladder functions (autonomic and somatic) in the sacral spinal cord, are synchronously activated and entrained to give rise to learning transfer from movements to bladder functions. Jumping on springboard and other movements primarily repair the pattern dynamics, whereas the exactly coordinated performed movements, performed on the special CDT device for turning, primarily improve the preciseness of the timed firing of neurons. The synchronous learning of perceptuomotor and perceptuobladder functioning from a dynamical perspective (giving rise to learning transfer) can be understood at the neuron level. Especially the activated phase and frequency coordination upon natural stimulation under physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions among a and gamma-motoneurons, muscle spindle afferents, touch and pain afferents, and urinary bladder stretch and tension receptor afferents in the human sacral spinal cord make understandable that somatic and parasympathetic functions are integrated in their functioning and give rise to learning transfer from movements to bladder functions. The power of this human treatment research project lies in the unit of theory, diagnostic/measurement, and praxis, namely that CNS injury can partly be repaired, including urinary bladder functions, and the repair can partly be understood even at the neuron level of description in human.
Negative Influence of Motor Impairments on Upper Limb Movement Patterns in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. A Statistical Parametric Mapping Study

PubMed Central

Simon-Martinez, Cristina; Jaspers, Ellen; Mailleux, Lisa; Desloovere, Kaat; Vanrenterghem, Jos; Ortibus, Els; Molenaers, Guy; Feys, Hilde; Klingels, Katrijn

2017-01-01

Upper limb three-dimensional movement analysis (UL-3DMA) offers a reliable and valid tool to evaluate movement patterns in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP). However, it remains unknown to what extent the underlying motor impairments explain deviant movement patterns. Such understanding is key to develop efficient rehabilitation programs. Although UL-3DMA has been shown to be a useful tool to assess movement patterns, it results in a multitude of data, challenging the clinical interpretation and consequently its implementation. UL-3DMA reports are often reduced to summary metrics, such as average or peak values per joint. However, these metrics do not take into account the continuous nature of the data or the interdependency between UL joints, and do not provide phase-specific information of the movement pattern. Moreover, summary metrics may not be sensitive enough to estimate the impact of motor impairments. Recently, Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) was proposed to overcome these problems. We collected UL-3DMA of 60 children with uCP and 60 typically developing children during eight functional tasks and evaluated the impact of spasticity and muscle weakness on UL movement patterns. SPM vector field analysis was used to analyze movement patterns at the level of five joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder, scapula, and trunk). Children with uCP showed deviant movement patterns in all joints during a large percentage of the movement cycle. Spasticity and muscle weakness negatively impacted on UL movement patterns during all tasks, which resulted in increased wrist flexion, elbow pronation and flexion, increased shoulder external rotation, decreased shoulder elevation with a preference for movement in the frontal plane and increased trunk internal rotation. Scapular position was altered during movement initiation, although scapular movements were not affected by muscle weakness or spasticity. In conclusion, we identified pathological movement patterns in children with uCP and additionally mapped the negative impact of spasticity and muscle weakness on these movement patterns, providing useful insights that will contribute to treatment planning. Last, we also identified a subset of the most relevant tasks for studying UL movements in children with uCP, which will facilitate the interpretation of UL-3DMA data and undoubtedly contribute to its clinical implementation. PMID:29051729
Comparison of laterality index of upper and lower limb movement using brain activated fMRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harirchian, Mohammad Hossein; Oghabian, Mohammad Ali; Rezvanizadeh, Alireza; Bolandzadeh, Niousha

2008-03-01

Asymmetry of bilateral cerebral function, i.e. laterality, is an important phenomenon in many brain actions such as motor functions. This asymmetry maybe altered in some clinical conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to delineate the laterality differences for upper and lower limbs in healthy subjects to compare this pattern with subjects suffering from MS in advance. Hence 9 Male healthy subjects underwent fMRI assessment, while they were asked to move their limbs in a predetermined pattern. The results showed that hands movement activates the brain with a significant lateralization in pre-motor cortex in comparison with lower limb. Also, dominant hands activate brain more lateralized than the non-dominant hand. In addition, Left basal ganglia were observed to be activated regardless of the hand used, While, These patterns of Brain activation was not detected in lower limbs. We hypothesize that this difference might be attributed to this point that hand is usually responsible for precise and fine voluntary movements, whereas lower limb joints are mainly responsible for locomotion, a function integrating voluntary and automatic bilateral movements.

Choreographing Patterns and Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawes, Zachary; Moss, Joan; Finch, Heather; Katz, Jacques

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors begin with a description of an algebraic dance--the translation of composite linear growing patterns into choreographed movement--which was the last component of a research-based instructional unit that focused on fostering an understanding of linear functional rules through geometric growing patterns and…
Mapping functional connectivity

Treesearch

Peter Vogt; Joseph R. Ferrari; Todd R. Lookingbill; Robert H. Gardner; Kurt H. Riitters; Katarzyna Ostapowicz

2009-01-01

An objective and reliable assessment of wildlife movement is important in theoretical and applied ecology. The identification and mapping of landscape elements that may enhance functional connectivity is usually a subjective process based on visual interpretations of species movement patterns. New methods based on mathematical morphology provide a generic, flexible,...
Independent digit movements and precision grip patterns in 1-5-month-old human infants: hand-babbling, including vacuous then self-directed hand and digit movements, precedes targeted reaching.

PubMed

Wallace, Patricia S; Whishaw, Ian Q

2003-01-01

Previous work has described human reflexive grasp patterns in early infancy and visually guided reaching and grasping in late infancy. There has been no examination of hand movements in the intervening period. This was the purpose of the present study. We video recorded the spontaneous hand and digit movements made by alert infants over their first 5 months of age. Over this period, spontaneous hand and digit movements developed from fists to almost continuous, vacuous movements and then to self-directed grasping movements. Amongst the many hand and digit movements observed, four grasping patterns emerged during this period: fists, pre-precision grips associated with numerous digit postures, precision grips including the pincer grasp, and self-directed grasps. The finding that a wide range of independent digit movements and grasp patterns are displayed spontaneously by infants within their first 5 months of age is discussed in relation to the development of the motor system, including the suggestion that direct connections of the pyramidal tract are functional relatively early in infancy. It is also suggested that hand babbling, consisting of first vacuous and then self-directed movements, is preparatory to targeted reaching.
[Central Pattern Generators: Mechanisms of the Activity and Their Role in the Control of "Automatic" Movements].

PubMed

Arshavsky, I; Deliagina, T G; Orlovsky, G N

2015-01-01

Central pattern generators (CPGs) are a set of interconnected neurons capable of generating a basic pattern of motor output underlying "automatic" movements (breathing, locomotion, chewing, swallowing, and so on) in the absence of afferent signals from the executive motor apparatus. They can be divided into the constitutive CPGs active throughout the entire lifetime (respiratory CPGs) and conditional CPGs controlling episodic movements (locomotion, chewing, swallowing, and others). Since a motor output of CPGs is determined by their internal organization, the activities of the conditional CPGs are initiated by simple commands coming from higher centers. We describe the structural and functional organization of the locomotor CPGs in the marine mollusk Clione limacina, lamprey, frog embryo, and laboratory mammals (cat, mouse, and rat), CPGs controlling the respiratory and swallowing movements in mammals, and CPGs controlling discharges of the electric organ in the gymnotiform fish. It is shown that in all these cases, the generation of rhythmic motor output is based both on the endogenous (pacemaker) activity of specific groups of interneurons and on interneural interactions. These two interrelated mechanisms complement each other, ensuring the high reliability of CPG functionality. We discuss how the experience obtained in studying CPGs can be used to understand mechanisms of more complex functions of the brain, including its cognitive functions.
Phase separation driven by density-dependent movement: A novel mechanism for ecological patterns.

PubMed

Liu, Quan-Xing; Rietkerk, Max; Herman, Peter M J; Piersma, Theunis; Fryxell, John M; van de Koppel, Johan

2016-12-01

Many ecosystems develop strikingly regular spatial patterns because of small-scale interactions between organisms, a process generally referred to as spatial self-organization. Self-organized spatial patterns are important determinants of the functioning of ecosystems, promoting the growth and survival of the involved organisms, and affecting the capacity of the organisms to cope with changing environmental conditions. The predominant explanation for self-organized pattern formation is spatial heterogeneity in establishment, growth and mortality, resulting from the self-organization processes. A number of recent studies, however, have revealed that movement of organisms can be an important driving process creating extensive spatial patterning in many ecosystems. Here, we review studies that detail movement-based pattern formation in contrasting ecological settings. Our review highlights that a common principle, where movement of organisms is density-dependent, explains observed spatial regular patterns in all of these studies. This principle, well known to physics as the Cahn-Hilliard principle of phase separation, has so-far remained unrecognized as a general mechanism for self-organized complexity in ecology. Using the examples presented in this paper, we explain how this movement principle can be discerned in ecological settings, and clarify how to test this mechanism experimentally. Our study highlights that animal movement, both in isolation and in unison with other processes, is an important mechanism for regular pattern formation in ecosystems. Copyright Â© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Multi-segmental movement patterns reflect juggling complexity and skill level.

PubMed

Zago, Matteo; Pacifici, Ilaria; Lovecchio, Nicola; Galli, Manuela; Federolf, Peter Andreas; Sforza, Chiarella

2017-08-01

The juggling action of six experts and six intermediates jugglers was recorded with a motion capture system and decomposed into its fundamental components through Principal Component Analysis. The aim was to quantify trends in movement dimensionality, multi-segmental patterns and rhythmicity as a function of proficiency level and task complexity. Dimensionality was quantified in terms of Residual Variance, while the Relative Amplitude was introduced to account for individual differences in movement components. We observed that: experience-related modifications in multi-segmental actions exist, such as the progressive reduction of error-correction movements, especially in complex task condition. The systematic identification of motor patterns sensitive to the acquisition of specific experience could accelerate the learning process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Predicting Functional Recovery in Chronic Stroke Rehabilitation Using Event-Related Desynchronization-Synchronization during Robot-Assisted Movement

PubMed Central

Gramigna, Cristina; Franceschetti, Silvana

2016-01-01

Although rehabilitation robotics seems to be a promising therapy in the rehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke patients, consensus is still lacking on its additive effects. Therefore, there is a need for determining the possible success of robotic interventions on selected patients, which in turn determine the necessity for new investigating instruments supporting the treatment decision-making process and customization. The objective of the work presented in this preliminary study was to verify that fully robot assistance would not affect the physiological oscillatory cortical activity related to a functional movement in healthy subjects. Further, the clinical results following the robotic treatment of a chronic stroke patient, who positively reacted to the robotic intervention, were analyzed and discussed. First results show that there is no difference in EEG activation pattern between assisted and no-assisted movement in healthy subjects. Even more importantly, the patient's pretreatment EEG activation pattern in no-assisted movement was completely altered, while it recovered to a quasi-physiological one in robot-assisted movement. The functional improvement following treatment was large. Using pretreatment EEG recording during robot-assisted movement might be a valid approach to assess the potential ability of the patient for recovering. PMID:27057546
Functional Movements in Japanese Mini-Basketball Players

PubMed Central

Kuzuhara, Kenji; Shibata, Masashi; Iguchi, Junta; Uchida, Ryo

2018-01-01

Abstract Functional movement screen (FMS) has been used to establish normative data and determine potential injury risk for young adults and athletes, but there are few data in elementary school-age children. The purpose of this study was to establish fundamental values for the FMS in elementary school-age mini-basketball players. Secondary purposes were to examine relationships between functional movement patterns and age, peak height velocity (PHV), and body mass index (BMI), and to compare functional movement patterns between boys and girls and between individuals with and without a history of injury. The mean composite FMS score was 16.5 ± 2.2 (16.5 ± 2.4 for boys, 16.5 ± 1.7 for girls). The composite FMS score was positively correlated with age (r = .312) and negatively correlated with the BMI (r = − .371). However, the FMS score was not correlated with PHV or with PHV age. The FMS score was not different between boys and girls or between individuals who reported a previous injury and those who did not. However, boys in the mini-basketball teams performed better than girls on the trunk stability push-up and rotary stability tests. Age and the body mass index were significantly associated with better and poorer functional movement, respectively. PMID:29599859
Functional Movements in Japanese Mini-Basketball Players.

PubMed

Kuzuhara, Kenji; Shibata, Masashi; Iguchi, Junta; Uchida, Ryo

2018-03-01

Functional movement screen (FMS) has been used to establish normative data and determine potential injury risk for young adults and athletes, but there are few data in elementary school-age children. The purpose of this study was to establish fundamental values for the FMS in elementary school-age mini-basketball players. Secondary purposes were to examine relationships between functional movement patterns and age, peak height velocity (PHV), and body mass index (BMI), and to compare functional movement patterns between boys and girls and between individuals with and without a history of injury. The mean composite FMS score was 16.5 ± 2.2 (16.5 ± 2.4 for boys, 16.5 ± 1.7 for girls). The composite FMS score was positively correlated with age (r = .312) and negatively correlated with the BMI (r = - .371). However, the FMS score was not correlated with PHV or with PHV age. The FMS score was not different between boys and girls or between individuals who reported a previous injury and those who did not. However, boys in the mini-basketball teams performed better than girls on the trunk stability push-up and rotary stability tests. Age and the body mass index were significantly associated with better and poorer functional movement, respectively.
Improvements in hip flexibility do not transfer to mobility in functional movement patterns.

PubMed

Moreside, Janice M; McGill, Stuart M

2013-10-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the transference of increased passive hip range of motion (ROM) and core endurance to functional movement. Twenty-four healthy young men with limited hip mobility were randomly assigned to 4 intervention groups: group 1, stretching; group 2, stretching plus hip/spine disassociation exercises; group 3, core endurance; and group 4, control. Previous work has documented the large increase in passive ROM and core endurance that was attained over the 6-week interventions, but whether these changes transferred to functional activities was unclear. Four dynamic activities were analyzed before and after the 6-week interventions: active standing hip extension, lunge, a standing twist/reach maneuver, and exercising on an elliptical trainer. A Vicon motion capture system collected body segment kinematics, with hip and lumbar spine angles subsequently calculated in Visual 3D. Repeated measures analyses of variance determined group effects on various hip and spine angles, with paired t-tests on specific pre/post pairs. Despite the large increases in passive hip ROM, there was no evidence of increased hip ROM used during functional movement testing. Similarly, the only significant change in lumbar motion was a reduction in lumbar rotation during the active hip extension maneuver (p < 0.05). These results indicate that changes in passive ROM or core endurance do not automatically transfer to changes in functional movement patterns. This implies that training and rehabilitation programs may benefit from an additional focus on 'grooving' new motor patterns if newfound movement range is to be used.
Individual-level movement bias leads to the formation of higher-order social structure in a mobile group of baboons.

PubMed

Bonnell, Tyler R; Clarke, Parry M; Henzi, S Peter; Barrett, Louise

2017-07-01

In mobile social groups, influence patterns driving group movement can vary between democratic and despotic. The arrival at any single pattern of influence is thought to be underpinned by both environmental factors and group composition. To identify the specific patterns of influence driving travel decision-making in a chacma baboon troop, we used spatially explicit data to extract patterns of individual movement bias. We scaled these estimates of individual-level bias to the level of the group by constructing an influence network and assessing its emergent structural properties. Our results indicate that there is heterogeneity in movement bias: individual animals respond consistently to particular group members, and higher-ranking animals are more likely to influence the movement of others. This heterogeneity resulted in a group-level network structure that consisted of a single core and two outer shells. Here, the presence of a core suggests that a set of highly interdependent animals drove routine group movements. These results suggest that heterogeneity at the individual level can lead to group-level influence structures, and that movement patterns in mobile social groups can add to the exploration of both how these structures develop (i.e. mechanistic aspects) and what consequences they have for individual- and group-level outcomes (i.e. functional aspects).
Individual-level movement bias leads to the formation of higher-order social structure in a mobile group of baboons

PubMed Central

Clarke, Parry M.; Henzi, S. Peter; Barrett, Louise

2017-01-01

In mobile social groups, influence patterns driving group movement can vary between democratic and despotic. The arrival at any single pattern of influence is thought to be underpinned by both environmental factors and group composition. To identify the specific patterns of influence driving travel decision-making in a chacma baboon troop, we used spatially explicit data to extract patterns of individual movement bias. We scaled these estimates of individual-level bias to the level of the group by constructing an influence network and assessing its emergent structural properties. Our results indicate that there is heterogeneity in movement bias: individual animals respond consistently to particular group members, and higher-ranking animals are more likely to influence the movement of others. This heterogeneity resulted in a group-level network structure that consisted of a single core and two outer shells. Here, the presence of a core suggests that a set of highly interdependent animals drove routine group movements. These results suggest that heterogeneity at the individual level can lead to group-level influence structures, and that movement patterns in mobile social groups can add to the exploration of both how these structures develop (i.e. mechanistic aspects) and what consequences they have for individual- and group-level outcomes (i.e. functional aspects). PMID:28791140
How multi segmental patterns deviate in spastic diplegia from typical developed.

PubMed

Zago, Matteo; Sforza, Chiarella; Bona, Alessia; Cimolin, Veronica; Costici, Pier Francesco; Condoluci, Claudia; Galli, Manuela

2017-10-01

The relationship between gait features and coordination in children with Cerebral Palsy is not sufficiently analyzed yet. Principal Component Analysis can help in understanding motion patterns decomposing movement into its fundamental components (Principal Movements). This study aims at quantitatively characterizing the functional connections between multi-joint gait patterns in Cerebral Palsy. 65 children with spastic diplegia aged 10.6 (SD 3.7) years participated in standardized gait analysis trials; 31 typically developing adolescents aged 13.6 (4.4) years were also tested. To determine if posture affects gait patterns, patients were split into Crouch and knee Hyperextension group according to knee flexion angle at standing. 3D coordinates of hips, knees, ankles, metatarsal joints, pelvis and shoulders were submitted to Principal Component Analysis. Four Principal Movements accounted for 99% of global variance; components 1-3 explained major sagittal patterns, components 4-5 referred to movements on frontal plane and component 6 to additional movement refinements. Dimensionality was higher in patients than in controls (p<0.01), and the Crouch group significantly differed from controls in the application of components 1 and 4-6 (p<0.05), while the knee Hyperextension group in components 1-2 and 5 (p<0.05). Compensatory strategies of children with Cerebral Palsy (interactions between main and secondary movement patterns), were objectively determined. Principal Movements can reduce the effort in interpreting gait reports, providing an immediate and quantitative picture of the connections between movement components. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dissociable Stages of Problem Solving (I): Temporal Characteristics Revealed by Eye-Movement Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitschke, Kai; Ruh, Nina; Kappler, Sonja; Stahl, Christoph; Kaller, Christoph P.

2012-01-01

Understanding the functional neuroanatomy of planning and problem solving may substantially benefit from better insight into the chronology of the cognitive processes involved. Based on the assumption that regularities in cognitive processing are reflected in overtly observable eye-movement patterns, here we recorded eye movements while…
[Phylo- and ontogenetic aspects of erect posture and walking in developmental neurology].

PubMed

Berényi, Marianne; Katona, Ferenc; Sanchez, Carmen; Mandujano, Mario

2011-07-30

The group or profile of elementary neuromotor patterns is different from the primitive reflex group which is now called the "primitive reflex profile." All these elementary neuromotor patterns are characterized by a high degree of organization, persistence, and stereotypy. In many regards, these patterns are predecessors or precursors of from them the specific human motor patterns which appear spontaneously later as crawling, creeping, sitting, and walking with erect posture. On the basis of our experiences it can be stated that the elementary neuromotor patterns can be activated in all neonates and young infants as congenital motor functions. With regards to their main properties and functional forms, the normal patterns can be divided into two main groups: (1) One group is characterized by lifting of the head and complex chains of movements which are directed to the verticalization of the body; (2) The other group is characterized by complex movements directed to locomotion and change of body position. The neuromotor patterns can be activated by placing the human infant in specific body positions that trigger the vestibulospinal and the reticulospinal systems, the archicerebellum and the basal gangliae. Most of these systems display early myelinisation and are functioning very soon. Many of the elementary neuromotor patterns reflect the most important - spontaneously developing forms of human movements such as sitting upright in space and head elevation crawling and walking. The majority of the human neuromotor patterns are human specific. When the infant is put in an activating position, crawling, sitting up, and walking begin and last as long as the activating position is maintained. Each elementary neuromotor pattern is a repeated, continuous train of complex movements in response to a special activating position. The brainstem is not sufficient to organize these complex movements, the integrity of the basal ganglia is also necessary. Elementary sensorimotor patterns during human ontogenesis reflect phylogenetic develpoment of species specific human functions. During ontogenesis spontaneous motor development gradually arises from these early specific sensorimotor predecessors.. The regular use of the elementary neuromotor patterns for diagnostic puposes has several distinct advantages. The neuromotor patterns have a natural stereotypy in normal infants and, therefore, deflections from this regular pattern may be detected easily, thus, the activation of the elementary neuromotor pattern is a more suitable method for identifying defects in the motor activity of the neonate or young infant than the assessment of the primitive reflexes. The "stiumulus positions," which activate specific movements according to how the human neonate or young infant is positioned, do not activate such motor patterns in neonate or young primates including apes. The characteristic locomotor pattern in these adult primates, including the apes, is swinging and involves brachiation with an extreme prehensility. This species specific motor activity is reflected in the orangutan and gibbon neonates by an early extensive grasp. However, according to our investigations, no crawling, creeping, elementary walk, or sitting up can be activated in them. Neonates grasp the hair of the mother, a vital function for the survival of the young. In contemporary nonhuman primates including apes, the neonate brain is more mature. Thus, pronounced differences can be observed between early motor ontogenesis in the human and all other primates. The earliest human movements are complex performances rather than simple reflexes. The distinction between primitive reflexes and elementary neuromotor patterns is essential. Primitive reflexes are controlled by the brainstem. All can be activated in primates. These reflexes have short durations and contrary to elementary sensorimotor patterns occur only once in response to one stimulus, e.g., one head drop elicits one abduction-adduction of the upper extremities correlated to adduction and flexion of the lower extremities to a lesser degree with the Moro reflex. Elementary neuromotor patterns are much more complex and most of them including elementary walk may be elicited as early as the 19th-20th gestational week, though less perfectly than later.
Constraint-induced movement therapy promotes brain functional reorganization in stroke patients with hemiplegia

PubMed Central

Wang, Wenqing; Wang, Aihui; Yu, Limin; Han, Xuesong; Jiang, Guiyun; Weng, Changshui; Zhang, Hongwei; Zhou, Zhiqiang

2012-01-01

Stroke patients with hemiplegia exhibit flexor spasms in the upper limb and extensor spasms in the lower limb, and their movement patterns vary greatly. Constraint-induced movement therapy is an upper limb rehabilitation technique used in stroke patients with hemiplegia; however, studies of lower extremity rehabilitation are scarce. In this study, stroke patients with lower limb hemiplegia underwent conventional Bobath therapy for 4 weeks as baseline treatment, followed by constraint-induced movement therapy for an additional 4 weeks. The 10-m maximum walking speed and Berg balance scale scores significantly improved following treatment, and lower extremity motor function also improved. The results of functional MRI showed that constraint-induced movement therapy alleviates the reduction in cerebral functional activation in patients, which indicates activation of functional brain regions and a significant increase in cerebral blood perfusion. These results demonstrate that constraint-induced movement therapy promotes brain functional reorganization in stroke patients with lower limb hemiplegia. PMID:25337108
Movement of feeder-using songbirds: the influence of urban features.

PubMed

Cox, Daniel T C; Inger, Richard; Hancock, Steven; Anderson, Karen; Gaston, Kevin J

2016-11-23

Private gardens provide vital opportunities for people to interact with nature. The most popular form of interaction is through garden bird feeding. Understanding how landscape features and seasons determine patterns of movement of feeder-using songbirds is key to maximising the well-being benefits they provide. To determine these patterns we established three networks of automated data loggers along a gradient of greenspace fragmentation. Over a 12-month period we tracked 452 tagged blue tits Cyantistes caeruleus and great tits Parus major moving between feeder pairs 9,848 times, to address two questions: (i) Do urban features within different forms, and season, influence structural (presence-absence of connections between feeders by birds) and functional (frequency of these connections) connectivity? (ii) Are there general patterns of structural and functional connectivity across forms? Vegetation cover increased connectivity in all three networks, whereas the presence of road gaps negatively affected functional but not structural connectivity. Across networks structural connectivity was lowest in the summer when birds maintain breeding territories, however patterns of functional connectivity appeared to vary with habitat fragmentation. Using empirical data this study shows how key urban features and season influence movement of feeder-using songbirds, and we provide evidence that this is related to greenspace fragmentation.
Chewing movements altered in the presence of temporomandibular joint internal derangements.

PubMed

Radke, John C; Kull, Robert S; Sethi, Manminder S

2014-07-01

The objectives were to find specific factors that are mathematically distinct between the chewing timings, movement pattern shapes, variability, and movement velocities of: (1) normal asymptomatic subjects and (2) a group of subjects with verified temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangements. Left- and right-sided chewing movement recordings of 28 subjects (34.5 ± 14.0 years) were randomly selected from a large database of patients exhibiting verified unilateral or bilateral TMJ internal derangements. The chewing movements of an age- and gender-matched control group of 20 asymptomatic subjects (32.5 ± 11.6 years, P>0.60) with verified normal TMJ function were also recorded. Means and standard deviations of the opening, closing, turning point, terminal chewing position, and velocity patterns were calculated. A two-tailed Student's t-test with unequal variances was used to compare the parameters between the two groups (alpha = 0.05). The dysfunctional group functioned significantly slower and with greater variability than the control group. The vertical dimension was consistently smaller in the dysfunctional group (P<0.00001). The terminal chewing position was significantly less precise in the dysfunctional group (vertical: P<0.002 and lateral: P<0.037). The maximum lateral width was significantly less (P<0.0071), and the peak and the average velocities were significantly lower (P<0.00001 for both) in the dysfunctional group. This group of dysfunctional subjects exhibited significantly slower, smaller, and more variable chewing patterns than the control group. The functional pattern of mastication appears to be significantly altered in the presence of an internal derangement of the TMJ.
USING THE SELECTIVE FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT AND REGIONAL INTERDEPENDENCE THEORY TO GUIDE TREATMENT OF AN ATHLETE WITH BACK PAIN: A CASE REPORT.

PubMed

Goshtigian, Gabriella R; Swanson, Brian T

2016-08-01

Despite the multidirectional quality of human movement, common measurement procedures used in physical therapy examination are often uni-planar and lack the ability to assess functional complexities involved in daily activities. Currently, there is no widely accepted, validated standard to assess movement quality. The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is one possible system to objectively assess complex functional movements. The purpose of this case report is to illustrate the application of the SFMA as a guide to the examination, evaluation, and management of a patient with non-specific low back pain (LBP). An adolescent male athlete with LBP was evaluated using the SFMA. It was determined that the patient had mobility limitations remote to the site of pain (thoracic spine and hips) which therapists hypothesized were leading to compensatory hypermobility at the lumbar spine. Guided by the SFMA, initial interventions focused on local (lumbar) symptom management, progressing to remote mobility deficits, and then addressing the local stability deficit. All movement patterns became functional/non-painful except the right upper extremity medial rotation-extension pattern. At discharge, the patient demonstrated increased soft tissue extensibility of hip musculature and joint mobility of the thoracic spine along with normalization of lumbopelvic motor control. Improvements in pain exceeded minimal clinically important differences, from 2-7/10 on a verbal analog scale at initial exam to 0-2/10 at discharge. Developing and progressing a plan of care for an otherwise healthy and active adolescent with non-specific LBP can be challenging. Human movement is a collaborative effort of muscle groups that are interdependent; the use of a movement-based assessment model can help identify weak links affecting overall function. The SFMA helped guide therapists to dysfunctional movements not seen with more conventional examination procedures. Level 4.
Disturbed jaw behavior in whiplash-associated disorders during rhythmic jaw movements.

PubMed

Häggman-Henrikson, B; Zafar, H; Eriksson, P-O

2002-11-01

As shown previously, "functional jaw movements" are the result of coordinated activation of jaw as well as neck muscles, leading to simultaneous movements in the temporomandibular, atlanto-occipital, and cervical spine joints. In this study, the effect of neck trauma on natural jaw function was evaluated in 12 individuals suffering from whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Spatiotemporal characteristics of mandibular and concomitant head movements were evaluated for three different modes of rhythmic jaw activities: self-paced continuous maximal jaw-opening/-closing movements, paced continuous maximal jaw-opening/-closing movements at 50 cycles/minute, and unilateral chewing. Compared with healthy subjects, the WAD group showed smaller magnitude and altered coordination pattern (a change in temporal relations) of mandibular and head movements. In conclusion, these results show that neck trauma can derange integrated jaw and neck behavior, and underline the functional coupling between the jaw and head-neck motor systems.

Modelling the Constraints of Spatial Environment in Fauna Movement Simulations: Comparison of a Boundaries Accurate Function and a Cost Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolivet, L.; Cohen, M.; Ruas, A.

2015-08-01

Landscape influences fauna movement at different levels, from habitat selection to choices of movements' direction. Our goal is to provide a development frame in order to test simulation functions for animal's movement. We describe our approach for such simulations and we compare two types of functions to calculate trajectories. To do so, we first modelled the role of landscape elements to differentiate between elements that facilitate movements and the ones being hindrances. Different influences are identified depending on landscape elements and on animal species. Knowledge were gathered from ecologists, literature and observation datasets. Second, we analysed the description of animal movement recorded with GPS at fine scale, corresponding to high temporal frequency and good location accuracy. Analysing this type of data provides information on the relation between landscape features and movements. We implemented an agent-based simulation approach to calculate potential trajectories constrained by the spatial environment and individual's behaviour. We tested two functions that consider space differently: one function takes into account the geometry and the types of landscape elements and one cost function sums up the spatial surroundings of an individual. Results highlight the fact that the cost function exaggerates the distances travelled by an individual and simplifies movement patterns. The geometry accurate function represents a good bottom-up approach for discovering interesting areas or obstacles for movements.
Step selection techniques uncover the environmental predictors of space use patterns in flocks of Amazonian birds.

PubMed

Potts, Jonathan R; Mokross, Karl; Stouffer, Philip C; Lewis, Mark A

2014-12-01

Understanding the behavioral decisions behind animal movement and space use patterns is a key challenge for behavioral ecology. Tools to quantify these patterns from movement and animal-habitat interactions are vital for transforming ecology into a predictive science. This is particularly important in environments undergoing rapid anthropogenic changes, such as the Amazon rainforest, where animals face novel landscapes. Insectivorous bird flocks are key elements of avian biodiversity in the Amazonian ecosystem. Therefore, disentangling and quantifying the drivers behind their movement and space use patterns is of great importance for Amazonian conservation. We use a step selection function (SSF) approach to uncover environmental drivers behind movement choices. This is used to construct a mechanistic model, from which we derive predicted utilization distributions (home ranges) of flocks. We show that movement decisions are significantly influenced by canopy height and topography, but depletion and renewal of resources do not appear to affect movement significantly. We quantify the magnitude of these effects and demonstrate that they are helpful for understanding various heterogeneous aspects of space use. We compare our results to recent analytic derivations of space use, demonstrating that the analytic approximation is only accurate when assuming that there is no persistence in the animals' movement. Our model can be translated into other environments or hypothetical scenarios, such as those given by proposed future anthropogenic actions, to make predictions of spatial patterns in bird flocks. Furthermore, our approach is quite general, so could potentially be used to understand the drivers of movement and spatial patterns for a wide variety of animal communities.
Step selection techniques uncover the environmental predictors of space use patterns in flocks of Amazonian birds

PubMed Central

Potts, Jonathan R; Mokross, Karl; Stouffer, Philip C; Lewis, Mark A

2014-01-01

Understanding the behavioral decisions behind animal movement and space use patterns is a key challenge for behavioral ecology. Tools to quantify these patterns from movement and animal–habitat interactions are vital for transforming ecology into a predictive science. This is particularly important in environments undergoing rapid anthropogenic changes, such as the Amazon rainforest, where animals face novel landscapes. Insectivorous bird flocks are key elements of avian biodiversity in the Amazonian ecosystem. Therefore, disentangling and quantifying the drivers behind their movement and space use patterns is of great importance for Amazonian conservation. We use a step selection function (SSF) approach to uncover environmental drivers behind movement choices. This is used to construct a mechanistic model, from which we derive predicted utilization distributions (home ranges) of flocks. We show that movement decisions are significantly influenced by canopy height and topography, but depletion and renewal of resources do not appear to affect movement significantly. We quantify the magnitude of these effects and demonstrate that they are helpful for understanding various heterogeneous aspects of space use. We compare our results to recent analytic derivations of space use, demonstrating that the analytic approximation is only accurate when assuming that there is no persistence in the animals' movement. Our model can be translated into other environments or hypothetical scenarios, such as those given by proposed future anthropogenic actions, to make predictions of spatial patterns in bird flocks. Furthermore, our approach is quite general, so could potentially be used to understand the drivers of movement and spatial patterns for a wide variety of animal communities. PMID:25558353
Method and apparatus for predicting the direction of movement in machine vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, Teri B. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A computer-simulated cortical network is presented. The network is capable of computing the visibility of shifts in the direction of movement. Additionally, the network can compute the following: (1) the magnitude of the position difference between the test and background patterns; (2) localized contrast differences at different spatial scales analyzed by computing temporal gradients of the difference and sum of the outputs of paired even- and odd-symmetric bandpass filters convolved with the input pattern; and (3) the direction of a test pattern moved relative to a textured background. The direction of movement of an object in the field of view of a robotic vision system is detected in accordance with nonlinear Gabor function algorithms. The movement of objects relative to their background is used to infer the 3-dimensional structure and motion of object surfaces.
Effects of background motion on eye-movement information.

PubMed

Nakamura, S

1997-02-01

The effect of background stimulus on eye-movement information was investigated by analyzing the underestimation of the target velocity during pursuit eye movement (Aubert-Fleishl paradox). In the experiment, a striped pattern with various brightness contrasts and spatial frequencies was used as a background stimulus, which was moved at various velocities. Analysis showed that the perceived velocity of the pursuit target, which indicated the magnitudes of eye-movement information, decreased when the background stripes moved in the same direction as eye movement at higher velocities and increased when the background moved in the opposite direction. The results suggest that the eye-movement information varied as a linear function of the velocity of the motion of the background retinal image (optic flow). In addition, the effectiveness of optic flow on eye-movement information was determined by the attributes of the background stimulus such as the brightness contrast or the spatial frequency of the striped pattern.
The Effect of Clinical Pilates on Functional Movement in Recreational Runners.

PubMed

Laws, Anna; Williams, Sean; Wilson, Cassie

2017-09-01

Biomechanical imbalances and inefficient functional movements are considered contributing factors to running-related injuries. Clinical Pilates uses a series of exercises focused on retraining normal movement patterns. This study investigated whether a 6-week course of Clinical Pilates improves functional movement and thereby, potentially, reduces the risk of running-related injuries associated with movement dysfunction. A modified functional movement screen was used to analyze the functional movement ability of forty runners. Forty participants completed a 6-week course of Clinical Pilates delivered by a Clinical Pilates instructor. The movement screen was carried out 3 times for each runner: 6 weeks pre-intervention (baseline), within one week pre-intervention (pre) and within one week post-intervention (post). Repeated-measures analysis of variance and post-hoc tests found significant increases in scores between baseline and post (mean±SD; 13.4±2.4 vs. 17.0±1.7, p<0.01) and pre and post (mean±SD; 13.5±2.5 vs. 17.0±1.7, p<0.01), but no significant difference between baseline and pre (p=0.3). A 6-week course of Clinical Pilates significantly improves functional movement in recreational runners, and this may lead to a reduction in the risk of running-related injuries. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
Bilateral versus ipsilesional cortico-subcortical activity patterns in stroke show hemispheric dependence.

PubMed

Vidal, Ana C; Banca, Paula; Pascoal, Augusto G; Cordeiro, Gustavo; Sargento-Freitas, João; Gouveia, Ana; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

2018-01-01

Background Understanding of interhemispheric interactions in stroke patients during motor control is an important clinical neuroscience quest that may provide important clues for neurorehabilitation. In stroke patients bilateral overactivation in both hemispheres has been interpreted as a poor prognostic indicator of functional recovery. In contrast, ipsilesional patterns have been linked with better motor outcomes. Aim We investigated the pathophysiology of hemispheric interactions during limb movement without and with contralateral restraint, to mimic the effects of constraint-induced movement therapy. We used neuroimaging to probe brain activity with such a movement-dependent interhemispheric modulation paradigm. Methods We used a functional magnetic resonance imaging block design during which the plegic/paretic upper limb was recruited/mobilized to perform unilateral arm elevation, as a function of presence versus absence of contralateral limb restriction (n = 20, with balanced left/right lesion sites). Results Analysis of 10 right hemispheric stroke participants yielded bilateral sensorimotor cortex activation in all movement phases in contrast with the unilateral dominance seen in the 10 left hemispheric stroke participants. Superimposition of contralateral restriction led to a prominent shift from activation to deactivation response patterns, in particular in cortical and basal ganglia motor areas in right hemispheric stroke. Left hemispheric stroke was, in general, characterized by reduced activation patterns, even in the absence of restriction, which induced additional cortical silencing. Conclusion The observed hemispheric-dependent activation/deactivation shifts is novel and these pathophysiological observations suggest short-term neuroplasticity that may be useful for hemisphere-tailored neurorehabilitation.
Spinal interneurons differentiate sequentially from those driving the fastest swimming movements in larval zebrafish to those driving the slowest ones.

PubMed

McLean, David L; Fetcho, Joseph R

2009-10-28

Studies of neuronal networks have revealed few general principles that link patterns of development with later functional roles. While investigating the neural control of movements, we recently discovered a topographic map in the spinal cord of larval zebrafish that relates the position of motoneurons and interneurons to their order of recruitment during swimming. Here, we show that the map reflects an orderly pattern of differentiation of neurons driving different movements. First, we use high-speed filming to show that large-amplitude swimming movements with bending along much of the body appear first, with smaller, regional swimming movements emerging later. Next, using whole-cell patch recordings, we demonstrate that the excitatory circuits that drive large-amplitude, fast swimming movements at larval stages are present and functional early on in embryos. Finally, we systematically assess the orderly emergence of spinal circuits according to swimming speed using transgenic fish expressing the photoconvertible protein Kaede to track neuronal differentiation in vivo. We conclude that a simple principle governs the development of spinal networks in which the neurons driving the fastest, most powerful swimming in larvae develop first with ones that drive increasingly weaker and slower larval movements layered on over time. Because the neurons are arranged by time of differentiation in the spinal cord, the result is a topographic map that represents the speed/strength of movements at which neurons are recruited and the temporal emergence of networks. This pattern may represent a general feature of neuronal network development throughout the brain and spinal cord.
Identifying compensatory movement patterns in the upper extremity using a wearable sensor system.

PubMed

Ranganathan, Rajiv; Wang, Rui; Dong, Bo; Biswas, Subir

2017-11-30

Movement impairments such as those due to stroke often result in the nervous system adopting atypical movements to compensate for movement deficits. Monitoring these compensatory patterns is critical for improving functional outcomes during rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and validity of a wearable sensor system for detecting compensatory trunk kinematics during activities of daily living. Participants with no history of neurological impairments performed reaching and manipulation tasks with their upper extremity, and their movements were recorded by a wearable sensor system and validated using a motion capture system. Compensatory movements of the trunk were induced using a brace that limited range of motion at the elbow. Our results showed that the elbow brace elicited compensatory movements of the trunk during reaching tasks but not manipulation tasks, and that a wearable sensor system with two sensors could reliably classify compensatory movements (~90% accuracy). These results show the potential of the wearable system to assess and monitor compensatory movements outside of a lab setting.
Clinical Rating of Movement-Pattern Quality in Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Methodological Study.

PubMed

Casartelli, Nicola C; Maffiuletti, Nicola A; Brunner, Romana; Büchi, Marcel; Sutter, Reto; Pfirrmann, Christian W; Naal, Florian D; Leunig, Michael; Bizzini, Mario

2018-04-01

Study Design Cross-sectional study. Objectives To evaluate intrarater and interrater agreement among physical therapists with different clinical experience in performing a visual rating of movement-pattern quality of patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome using a semi-quantitative scale. Background Visual rating of movement patterns in patients with FAI syndrome is of interest, because poor control of dynamic hip motion is frequently noted. Methods A video camera was used to record the performance of 34 patients with FAI syndrome performing single-limb standing, squat, frontal lunge, hop lunge, bridge, and plank. Visual rating of movement, as recorded on video, was performed by a highly experienced, a moderately experienced, and a novice physical therapist on 2 occasions using a semi-quantitative scale. Hip abductor strength was assessed using dynamometry, and hip pain and function were assessed with a patient-reported questionnaire. Intrarater and interrater agreement among physical therapists was evaluated using Gwet's agreement coefficient 1. Construct validity was evaluated as the association between physical therapists' rating and patients' hip abductor strength, pain, and function. Results Good intrarater and interrater agreement was observed in the highly experienced and moderately experienced physical therapists when rating single-limb standing, bridge, and plank. Poor to moderate intrarater and interrater agreement was found when they rated squat, frontal lunge, and hop lunge. Poor performers, as rated by the highly experienced physical therapist only, demonstrated lower hip abductor strength (P<.05), and similar hip pain and hip function compared to those of good performers. Conclusion Movement-pattern quality of patients with FAI syndrome should be rated by a highly experienced physical therapist. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(4):260-269. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7840.
Brief report: eye-movement patterns during an embedded figures test in children with ASD.

PubMed

Keehn, Brandon; Brenner, Laurie A; Ramos, Aurora I; Lincoln, Alan J; Marshall, Sandra P; Müller, Ralph-Axel

2009-02-01

The present study examined fixation frequency and duration during an Embedded Figures Test (EFT) in an effort to better understand the attentional and perceptual processes by which individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) achieve accelerated EFT performance. In particular, we aimed to elucidate differences in the patterns of eye-movement in ASD and typically developing (TD) children, thus providing evidence relevant to the competing theories of weak central coherence (WCC) and enhanced perceptual functioning. Consistent with prior EFT studies, we found accelerated response time (RT) in children with ASD. No group differences were seen for fixation frequency, but the ASD group made significantly shorter fixations compared to the TD group. Eye-movement results indicate that RT advantage in ASD is related to both WCC and enhanced perceptual functioning.
Activity characteristics and movement patterns in people with and people without low back pain who participate in rotation-related sports

PubMed Central

Chimenti, Ruth L.; Scholtes, Sara A.

2013-01-01

Many risk factors have been identified as contributing to the development or persistence of low back pain (LBP). However, the juxtaposition of both high and low levels of physical activity being associated with LBP reflects the complexity of the relationship between a risk factor and LBP. Moreover, not everyone with an identified risk factor, such as a movement pattern of increased lumbopelvic rotation, has LBP. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine differences in activity level and movement patterns between people with and people without chronic or recurrent LBP who participate in rotation-related sports. Design Case Case-control study. Setting University laboratory environment. Participants 52 people with chronic or recurrent LBP and 25 people without LBP who all play a rotation-related sport. Main Outcome Measures Participants completed self-report measures including the Baecke Habitual Activity Questionnaire and a questionnaire on rotation-related sports. A 3-dimensional motion-capture system was used to collect movement-pattern variables during 2 lower-limb-movement tests. Results Compared with people without LBP, people with LBP reported a greater difference between the sport subscore and an average work and leisure composite subscore on the Baecke Habitual Activity Questionnaire (F = 6.55, P = .01). There were no differences between groups in either rotation-related-sport participation or movement-pattern variables demonstrated during 2 lower-limb movement tests (P > .05 for all comparisons). Conclusions People with and people without LBP who regularly play a rotation-related sport differed in the amount and nature of activity participation but not in movement pattern variables. An imbalance between level of activity during sport and daily functions may contribute to the development or persistence of LBP in people who play a rotation-related sport. PMID:23295458
Happiness and the patterns of life: a study of geolocated tweets.

PubMed

Frank, Morgan R; Mitchell, Lewis; Dodds, Peter Sheridan; Danforth, Christopher M

2013-01-01

The patterns of life exhibited by large populations have been described and modeled both as a basic science exercise and for a range of applied goals such as reducing automotive congestion, improving disaster response, and even predicting the location of individuals. However, these studies have had limited access to conversation content, rendering changes in expression as a function of movement invisible. In addition, they typically use the communication between a mobile phone and its nearest antenna tower to infer position, limiting the spatial resolution of the data to the geographical region serviced by each cellphone tower. We use a collection of 37 million geolocated tweets to characterize the movement patterns of 180,000 individuals, taking advantage of several orders of magnitude of increased spatial accuracy relative to previous work. Employing the recently developed sentiment analysis instrument known as the hedonometer, we characterize changes in word usage as a function of movement, and find that expressed happiness increases logarithmically with distance from an individual's average location.
A relationship between eye movement patterns and performance in a precognitive tracking task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Repperger, D. W.; Hartzell, E. J.

1977-01-01

Eye movements made by various subjects in the performance of a precognitive tracking task are studied. The tracking task persented by an antiaircraft artillery (AAA) simulator has an input forcing function represented by a deterministic aircraft fly-by. The performance of subjects is ranked by two metrics. Good, mediocre, and poor trackers are selected for analysis based on performance during the difficult segment of the tracking task and over replications. Using phase planes to characterize both the eye movement patterns and the displayed error signal, a simple metric is developed to study these patterns. Two characterizations of eye movement strategies are defined and quantified. Using these two types of eye strategies, two conclusions are obtained about good, mediocre, and poor trackers. First, the eye tracker who used a fixed strategy will consistently perform better. Secondly, the best fixed strategy is defined as a Crosshair Fixator.
Tropical deforestation alters hummingbird movement patterns

PubMed Central

Hadley, Adam S.; Betts, Matthew G.

2009-01-01

Reduced pollination success, as a function of habitat loss and fragmentation, appears to be a global phenomenon. Disruption of pollinator movement is one hypothesis put forward to explain this pattern in pollen limitation. However, the small size of pollinators makes them very difficult to track; thus, knowledge of their movements is largely speculative. Using tiny radio transmitters (0.25 g), we translocated a generalist tropical ‘trap-lining’ hummingbird, the green hermit (Phaethornis guy), across agricultural and forested landscapes to test the hypothesis that movement is influenced by patterns of deforestation. Although, we found no difference in homing times between landscape types, return paths were on average 459±144 m (±s.e.) more direct in forested than agricultural landscapes. In addition, movement paths in agricultural landscapes contained 36±4 per cent more forest than the most direct route. Our findings suggest that this species can circumvent agricultural matrix to move among forest patches. Nevertheless, it is clear that movement of even a highly mobile species is strongly influenced by landscape disturbance. Maintaining landscape connectivity with forest corridors may be important for enhancing movement, and thus in facilitating pollen transfer. PMID:19158031
EMG-based pattern recognition approach in post stroke robot-aided rehabilitation: a feasibility study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Several studies investigating the use of electromyographic (EMG) signals in robot-based stroke neuro-rehabilitation to enhance functional recovery. Here we explored whether a classical EMG-based patterns recognition approach could be employed to predict patients’ intentions while attempting to generate goal-directed movements in the horizontal plane. Methods Nine right-handed healthy subjects and seven right-handed stroke survivors performed reaching movements in the horizontal plane. EMG signals were recorded and used to identify the intended motion direction of the subjects. To this aim, a standard pattern recognition algorithm (i.e., Support Vector Machine, SVM) was used. Different tests were carried out to understand the role of the inter- and intra-subjects’ variability in affecting classifier accuracy. Abnormal muscular spatial patterns generating misclassification were evaluated by means of an assessment index calculated from the results achieved with the PCA, i.e., the so-called Coefficient of Expressiveness (CoE). Results Processing the EMG signals of the healthy subjects, in most of the cases we were able to build a static functional map of the EMG activation patterns for point-to-point reaching movements on the horizontal plane. On the contrary, when processing the EMG signals of the pathological subjects a good classification was not possible. In particular, patients’ aimed movement direction was not predictable with sufficient accuracy either when using the general map extracted from data of normal subjects and when tuning the classifier on the EMG signals recorded from each patient. Conclusions The experimental findings herein reported show that the use of EMG patterns recognition approach might not be practical to decode movement intention in subjects with neurological injury such as stroke. Rather than estimate motion from EMGs, future scenarios should encourage the utilization of these signals to detect and interpret the normal and abnormal muscle patterns and provide feedback on their correct recruitment. PMID:23855907
Functional movement impairment in dancers: An assessment and treatment approach utilizing the Biomechanical Asymmetry Corrector (BAC) to restore normal mechanics of the spine and pelvis.

PubMed

Keller, K; West, J C

1995-01-01

Musculoskeletal injuries to the spine and pelvis are common in dancers. These injuries are associated with mechanical dysfunctions that impair spinal adaptation to the movement demands of the art form. This article introduces the biomechanical asymmetry corrector (BAC), a dynamic assessment and treatment tool, designed to restore normal spinal mechanics and functional movement patterns in dancers. A discussion of lumbo-pelvic mechanics and dance injury provides a theoretical context for describing exercises on the BAC.
Movement initiation-locked activity of the anterior putamen predicts future movement instability in periodic bimanual movement.

PubMed

Aramaki, Yu; Haruno, Masahiko; Osu, Rieko; Sadato, Norihiro

2011-07-06

In periodic bimanual movements, anti-phase-coordinated patterns often change into in-phase patterns suddenly and involuntarily. Because behavior in the initial period of a sequence of cycles often does not show any obvious errors, it is difficult to predict subsequent movement errors in the later period of the cyclical sequence. Here, we evaluated performance in the later period of the cyclical sequence of bimanual periodic movements using human brain activity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging as well as using initial movement features. Eighteen subjects performed a 30 s bimanual finger-tapping task. We calculated differences in initiation-locked transient brain activity between antiphase and in-phase tapping conditions. Correlation analysis revealed that the difference in the anterior putamen activity during antiphase compared within-phase tapping conditions was strongly correlated with future instability as measured by the mean absolute deviation of the left-hand intertap interval during antiphase movements relative to in-phase movements (r = 0.81). Among the initial movement features we measured, only the number of taps to establish the antiphase movement pattern exhibited a significant correlation. However, the correlation efficient of 0.60 was not high enough to predict the characteristics of subsequent movement. There was no significant correlation between putamen activity and initial movement features. It is likely that initiating unskilled difficult movements requires increased anterior putamen activity, and this activity increase may facilitate the initiation of movement via the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit. Our results suggest that initiation-locked transient activity of the anterior putamen can be used to predict future motor performance.
Exploration of Hand Grasp Patterns Elicitable Through Non-Invasive Proximal Nerve Stimulation.

PubMed

Shin, Henry; Watkins, Zach; Hu, Xiaogang

2017-11-29

Various neurological conditions, such as stroke or spinal cord injury, result in an impaired control of the hand. One method of restoring this impairment is through functional electrical stimulation (FES). However, traditional FES techniques often lead to quick fatigue and unnatural ballistic movements. In this study, we sought to explore the capabilities of a non-invasive proximal nerve stimulation technique in eliciting various hand grasp patterns. The ulnar and median nerves proximal to the elbow joint were activated transcutanously using a programmable stimulator, and the resultant finger flexion joint angles were recorded using a motion capture system. The individual finger motions averaged across the three joints were analyzed using a cluster analysis, in order to classify the different hand grasp patterns. With low current intensity (<5 mA and 100 µs pulse width) stimulation, our results show that all of our subjects demonstrated a variety of consistent hand grasp patterns including single finger movement and coordinated multi-finger movements. This study provides initial evidence on the feasibility of a proximal nerve stimulation technique in controlling a variety of finger movements and grasp patterns. Our approach could also be developed into a rehabilitative/assistive tool that can result in flexible movements of the fingers.
Can the calf-raise senior test predict functional fitness in elderly people? A validation study using electromyography, kinematics and strength tests.

PubMed

André, Helô-Isa; Carnide, Filomena; Moço, Andreia; Valamatos, Maria-João; Ramalho, Fátima; Santos-Rocha, Rita; Veloso, António

2018-06-05

The assessment of the plantar-flexors muscle strength in older adults (OA) is of the utmost importance since they are strongly associated with the performance of fundamental tasks of daily life. The objective was to strengthen the validity of the Calf-Raise-Senior (CRS) test by assessing the biomechanical movement pattern of calf muscles in OA with different levels of functional fitness (FF) and physical activity (PA). Twenty-six OA were assessed with CRS, a FF battery, accelerometry, strength tests, kinematics and electromyography (EMG). OA with the best and worst CRS scores were compared. The association between the scores and EMG pattern of ankle muscles was determined. OA with the best CRS scores presented higher levels of FF, PA, strength, power, speed and range of movement, and a more efficient movement pattern during the test. Subjects who scored more at the CRS test demonstrated the possibility to use a stretch-shortening cycle type of action in the PF muscles to increase power during the movements. OA with different levels of FF can be stratified by the muscular activation pattern of the calf muscles and the scores in CRS test. This study reinforced the validity of CRS for evaluating ankle strength and power in OA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploratory factor analysis of the functional movement screen in elite athletes.

PubMed

Li, Yongming; Wang, Xiong; Chen, Xiaoping; Dai, Boyi

2015-01-01

The functional movement screen is developed to examine individuals' movement patterns through 7 functional tasks. The purpose of this study was to identify the internal consistency and factor structure of the 7 tasks of the functional movement screen in elite athletes; 290 elite athletes from a variety of Chinese national teams were assessed using the functional movement screen. Cronbach's alpha was calculated for the scores of the 7 tasks. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to explore the factor structure of the functional movement screen. The mean and standard deviation of the sum score were 15.2 ± 3.0. A low Cronbach's alpha (0.58) was found for the scores of the 7 tasks. Exploratory factor analysis extracted 2 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and these 2 factors explained 47.3% of the total variance. The first factor had a high loading on the rotatory stability (loading = 0.99) and low loadings on the other 6 tasks (loading range: 0.04-0.34). The second factor had high loadings on the deep squat, hurdle step and inline lunge (loading range: 0.46-0.61) and low loadings on the other 3 tasks (loading range: 0.12-0.32). The 7 tasks of the functional movement screen had low internal consistency and were not indicators of a single factor. Evidence for unidimensionality was not found for the functional movement screen in elite athletes. More attention should be paid to the score of each task rather than the sum score when we interpret the functional movement screen scores.
Comparison of functional recovery of manual dexterity after unilateral spinal cord lesion or motor cortex lesion in adult macaque monkeys.

PubMed

Hoogewoud, Florence; Hamadjida, Adjia; Wyss, Alexander F; Mir, Anis; Schwab, Martin E; Belhaj-Saif, Abderraouf; Rouiller, Eric M

2013-01-01

In relation to mechanisms involved in functional recovery of manual dexterity from cervical cord injury or from motor cortical injury, our goal was to determine whether the movements that characterize post-lesion functional recovery are comparable to original movement patterns or do monkeys adopt distinct strategies to compensate the deficits depending on the type of lesion? To this aim, data derived from earlier studies, using a skilled finger task (the modified Brinkman board from which pellets are retrieved from vertical or horizontal slots), in spinal cord and motor cortex injured monkeys were analyzed and compared. Twelve adult macaque monkeys were subjected to a hemi-section of the cervical cord (n = 6) or to a unilateral excitotoxic lesion of the hand representation in the primary motor cortex (n = 6). In addition, in each subgroup, one half of monkeys (n = 3) were treated for 30 days with a function blocking antibody against the neurite growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A, while the other half (n = 3) represented control animals. The motor deficits, and the extent and time course of functional recovery were assessed. For some of the parameters investigated (wrist angle for horizontal slots and movement types distribution for vertical slots after cervical injury; movement types distribution for horizontal slots after motor cortex lesion), post-lesion restoration of the original movement patterns ("true" recovery) led to a quantitatively better functional recovery. In the motor cortex lesion groups, pharmacological reversible inactivation experiments showed that the peri-lesion territory of the primary motor cortex or re-arranged, spared domain of the lesion zone, played a major role in the functional recovery, together with the ipsilesional intact premotor cortex.
Comparison of Functional Recovery of Manual Dexterity after Unilateral Spinal Cord Lesion or Motor Cortex Lesion in Adult Macaque Monkeys

PubMed Central

Hoogewoud, Florence; Hamadjida, Adjia; Wyss, Alexander F.; Mir, Anis; Schwab, Martin E.; Belhaj-Saif, Abderraouf; Rouiller, Eric M.

2013-01-01

In relation to mechanisms involved in functional recovery of manual dexterity from cervical cord injury or from motor cortical injury, our goal was to determine whether the movements that characterize post-lesion functional recovery are comparable to original movement patterns or do monkeys adopt distinct strategies to compensate the deficits depending on the type of lesion? To this aim, data derived from earlier studies, using a skilled finger task (the modified Brinkman board from which pellets are retrieved from vertical or horizontal slots), in spinal cord and motor cortex injured monkeys were analyzed and compared. Twelve adult macaque monkeys were subjected to a hemi-section of the cervical cord (n = 6) or to a unilateral excitotoxic lesion of the hand representation in the primary motor cortex (n = 6). In addition, in each subgroup, one half of monkeys (n = 3) were treated for 30 days with a function blocking antibody against the neurite growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A, while the other half (n = 3) represented control animals. The motor deficits, and the extent and time course of functional recovery were assessed. For some of the parameters investigated (wrist angle for horizontal slots and movement types distribution for vertical slots after cervical injury; movement types distribution for horizontal slots after motor cortex lesion), post-lesion restoration of the original movement patterns (“true” recovery) led to a quantitatively better functional recovery. In the motor cortex lesion groups, pharmacological reversible inactivation experiments showed that the peri-lesion territory of the primary motor cortex or re-arranged, spared domain of the lesion zone, played a major role in the functional recovery, together with the ipsilesional intact premotor cortex. PMID:23885254
The Influence of Plantar Short Foot Muscle Exercises on Foot Posture and Fundamental Movement Patterns in Long-Distance Runners, a Non-Randomized, Non-Blinded Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Sulowska, Iwona; Oleksy, Łukasz; Mika, Anna; Bylina, Dorota; Sołtan, Jarosław

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of two kinds of plantar short foot muscles exercise on foot posture and fundamental movement patterns in long-distance runners. A parallel group non-blinded trial with 6-week follow-up. Twenty five long-distance runners aged 22-35 years. They were divided into two groups. In group 1 (n = 13) subjects performed the exercise "Vele's Forward Lean" and "Reverse Tandem Gait" and in Group 2 (n = 12) the "Short Foot Exercise." The runners performed the exercises daily for 6 weeks. The Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) and The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) tests were performed twice: at baseline and after 6 weeks of the exercise. A significant improvement was observed in FPI -6 (talar head palpation in Group 1, and inversion/eversion of the calcaneus in Group 2). Also in Group 1 a significant improvement was noted in FMS tests: deep squat, active straight leg raise and in total score. Short foot muscles strengthening exercises have beneficial effect on functional movement patterns and on foot posture, therefore they should be included as a part of daily training program of runners. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615001200572.
Bilateral versus ipsilesional cortico-subcortical activity patterns in stroke show hemispheric dependence.

PubMed

Vidal, A Cristina; Banca, Paula; Pascoal, Augusto G; Santo, Gustavo C; Sargento-Freitas, João; Gouveia, Ana; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

2017-01-01

Background Understanding of interhemispheric interactions in stroke patients during motor control is an important clinical neuroscience quest that may provide important clues for neurorehabilitation. In stroke patients, bilateral overactivation in both hemispheres has been interpreted as a poor prognostic indicator of functional recovery. In contrast, ipsilesional patterns have been linked with better motor outcomes. Aim We investigated the pathophysiology of hemispheric interactions during limb movement without and with contralateral restraint, to mimic the effects of constraint-induced movement therapy. We used neuroimaging to probe brain activity with such a movement-dependent interhemispheric modulation paradigm. Methods We used an fMRI block design during which the plegic/paretic upper limb was recruited/mobilized to perform unilateral arm elevation, as a function of presence versus absence of contralateral limb restriction ( n = 20, with balanced left/right lesion sites). Results Analysis of 10 right-hemispheric stroke participants yielded bilateral sensorimotor cortex activation in all movement phases in contrast with the unilateral dominance seen in the 10 left-hemispheric stroke participants. Superimposition of contralateral restriction led to a prominent shift from activation to deactivation response patterns, in particular in cortical and basal ganglia motor areas in right-hemispheric stroke. Left-hemispheric stroke was in general characterized by reduced activation patterns, even in the absence of restriction, which induced additional cortical silencing. Conclusion The observed hemispheric-dependent activation/deactivation shifts are novel and these pathophysiological observations suggest short-term neuroplasticity that may be useful for hemisphere-tailored neurorehabilitation.
Effects of decades of physical driving on body movement and motion sickness during virtual driving

PubMed Central

Chang, Chih-Hui; Chen, Fu-Chen; Zeng, Wei-Jhong

2017-01-01

We investigated relations between experience driving physical automobiles and motion sickness during the driving of virtual automobiles. Middle-aged individuals drove a virtual automobile in a driving video game. Drivers were individuals who had possessed a driver’s license for approximately 30 years, and who drove regularly, while non-drivers were individuals who had never held a driver’s license, or who had not driven for more than 15 years. During virtual driving, we monitored movement of the head and torso. During virtual driving, drivers became motion sick more rapidly than non-drivers, but the incidence and severity of motion sickness did not differ as a function of driving experience. Patterns of movement during virtual driving differed as a function of driving experience. Separately, movement differed between participants who later became motion sick and those who did not. Most importantly, physical driving experience influenced patterns of postural activity that preceded motion sickness during virtual driving. The results are consistent with the postural instability theory of motion sickness, and help to illuminate relations between the control of physical and virtual vehicles. PMID:29121059
Functional connectivity experiments reflect routine movement behavior of a tropical hummingbird species.

PubMed

Volpe, Noelia L; Hadley, Adam S; Robinson, W Douglas; Betts, Matthew G

Translocation experiments, in which researchers displace animals and then monitor their movements to return home, are commonly used as tools to assess functional connectivity of fragmented landscapes. Such experiments are purported to have important advantages of being time efficient and of standardizing “motivation” to move across individuals. Yet, we lack tests of whether movement behavior of translocated birds reflects natural behavior of unmanipulated birds. We compared the routine movement behavior of a tropical hummingbird, the Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy), to that of experimentally translocated individuals. We tested for differences in site selection patterns during movement at two spatial scales (point and path levels). We also compared movement rates between treatments. Behaviors documented during translocation experiments reflected those observed during routine movements. At the point level, both translocated and non-translocated birds showed similar levels of preference for mature tropical forest. At the path level, step selection functions showed both translocated and non-translocated hummingbirds avoiding movement across non-forested matrix and selecting streams as movement corridors. Movement rates were generally higher during translocation experiments. However, the negative influence of forest cover on movement rates was proportionately similar in translocation and routine movement treatments. We report the first evidence showing that movement behavior of birds during translocation experiments is similar to their natural movement behavior. Therefore, translocation experiments may be reliable tools to address effects of landscape structure on animal movement. We observed consistent selection of landscape elements between translocated and non-translocated birds, indicating that both routine and translocation movement studies lead to similar conclusions regarding the effect of landscape structure and forest composition on functional connectivity. Our observation that hummingbirds avoid non-forest matrix and select riparian corridors also provides a potential mechanism for pollen limitation in fragmented tropical forest.
Functional Balance Training Using a Domed Device

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-02-01

people. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 31:182–187. 2003. 17. Roubenoff, R. Sarcopenia and its im- plications for the elderly . Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 54(Suppl 3):S40–7... elderly and the injured (7, 10, 18). Functional balance training involves skilled body movement patterns that si- multaneously require movement and...important aspect of athletic and occupational perfor- mance, in the elderly , and for injury rehabilitation, where use of a novel domed device can be
Permutation Entropy Applied to Movement Behaviors of Drosophila Melanogaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yuedan; Chon, Tae-Soo; Baek, Hunki; Do, Younghae; Choi, Jin Hee; Chung, Yun Doo

Movement of different strains in Drosophila melanogaster was continuously observed by using computer interfacing techniques and was analyzed by permutation entropy (PE) after exposure to toxic chemicals, toluene (0.1 mg/m3) and formaldehyde (0.01 mg/m3). The PE values based on one-dimensional time series position (vertical) data were variable according to internal constraint (i.e. strains) and accordingly increased in response to external constraint (i.e. chemicals) by reflecting diversity in movement patterns from both normal and intoxicated states. Cross-correlation function revealed temporal associations between the PE values and between the component movement patterns in different chemicals and strains through the period of intoxication. The entropy based on the order of position data could be a useful means for complexity measure in behavioral changes and for monitoring the impact of stressors in environment.
Structure-Specific Movement Patterns in Patients With Chronic Low Back Dysfunction Using Lumbar Combined Movement Examination.

PubMed

Monie, Aubrey P; Price, Roger I; Lind, Christopher R P; Singer, Kevin P

2017-06-01

A test-retest cohort study was conducted to assess the use of a novel computer-aided, combined movement examination (CME) to measure change in low back movement after pain management intervention in 17 cases of lumbar spondylosis. Additionally we desired to use a CME normal reference range (NRR) to compare and contrast movement patterns identified from 3 specific structural pathologic conditions: intervertebral disc, facet joint, and nerve root compression. Computer-aided CME was used before and after intervention, in a cohort study design, to record lumbar range of movement along with pain, disability, and health self-report questionnaires in 17 participants who received image-guided facet, epidural, and/or rhizotomy intervention. In the majority of cases, CME was reassessed after injection together with 2 serial self-reports after an average of 2 and 14 weeks. A minimal clinically important difference of 30% was used to interpret meaningful change in self-reports. A CME NRR (n = 159) was used for comparison with the 17 cases. Post hoc observation included subgrouping cases into 3 discrete pathologic conditions, intervertebral disc, facet dysfunction, and nerve root compression, in order to report intergroup differences in CME movement. Seven of the 17 participants stated that a "combined" movement was their most painful CME direction. Self-report outcome data indicated that 4 participants experienced significant improvement in health survey, 5 improved by ≥30% on low back function, and 8 reported that low back pain was more bothersome than stiffness, 6 of whom achieved the minimal clinically important difference for self-reported pain. Subgrouping of cases into structure-specific groups provided insight to different CME movement patterns. The use of CME assists in identifying atypical lumbar movement relative to an age and sex NRR. Data from this study, exemplified by representative case studies, provide preliminary evidence for distinct intervertebral disc, facet joint, and nerve root compression CME movement patterns in cases of chronic lumbar spondylosis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Semantic features of 'stepped' versus 'continuous' contours in German intonation.

PubMed

Dombrowski, Ernst

2013-01-01

This study analyses the meaning spaces of German pitch contours using two modes of melodic movement: continuous or in steps of sustained pitch. Both the continuous and stepped movements are represented by a set of five basic patterns, the latter being derived from the former. Thirty-six German native speakers judged the pattern sets on a 12-scale semantic differential. The semantic profiles confirm that stepped contours can be conceived of as stylized intonation, in a formal as well as in a functional sense. On the one hand, continuous (non-stylized) and stepped (stylized) contours are assigned different overall meanings (especially on the scales astonished - commonplace and interested - not interested). On the other hand, listeners organize the two contour sets in a similar fashion, which speaks in favour of parallel pattern inventories of continuous and stepped movement, respectively. However, the meaning space of the stylized patterns is affected by formal restrictions, for instance in the step transformation of continuous rises. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Fetal eye movements on magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Woitek, Ramona; Kasprian, Gregor; Lindner, Christian; Stuhr, Fritz; Weber, Michael; Schöpf, Veronika; Brugger, Peter C; Asenbaum, Ulrika; Furtner, Julia; Bettelheim, Dieter; Seidl, Rainer; Prayer, Daniela

2013-01-01

Eye movements are the physical expression of upper fetal brainstem function. Our aim was to identify and differentiate specific types of fetal eye movement patterns using dynamic MRI sequences. Their occurrence as well as the presence of conjugated eyeball motion and consistently parallel eyeball position was systematically analyzed. Dynamic SSFP sequences were acquired in 72 singleton fetuses (17-40 GW, three age groups [17-23 GW, 24-32 GW, 33-40 GW]). Fetal eye movements were evaluated according to a modified classification originally published by Birnholz (1981): Type 0: no eye movements; Type I: single transient deviations; Type Ia: fast deviation, slower reposition; Type Ib: fast deviation, fast reposition; Type II: single prolonged eye movements; Type III: complex sequences; and Type IV: nystagmoid. In 95.8% of fetuses, the evaluation of eye movements was possible using MRI, with a mean acquisition time of 70 seconds. Due to head motion, 4.2% of the fetuses and 20.1% of all dynamic SSFP sequences were excluded. Eye movements were observed in 45 fetuses (65.2%). Significant differences between the age groups were found for Type I (p = 0.03), Type Ia (p = 0.031), and Type IV eye movements (p = 0.033). Consistently parallel bulbs were found in 27.3-45%. In human fetuses, different eye movement patterns can be identified and described by MRI in utero. In addition to the originally classified eye movement patterns, a novel subtype has been observed, which apparently characterizes an important step in fetal brainstem development. We evaluated, for the first time, eyeball position in fetuses. Ultimately, the assessment of fetal eye movements by MRI yields the potential to identify early signs of brainstem dysfunction, as encountered in brain malformations such as Chiari II or molar tooth malformations.
Differing Roles of Functional Movement Variability as Experience Increases in Gymnastics

PubMed Central

Busquets, Albert; Marina, Michel; Davids, Keith; Angulo-Barroso, Rosa

2016-01-01

Current theories, like Ecological Dynamics, propose that inter-trial movement variability is functional when acquiring or refining movement coordination. Here, we examined how age-based experience levels of gymnasts constrained differences in emergent movement pattern variability during task performance. Specifically, we investigated different roles of movement pattern variability when gymnasts in different age groups performed longswings on a high bar, capturing the range of experience from beginner to advanced status. We also investigated the functionality of the relationships between levels of inter-trial variability and longswing amplitude during performance. One-hundred and thirteen male gymnasts in five age groups were observed performing longswings (with three different experience levels: beginners, intermediates and advanced performers). Performance was evaluated by analysis of key events in coordination of longswing focused on the arm-trunk and trunk-thigh segmental relations. Results revealed that 10 of 18 inter-trial variability measures changed significantly as a function of increasing task experience. Four of ten variability measures conformed to a U-shaped function with age implying exploratory strategies amongst beginners and functional adaptive variability amongst advanced performers. Inter-trial variability of arm-trunk coordination variables (6 of 10) conformed to a \\-shaped curve, as values were reduced to complete the longswings. Changes in coordination variability from beginner to intermediate status were largely restrictive, with only one variability measure related to exploration. Data revealed how inter-trial movement variability in gymnastics, relative to performance outcomes, needs careful interpretation, implying different roles as task experience changes. Key points Inter-trial variability while performing longswings on a high bar was assessed in a large sample (113 participants) divided into five age groups (form beginners to advanced gymnasts). Longswing assessment allowed us to evaluate inter-trial variability in representative performance context. Coordination variability presented two different configurations across experience levels depending on the variable of interest: either a U-shaped or a L- or \\-shaped graph. Increased inter-trial variability of the functional phase events offered flexibility to adapt the longswing performance in the advanced gymnasts, while decreasing variability in arm-trunk coordination modes was critical to improve longswing and to achieve the most advanced level. In addition, the relationship between variability measures and the global performance outcome (i.e. the swing amplitude) revealed different functional roles of movement variability (exploratory or restrictive) as a function of changes in experience levels. PMID:27274664
Comparison of joint space and end point space robotic training modalities for rehabilitation of interjoint coordination in individuals with moderate to severe impairment from chronic stroke.

PubMed

Brokaw, Elizabeth B; Holley, Rahsaan J; Lum, Peter S

2013-09-01

We have developed a novel robotic modality called Time Independent Functional Training (TIFT) that provides focused retraining of interjoint coordination after stroke. TIFT was implemented on the ARMin III exoskeleton and provides joint space walls that resist movement patterns that are inconsistent with the targeted interjoint coordination pattern. In a single test session, ten moderate to severely impaired individuals with chronic stroke practiced synchronous shoulder abduction and elbow extension in TIFT and also in a comparison mode commonly used in robotic therapy called end point tunnel training (EPTT). In EPTT, error is limited by forces applied to the hand that are normal to the targeted end point trajectory. The completion percentage of the movements was comparable between modes, but the coordination patterns used by subjects differed between modes. In TIFT, subjects performed the targeted pattern of synchronous shoulder abduction and elbow extension, while in EPTT, movements were completed with compensatory strategies that incorporated the flexor synergy (shoulder abduction with elbow flexion) or the extensor synergy (shoulder adduction with elbow extension). There were immediate effects on free movements, with TIFT resulting in larger improvements in interjoint coordination than EPTT. TIFT's ability to elicit normal coordination patterns merits further investigation into the effects of longer duration training.
Diurnal patterns of branch movement in a desert shrub (Larrea tridentata) track hydraulic stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallmark, A.

2016-12-01

Near-surface, repeat digital photography has emerged as a powerful tool to collect continuous observations of plant traits of individuals and communities across daily, seasonal, and annual time scales. To date, this technology has largely been used to detect patterns of vegetative phenology or "canopy greenness." Little work has been done to use digital photographs to quantify changes in canopy structure or shifts in canopy function on shorter time scales. In this study, we tracked the position of creosote (Larrea tridentata) branches using a timeseries of photos taken in a creosote-dominated shrubland in central New Mexico, USA where radiation, temperature, humidity, soil water content, soil water potential, and stem water potential were also measured. We found that both living and dead woody branches displayed dramatic diurnal patterns of movement, with shrubs only 1-2 m in height sometimes undergoing vertical shifts in branch position of over 0.25 m and changes in branch angle of over 20 degrees. Although circadian rhythms in plants are often attributed to cyclical patterns of photoperiod or temperature, we found that creosote branch movements were best correlated with diurnal changes in stem water potential and atmospheric humidity and that this correlation was stronger under wetter soil conditions. Branches were straighter and oriented in higher positions in times of low hydraulic stress, possibly preparing the creosote to better capture moisture via stemflow. Branches were oriented lower to the ground in times of high hydraulic stress, possibly providing more shade and reducing soil evaporation beneath the base of the shrub. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe diurnal patterns of branch movements in creosote and is the most extensive dataset of observations of diurnal movements in any woody plant. It provides more knowledge about the biology of a desert shrub, but also offers novel methods for using repeat digital photography to gain inferences about plant form and function.
Thoracopelvic assisted movement training to improve gait and balance in elderly at risk of falling: a case series

PubMed Central

Springer, Shmuel; Friedman, Itamar; Ohry, Avi

2018-01-01

Background Age-related changes in coordinated movement pattern of the thorax and pelvis may be one of the factors contributing to fall risk. This report describes the feasibility of using a new thoracopelvic assisted movement device to improve gait and balance in an elderly population with increased risk for falls. Methods In this case series, 19 older adults were recruited from an assisted living facility. All had gait difficulties (gait speed <1.0 m/s) and history of falls. Participants received 12 training sessions with the thoracopelvic assisted movement device. Functional performance was measured before, during (after 6 sessions), and after the 12 sessions. Outcomes measures were Timed Up and Go, Functional Reach Test, and the 10-meter Walk Test. Changes in outcomes were calculated for each participant in the context of minimal detectable change (MDC) values. Results More than 25% of participants showed changes >MDC in their clinical measures after 6 treatment sessions, and more than half improved >MDC after 12 sessions. Six subjects (32%) improved their Timed Up and Go time by >4 seconds after 6 sessions, and 10 (53%) after 12 sessions. After the intervention, 4 subjects (21%) improved their 10-meter Walk Test velocity from limited community ambulation (0.4–0.8 m/s) to functional community ambulation (>0.8 m/s). Conclusion Thoracopelvic assisted movement training that mimics normal walking pattern may have clinical implications, by improving skills that enhance balance and gait function. Additional randomized, controlled studies are required to examine the effects of this intervention on larger cohorts with a variety of subjects.
Emergence of oropharyngeal, laryngeal and swallowing activity in the developing fetal upper aerodigestive tract: an ultrasound evaluation.

PubMed

Miller, Jeri L; Sonies, Barbara C; Macedonia, Christian

2003-02-01

The developing fetal upper aerodigestive system provides the structural support for respiratory and ingestive functions necessary to sustain life at birth. This study investigated prenatal development of upper aerodigestive anatomy and the association of emerging functions as predictors of postnatal feeding skills. Biometric measures of oral, lingual, pharyngeal and laryngeal structures were obtained in fetuses 15-38 weeks gestational age using a four-plane sonographic technique. Accompanying ingestive behaviors were tallied across development. The data from 62 healthy controls were compared to seven cases at risk for postnatal feeding and swallowing dysfunction (Type II Arnold Chiari Malformation, trisomy 18, polyhydramnios, intrauterine growth restriction, Brachmann-de Lange Syndrome). Significant (p<0.001) linear regressions occurred in pharyngeal and lingual growth across gestation while ingestive behavior such as suckling emerged in a sequence of basic to complex movement patterns. Jaw and lip movements progressed from simple mouth opening to repetitive open-close movements important for postnatal suckling. Lingual movements increased in complexity from simple forward thrusting and cupping to anterior-posterior motions necessary for successful suckling at term. Laryngeal movements varied from shallow flutter-like movements along the lumen to more complex and complete adduction-abduction patterns. Fetal swallowing primarily occurred in the presence of concomitant oral-facial stimulatory activity. Significant variations (p<0.01) in the form and function of the ingestive system occurred in comparisons of gestational age-matched controls to at-risk cases. We postulate that prenatal developmental indices of emerging aerodigestive skills may guide postnatal decisions for feeding readiness and, ultimately, advance the care of the premature, medically fragile neonate.
Limited Transfer of Newly Acquired Movement Patterns across Walking and Running in Humans

PubMed Central

Ogawa, Tetsuya; Kawashima, Noritaka; Ogata, Toru; Nakazawa, Kimitaka

2012-01-01

The two major modes of locomotion in humans, walking and running, may be regarded as a function of different speed (walking as slower and running as faster). Recent results using motor learning tasks in humans, as well as more direct evidence from animal models, advocate for independence in the neural control mechanisms underlying different locomotion tasks. In the current study, we investigated the possible independence of the neural mechanisms underlying human walking and running. Subjects were tested on a split-belt treadmill and adapted to walking or running on an asymmetrically driven treadmill surface. Despite the acquisition of asymmetrical movement patterns in the respective modes, the emergence of asymmetrical movement patterns in the subsequent trials was evident only within the same modes (walking after learning to walk and running after learning to run) and only partial in the opposite modes (walking after learning to run and running after learning to walk) (thus transferred only limitedly across the modes). Further, the storage of the acquired movement pattern in each mode was maintained independently of the opposite mode. Combined, these results provide indirect evidence for independence in the neural control mechanisms underlying the two locomotive modes. PMID:23029490
Do anticipatory postural adjustments occurring in different segments of the postural chain follow the same organisational rule for different task movement velocities, independently of the inertial load value?

PubMed

Bouisset, S; Richardson, J; Zattara, M

2000-05-01

Dynamic phenomena, termed anticipatory postural adjustments (APA), are known to precede the onset of voluntary movement. Their anticipatory nature confers a particular status on APAs: as they cannot be triggered reflexly by afferent signals induced by a voluntary movement, it can be asked whether the APA parameters are centrally programmed as a function of some task movement parameters or are only the peripheral consequence of control variables. To this end the present study aims to determine whether the APAs occurring at the different sites of the postural chain yield the same accelerometric patterns and follow the same organisational rules when the task movement velocity changes, independently of the inertial load value. Subjects performed unilateral shoulder flexions at maximal and submaximal velocities, with (IUF) and without (OUF) an additional inertial load. Accelerometers were attached to the wrist and trunk, and on both sides of the body at shank, thigh, hip and shoulder. The results show that: 1) there was evidence of anticipatory acceleration in all segments of the postural chain; 2) each acceleration profile for the anticipatory phase was maintained over different focal movement velocities whether there was an additional load or not; 3) there were significant linear relationships between the amplitude of each segmental anticipatory acceleration and the square of the task movement velocity, the slope of which differs as a function of the inertial load; 4) there were close intersegmental correlations between these anticipatory accelerations which did not depend on the inertial load. In addition the correlation between the lower limbs and the opposite side of the body was positive, suggesting a diagonal postural pattern. A comparison of the present kinematic data with the corresponding EMG data reported in the literature argues in favour of a centrally determined kinematic pattern. It is proposed that the diagonal postural pattern between postural segments be considered as one of the order rules which could simplify the control process of asymmetrical movement. The anticipatory kinematics of each of the body segments would be calibrated with the velocity and the inertial load and scaled to the other segments to counteract the perturbing effect of the asymmetrical focal movement on body balance.
Human Movement as a Function of Color Stimulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srivastava, Rajendra K.; Peel, Thomas S.

A research study and the intent and purpose of its experiments are outlined to support the premise that "a change in the color of an environment will bring a change in the pattern of human movement within that environment". Experiment cited is concerned with the color variables of light beige and dark brown in a controlled environment with museum…

Design considerations for a real-time ocular counterroll instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hatamian, M.; Anderson, D. J.

1983-01-01

A real-time algorithm for measuring three-dimensional movement of the human eye, especially torsional movement, is presented. As its input, the system uses images of the eyeball taken at video rate. The amount of horizontal and vertical movement is extracted using a pupil tracking technique. The torsional movement is then measured by computing the discrete cross-correlation function between the circular samples of successive images of the iris patterns and searching for the position of the peak of the function. A local least square interpolation around the peak of the cross-correlation function is used to produce nearly unbiased estimates of torsion angle with accuracy of about 3-4 arcmin. Accuracies of better than 0.03 deg are achievable in torsional measurement with SNR higher than 36 dB. Horizontal and vertical rotations of up to + or - 13 deg can occur simultaneously with torsion without introducing any appreciable error in the counterrolling measurement process.
Patterns of Transfer of Adaptation Among Body Segments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidler, R. D.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Stelmach, George E.

2000-01-01

Two experiments were conducted in order to determine the patterns of transfer of visuomotor adaptation between arm and head pointing. An altered gain of display of pointing movements was used to induce a conflict between visual and somatosensory representations. Two subject groups participated in Experiment One: group 1 adapted shoulder pointing movements, and group 2 adapted wrist pointing movements to a 0.5 gain of display. Following the adaptation regimen, subjects performed a transfer test in which the shoulder group performed wrist movements and the wrist group performed shoulder movements. The results demonstrated that both groups displayed typical adaptation curves, initially undershooting the target followed by a return to baseline performance. Transfer tests revealed that both groups had high transfer of the acquired adaptation to the other joint. Experiment Two followed a similar design except that group 1 adapted head pointing movements and group 2 adapted arm pointing movements. The arm adaptation had high transfer to head pointing while the head adaptation had very little transfer to arm pointing. These results imply that, while the arm segments may share a common target representation for goal-directed actions, individual but functionally dependent target representations may exist for the control of head and arm movements.
Mimicking muscle activity with electrical stimulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Lise A.; Fuglevand, Andrew J.

2011-02-01

Functional electrical stimulation is a rehabilitation technology that can restore some degree of motor function in individuals who have sustained a spinal cord injury or stroke. One way to identify the spatio-temporal patterns of muscle stimulation needed to elicit complex upper limb movements is to use electromyographic (EMG) activity recorded from able-bodied subjects as a template for electrical stimulation. However, this requires a transfer function to convert the recorded (or predicted) EMG signals into an appropriate pattern of electrical stimulation. Here we develop a generalized transfer function that maps EMG activity into a stimulation pattern that modulates muscle output by varying both the pulse frequency and the pulse amplitude. We show that the stimulation patterns produced by this transfer function mimic the active state measured by EMG insofar as they reproduce with good fidelity the complex patterns of joint torque and joint displacement.
Reorganization of the human central nervous system.

PubMed

Schalow, G; Zäch, G A

2000-10-01

The key strategies on which the discovery of the functional organization of the central nervous system (CNS) under physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions have been based included (1) our measurements of phase and frequency coordination between the firings of alpha- and gamma-motoneurons and secondary muscle spindle afferents in the human spinal cord, (2) knowledge on CNS reorganization derived upon the improvement of the functions of the lesioned CNS in our patients in the short-term memory and the long-term memory (reorganization), and (3) the dynamic pattern approach for re-learning rhythmic coordinated behavior. The theory of self-organization and pattern formation in nonequilibrium systems is explicitly related to our measurements of the natural firing patterns of sets of identified single neurons in the human spinal premotor network and re-learned coordinated movements following spinal cord and brain lesions. Therapy induced cell proliferation, and maybe, neurogenesis seem to contribute to the host of structural changes during the process of re-learning of the lesioned CNS. So far, coordinated functions like movements could substantially be improved in every of the more than 100 patients with a CNS lesion by applying coordination dynamic therapy. As suggested by the data of our patients on re-learning, the human CNS seems to have a second integrative strategy for learning, re-learning, storing and recalling, which makes an essential contribution of the functional plasticity following a CNS lesion. A method has been developed by us for the simultaneous recording with wire electrodes of extracellular action potentials from single human afferent and efferent nerve fibres of undamaged sacral nerve roots. A classification scheme of the nerve fibres in the human peripheral nervous system (PNS) could be set up in which the individual classes of nerve fibres are characterized by group conduction velocities and group nerve fibre diameters. Natural impulse patterns of several identified single afferent and efferent nerve fibres (motoneuron axons) were extracted from multi-unit impulse patterns, and human CNS functions could be analyzed under physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions. With our discovery of premotor spinal oscillators it became possible to judge upon CNS neuronal network organization based on the firing patterns of these spinal oscillators and their driving afferents. Since motoneurons fire occasionally for low activation and oscillatory for high activation, the coherent organization of subnetworks to generate macroscopic function is very complex and for the time being, may be best described by the theory of coordination dynamics. Since oscillatory firing has also been observed by us in single motor unit firing patterns measured electromyographically, it seems possible to follow up therapeutic intervention in patients with spinal cord and brain lesions not only based on the activity levels and phases of motor programs during locomotion but also based on the physiologic and pathophysiologic firing patterns and recruitment of spinal oscillators. The improvement of the coordination dynamics of the CNS can be partly measured directly by rhythmicity upon the patient performing rhythmic movements coordinated up to milliseconds. Since rhythmic dynamic, coordinated, stereotyped movements are mainly located in the spinal cord and only little supraspinal drive is necessary to initiate, maintain, and terminate them, rhythmic, dynamic, coordinated movements were used in therapy to enforce reorganization of the lesioned CNS by improving the self-organization and relative coordination of spinal oscillators (and their interactions with occasionally firing motoneurons) which became pathologic in their firing following CNS lesion. Paraparetic, tetraparetic spinal cord and brain-lesioned patients re-learned running and other movements by an oscillator formation and coordination dynamic therapy. Our development in neurorehabilitation is in accordance with those of theoretical and computational neurosciences which deal with the self-organization of neuronal networks. In particular, jumping on a springboard 'in-phase' and in 'anti-phase' to re-learn phase relations of oscillator coupling can be understood in the framework of the Haken-Kelso-Bunz coordination dynamic model. By introducing broken symmetry, intention, learning and spasticity in the landscape of the potential function of the integrated CNS activity, the change in self-organization becomes understandable. Movement patterns re-learned by oscillator formation and coordination dynamic therapy evolve from reorganization and regeneration of the lesioned CNS by cooperative and competitive interplay between intrinsic coordination dynamics, extrinsic therapy related inputs with physiologic re-afferent input, including intention, motivation, supervised learning, interpersonal coordination, and genetic constraints including neurogenesis. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
Postural Coordination during Socio-motor Improvisation

PubMed Central

Gueugnon, Mathieu; Salesse, Robin N.; Coste, Alexandre; Zhao, Zhong; Bardy, Benoît G.; Marin, Ludovic

2016-01-01

Human interaction often relies on socio-motor improvisation. Creating unprepared movements during social interaction is not a random process but relies on rules of synchronization. These situations do not only involve people to be coordinated, but also require the adjustment of their posture in order to maintain balance and support movements. The present study investigated posture in such a context. More precisely, we first evaluated the impact of amplitude and complexity of arm movements on posture in solo situation. Then, we assessed the impact of interpersonal coordination on posture using the mirror game in which dyads performed improvised and synchronized movements (i.e., duo situation). Posture was measured through ankle-hip coordination in medio-lateral and antero-posterior directions (ML and AP respectively). Our results revealed the spontaneous emergence of in-phase pattern in ML direction and antiphase pattern in AP direction for solo and duo situations. These two patterns respectively refer to the simultaneous flexion/extension of the ankles and the hips in the same or opposite direction. It suggests different functional roles of postural coordination patterns in each direction, with in-phase supporting task performance in ML (dynamical stability) and antiphase supporting postural control in AP (mechanical stability). Although amplitude of movement did not influence posture, movement complexity disturbed postural stability in both directions. Conversely, interpersonal coordination promoted postural stability in ML but not in AP direction. These results are discussed in terms of the difference in coupling strength between ankle-hip coordination and interpersonal coordination. PMID:27547193
Postural Coordination during Socio-motor Improvisation.

PubMed

Gueugnon, Mathieu; Salesse, Robin N; Coste, Alexandre; Zhao, Zhong; Bardy, Benoît G; Marin, Ludovic

2016-01-01

Human interaction often relies on socio-motor improvisation. Creating unprepared movements during social interaction is not a random process but relies on rules of synchronization. These situations do not only involve people to be coordinated, but also require the adjustment of their posture in order to maintain balance and support movements. The present study investigated posture in such a context. More precisely, we first evaluated the impact of amplitude and complexity of arm movements on posture in solo situation. Then, we assessed the impact of interpersonal coordination on posture using the mirror game in which dyads performed improvised and synchronized movements (i.e., duo situation). Posture was measured through ankle-hip coordination in medio-lateral and antero-posterior directions (ML and AP respectively). Our results revealed the spontaneous emergence of in-phase pattern in ML direction and antiphase pattern in AP direction for solo and duo situations. These two patterns respectively refer to the simultaneous flexion/extension of the ankles and the hips in the same or opposite direction. It suggests different functional roles of postural coordination patterns in each direction, with in-phase supporting task performance in ML (dynamical stability) and antiphase supporting postural control in AP (mechanical stability). Although amplitude of movement did not influence posture, movement complexity disturbed postural stability in both directions. Conversely, interpersonal coordination promoted postural stability in ML but not in AP direction. These results are discussed in terms of the difference in coupling strength between ankle-hip coordination and interpersonal coordination.
Accounting for animal movement in estimation of resource selection functions: sampling and data analysis.

PubMed

Forester, James D; Im, Hae Kyung; Rathouz, Paul J

2009-12-01

Patterns of resource selection by animal populations emerge as a result of the behavior of many individuals. Statistical models that describe these population-level patterns of habitat use can miss important interactions between individual animals and characteristics of their local environment; however, identifying these interactions is difficult. One approach to this problem is to incorporate models of individual movement into resource selection models. To do this, we propose a model for step selection functions (SSF) that is composed of a resource-independent movement kernel and a resource selection function (RSF). We show that standard case-control logistic regression may be used to fit the SSF; however, the sampling scheme used to generate control points (i.e., the definition of availability) must be accommodated. We used three sampling schemes to analyze simulated movement data and found that ignoring sampling and the resource-independent movement kernel yielded biased estimates of selection. The level of bias depended on the method used to generate control locations, the strength of selection, and the spatial scale of the resource map. Using empirical or parametric methods to sample control locations produced biased estimates under stronger selection; however, we show that the addition of a distance function to the analysis substantially reduced that bias. Assuming a uniform availability within a fixed buffer yielded strongly biased selection estimates that could be corrected by including the distance function but remained inefficient relative to the empirical and parametric sampling methods. As a case study, we used location data collected from elk in Yellowstone National Park, USA, to show that selection and bias may be temporally variable. Because under constant selection the amount of bias depends on the scale at which a resource is distributed in the landscape, we suggest that distance always be included as a covariate in SSF analyses. This approach to modeling resource selection is easily implemented using common statistical tools and promises to provide deeper insight into the movement ecology of animals.
Design and test of a Microsoft Kinect-based system for delivering adaptive visual feedback to stroke patients during training of upper limb movement.

PubMed

Simonsen, Daniel; Popovic, Mirjana B; Spaich, Erika G; Andersen, Ole Kæseler

2017-11-01

The present paper describes the design and test of a low-cost Microsoft Kinect-based system for delivering adaptive visual feedback to stroke patients during the execution of an upper limb exercise. Eleven sub-acute stroke patients with varying degrees of upper limb function were recruited. Each subject participated in a control session (repeated twice) and a feedback session (repeated twice). In each session, the subjects were presented with a rectangular pattern displayed on a vertical mounted monitor embedded in the table in front of the patient. The subjects were asked to move a marker inside the rectangular pattern by using their most affected hand. During the feedback session, the thickness of the rectangular pattern was changed according to the performance of the subject, and the color of the marker changed according to its position, thereby guiding the subject's movements. In the control session, the thickness of the rectangular pattern and the color of the marker did not change. The results showed that the movement similarity and smoothness was higher in the feedback session than in the control session while the duration of the movement was longer. The present study showed that adaptive visual feedback delivered by use of the Kinect sensor can increase the similarity and smoothness of upper limb movement in stroke patients.
Performance Comparison of Student-Athletes and General College Students on the Functional Movement Screen and the Y Balance Test.

PubMed

Engquist, Katherine D; Smith, Craig A; Chimera, Nicole J; Warren, Meghan

2015-08-01

Although various studies have assessed performance of athletes on the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and the Y Balance Test (YBT), no study to date has directly evaluated a comparison of performance between athletes and members of the general population. Thus, to better understand the application of the FMS and the YBT to general college students, this study examined whether or not general college students performed similarly to student-athletes on the FMS (composite and movement pattern scores) and the YBT (composite and reach directions). This study evaluated 167 Division I student-athletes and 103 general college students from the same university on the FMS and the YBT. No difference was found in FMS composite scores between student-athletes and general college students. For FMS movement patterns, female student-athletes scored higher than general college students in the deep squat. No difference was found for men in any FMS movement pattern. Female student-athletes scored higher than female general college students in YBT composite scores; no difference was found for men in YBT composite scores. In analysis of YBT reach directions, female student-athletes scored higher than female general college students in all reach directions, whereas no difference was found in men. Existing research on the FMS composite score in athletic populations may apply to a general college population for the purposes of preparticipation screening, injury prediction, etc. Existing research on the YBT in male athletic populations is expected to apply equally to general college males for the purposes of preparticipation screening, injury prediction, etc.
Species-specific genitalic copulatory courtship in sepsid flies (Diptera, Sepsidae, Microsepsis) and theories of genitalic evolution.

PubMed

Eberhard, W G

2001-01-01

Males of Microsepsis eberhardi and M. armillata use their genitalic surstyli to rhythmically squeeze the female's abdomen with stereotyped movements during copulation. Squeezing movements did not begin until intromission had occurred and, contrary to predictions of the conflict-of-interest hypothesis for genitalic evolution, did not overcome morphological or behavioral female resistance. Contrary to predictions of the lock-and-key hypothesis, female morphology was uniform in the two species and could not mechanically exclude the genitalia of either species of male. The complex pattern of squeezing movements differed between the two species as predicted by the sexual selection hypothesis for genitalic evolution. Also, evolutionarily derived muscles and pseudoarticulations in the male's genitalic surstyli facilitated one type of movement, whose patterns were especially distinct. The data support the hypothesis that the male surstyli evolved to function as courtship devices.
Dynamic expression of a Hydra FGF at boundaries and termini.

PubMed

Lange, Ellen; Bertrand, Stephanie; Holz, Oliver; Rebscher, Nicole; Hassel, Monika

2014-12-01

Guidance of cells and tissue sheets is an essential function in developing and differentiating animal tissues. In Hydra, where cells and tissue move dynamically due to constant cell proliferation towards the termini or into lateral, vegetative buds, factors essential for guidance are still unknown. Good candidates to take over this function are fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). We present the phylogeny of several Hydra FGFs and analysis of their expression patterns. One of the FGFs is expressed in all terminal regions targeted by tissue movement and at boundaries crossed by moving tissue and cells with an expression pattern slightly differing in two Hydra strains. A model addressing an involvement of this FGF in cell movement and morphogenesis is proposed: Hydra FGFf-expressing cells might serve as sources to attract tissue and cells towards the termini of the body column and across morphological boundaries. Moreover, a function in morphogenesis and/or differentiation of cells and tissue is suggested.
The back squat: A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance

PubMed Central

Myer, Gregory D.; Kushner, Adam M.; Brent, Jensen L.; Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Hugentobler, Jason; Lloyd, Rhodri S.; Vermeil, Al; Chu, Donald A.; Harbin, Jason; McGill, Stuart M.

2014-01-01

Fundamental movement competency is essential for participation in physical activity and for mitigating the risk of injury, which are both key elements of health throughout life. The squat movement pattern is arguably one of the most primal and critical fundamental movements necessary to improve sport performance, to reduce injury risk and to support lifelong physical activity. Based on current evidence, this first (1 of 2) report deconstructs the technical performance of the back squat as a foundation training exercise and presents a novel dynamic screening tool that incorporates identification techniques for functional deficits that limit squat performance and injury resilience. The follow-up report will outline targeted corrective methodology for each of the functional deficits presented in the assessment tool. PMID:25506270
Classification of Alzheimer's Patients through Ubiquitous Computing.

PubMed

Nieto-Reyes, Alicia; Duque, Rafael; Montaña, José Luis; Lage, Carmen

2017-07-21

Functional data analysis and artificial neural networks are the building blocks of the proposed methodology that distinguishes the movement patterns among c's patients on different stages of the disease and classifies new patients to their appropriate stage of the disease. The movement patterns are obtained by the accelerometer device of android smartphones that the patients carry while moving freely. The proposed methodology is relevant in that it is flexible on the type of data to which it is applied. To exemplify that, it is analyzed a novel real three-dimensional functional dataset where each datum is observed in a different time domain. Not only is it observed on a difference frequency but also the domain of each datum has different length. The obtained classification success rate of 83 % indicates the potential of the proposed methodology.
Classification of Animal Movement Behavior through Residence in Space and Time.

PubMed

Torres, Leigh G; Orben, Rachael A; Tolkova, Irina; Thompson, David R

2017-01-01

Identification and classification of behavior states in animal movement data can be complex, temporally biased, time-intensive, scale-dependent, and unstandardized across studies and taxa. Large movement datasets are increasingly common and there is a need for efficient methods of data exploration that adjust to the individual variability of each track. We present the Residence in Space and Time (RST) method to classify behavior patterns in movement data based on the concept that behavior states can be partitioned by the amount of space and time occupied in an area of constant scale. Using normalized values of Residence Time and Residence Distance within a constant search radius, RST is able to differentiate behavior patterns that are time-intensive (e.g., rest), time & distance-intensive (e.g., area restricted search), and transit (short time and distance). We use grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) GPS tracks to demonstrate RST's ability to classify behavior patterns and adjust to the inherent scale and individuality of each track. Next, we evaluate RST's ability to discriminate between behavior states relative to other classical movement metrics. We then temporally sub-sample albatross track data to illustrate RST's response to less resolved data. Finally, we evaluate RST's performance using datasets from four taxa with diverse ecology, functional scales, ecosystems, and data-types. We conclude that RST is a robust, rapid, and flexible method for detailed exploratory analysis and meta-analyses of behavioral states in animal movement data based on its ability to integrate distance and time measurements into one descriptive metric of behavior groupings. Given the increasing amount of animal movement data collected, it is timely and useful to implement a consistent metric of behavior classification to enable efficient and comparative analyses. Overall, the application of RST to objectively explore and compare behavior patterns in movement data can enhance our fine- and broad- scale understanding of animal movement ecology.
Head and pelvic movement asymmetry during lungeing in horses with symmetrical movement on the straight.

PubMed

Rhodin, M; Roepstorff, L; French, A; Keegan, K G; Pfau, T; Egenvall, A

2016-05-01

Lungeing is commonly used as part of standard lameness examinations in horses. Knowledge of how lungeing influences motion symmetry in sound horses is needed. The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the symmetry of vertical head and pelvic motion during lungeing in a large number of horses with symmetric motion during straight line evaluation. Cross-sectional prospective study. A pool of 201 riding horses, all functioning well and considered sound by their owners, were evaluated in trot on a straight line and during lungeing to the left and right. From this pool, horses with symmetric vertical head and pelvic movement during the straight line trot (n = 94) were retained for analysis. Vertical head and pelvic movements were measured with body mounted uniaxial accelerometers. Differences between vertical maximum and minimum head (HDmax, HDmin) and pelvic (PDmax, PDmin) heights between left and right forelimb and hindlimb stances were compared between straight line trot and lungeing in either direction. Vertical head and pelvic movements during lungeing were more asymmetric than during trot on a straight line. Common asymmetric patterns seen in the head were more upward movement during push-off of the outside forelimb and less downward movement during impact of the inside limb. Common asymmetric patterns seen in the pelvis were less upward movement during push-off of the outside hindlimb and less downward movement of the pelvis during impact of the inside hindlimb. Asymmetric patterns in one lunge direction were frequently not the same as in the opposite direction. Lungeing induces systematic asymmetries in vertical head and pelvic motion patterns in horses that may not be the same in both directions. These asymmetries may mask or mimic fore- or hindlimb lameness. © 2015 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Assessment of specific characteristics of abnormal general movements: does it enhance the prediction of cerebral palsy?

PubMed

Hamer, Elisa G; Bos, Arend F; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

2011-08-01

Abnormal general movements at around 3 months corrected age indicate a high risk of cerebral palsy (CP). We aimed to determine whether specific movement characteristics can improve the predictive power of definitely abnormal general movements. Video recordings of 46 infants with definitely abnormal general movements at 9 to 13 weeks corrected age (20 males; 26 females; median gestational age 30wks; median birthweight 1200g) were analysed for the following characteristics: presence of fidgety, cramped synchronized, stiff, or jerky movements and asymmetrical tonic neck reflex pattern. Neurological condition (presence or absence of CP), gross motor development (Alberta Infant Motor Scales), quality of motor behaviour (Infant Motor Profile), functional mobility (Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory), and Mental Developmental Index (Bayley Scales) were assessed at 18 months corrected age. Infants were excluded from participating in the study if they had severe congenital anomalies or if their caregivers had an insufficient knowledge of the Dutch language. Of the 46 assessed infants, 10 developed spastic CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to V; eight bilateral spastic CP, two unilateral spastic CP). The absence of fidgety movements and the presence of predominantly stiff movements were associated with CP (Fisher's exact test, p=0.018 and p=0.007 respectively) and lower Infant Motor Profile scores (Mann-Whitney U test, p=0.015 and p=0.022 respectively); stiff and predominantly stiff movements were associated with lower Alberta Infant Motor Scales scores (Mann-Whitney U test, p=0.01 and p=0.004 respectively). Cramped synchronized movements and the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex pattern were not related to outcome. None of the movement characteristics were associated with Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory scores or the Mental Developmental Index. The assessment of fidgety movements and movement stiffness may improve the predictive power of definitely abnormal general movements for developmental outcome. However, the presence of fidgety movements does not preclude the development of CP. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2011 Mac Keith Press.
Metastability and emergent performance of dynamic interceptive actions.

PubMed

Pinder, Ross A; Davids, Keith; Renshaw, Ian

2012-09-01

Adaptive patterning of human movement is context specific and dependent on interacting constraints of the performer-environment relationship. Flexibility of skilled behaviour is predicated on the capacity of performers to move between different states of movement organisation to satisfy dynamic task constraints, previously demonstrated in studies of visual perception, bimanual coordination, and an interceptive combat task. Metastability is a movement system property that helps performers to remain in a state of relative coordination with their performance environments, poised between multiple co-existing states (stable and distinct movement patterns or responses). The aim of this study was to examine whether metastability could be exploited in externally paced interceptive actions in fast ball sports, such as cricket. Here we report data on metastability in performance of multi-articular hitting actions by skilled junior cricket batters (n=5). Participants' batting actions (key movement timings and performance outcomes) were analysed in four distinct performance regions varied by ball pitching (bounce) location. Results demonstrated that, at a pre-determined distance to the ball, participants were forced into a meta-stable region of performance where rich and varied patterns of functional movement behaviours emerged. Participants adapted the organisation of responses, resulting in higher levels of variability in movement timing in this performance region, without detrimental effects on the quality of interceptive performance outcomes. Findings provide evidence for the emergence of metastability in a dynamic interceptive action in cricket batting. Flexibility and diversity of movement responses were optimised using experiential knowledge and careful manipulation of key task constraints of the specific sport context. Copyright © 2012 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Evaluation of Functional Limitations in Female Soccer Players and Their Relationship with Sports Level – A Cross Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Grygorowicz, Monika; Piontek, Tomasz; Dudzinski, Witold

2013-01-01

The main objective(s) of the study The aim of this study was to analyze: a) abnormalities in the length of lower limb muscles, b) the correctness of movement patterns, and c) the impact of functional limitations of muscles on the correctness of fundamental movement patterns in a group of female soccer players, in relation to their skill level. Materials and Methods 21 female soccer players from Polish Ekstraklasa and 22 players from the 1st Division were tested for lower limb muscle length restrictions and level of fundamental movement skills (with the Fundamental Movement Screen™ test concept by Gray Cook). Chi-square test was used for categorical unrelated variables. Differences between groups in absolute point values were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results Statistically significant higher number of measurements indicating an abnormal length of rectus femoris was observed in the 1st Division group (p = 0.0433). In the group of Ekstraklasa the authors obtained a significantly higher number of abnormal hamstring test results (p = 0.0006). Ekstraklasa players scored higher in the rotational stability test of the trunk (p = 0.0008), whereas the 1st Division players scored higher in the following tests: deep squat (p = 0.0220), in-line lunge (p = 0.0042) and active straight leg raise (p = 0.0125). The results suggest that there are different functional reasons affecting point values obtained in the FMS™ tests in both analyzed groups. Conclusions The differences in the flexibility of rectus femoris and hamstring muscle observed between female soccer players with different levels of training, may result from a long-term impact of soccer training on the muscle-tendon system and articular structures. Different causes of abnormalities in fundamental movement patterns in both analyzed groups suggest the need for tailoring prevention programs to the level of sport skills represented by the players. PMID:23825579
Information processing in the hemisphere of the cerebellar cortex for control of wrist movement

PubMed Central

Tomatsu, Saeka; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Tsunoda, Yoshiaki; Lee, Jongho; Hoffman, Donna S.

2015-01-01

A region of cerebellar lobules V and VI makes strong loop connections with the primary motor (M1) and premotor (PM) cortical areas and is assumed to play essential roles in limb motor control. To examine its functional role, we compared the activities of its input, intermediate, and output elements, i.e., mossy fibers (MFs), Golgi cells (GoCs), and Purkinje cells (PCs), in three monkeys performing wrist movements in two different forearm postures. The results revealed distinct steps of information processing. First, MF activities displayed temporal and directional properties that were remarkably similar to those of M1/PM neurons, suggesting that MFs relay near copies of outputs from these motor areas. Second, all GoCs had a stereotyped pattern of activity independent of movement direction or forearm posture. Instead, GoC activity resembled an average of all MF activities. Therefore, inhibitory GoCs appear to provide a filtering function that passes only prominently modulated MF inputs to granule cells. Third, PCs displayed highly complex spatiotemporal patterns of activity, with coordinate frames distinct from those of MF inputs and directional tuning that changed abruptly before movement onset. The complexity of PC activities may reflect rapidly changing properties of the peripheral motor apparatus during movement. Overall, the cerebellar cortex appears to transform a representation of outputs from M1/PM into different movement representations in a posture-dependent manner and could work as part of a forward model that predicts the state of the peripheral motor apparatus. PMID:26467515
Analyzing animal movement patterns using potential functions

Treesearch

H. K. Preisler; A. A. Ager; M. J. Wisdom

2013-01-01

The advent of GPS technology has made it possible to study human-wildlife interactions on large landscapes and quantify behavioral responses to recreation and other anthropogenic disturbances at increasingly fine scales. Of particular interest are the potential impacts on habitat use patterns, energetics, and cascading impacts on fecundity and other life history traits...

Ordinary and Extraordinary Movement Behaviour of Small Resident Fish within a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area.

PubMed

Aspillaga, Eneko; Bartumeus, Frederic; Linares, Cristina; Starr, Richard M; López-Sanz, Àngel; Díaz, David; Zabala, Mikel; Hereu, Bernat

2016-01-01

It is important to account for the movement behaviour of fishes when designing effective marine protected areas (MPAs). Fish movements occur across different spatial and temporal scales and understanding the variety of movements is essential to make correct management decisions. This study describes in detail the movement patterns of an economically and commercially important species, Diplodus sargus, within a well-enforced Mediterranean MPA. We monitored horizontal and vertical movements of 41 adult individuals using passive acoustic telemetry for up to one year. We applied novel analysis and visualization techniques to get a comprehensive view of a wide range of movements. D. sargus individuals were highly territorial, moving within small home ranges (< 1 km2), inside which they displayed repetitive diel activity patterns. Extraordinary movements beyond the ordinary home range were observed under two specific conditions. First, during stormy events D. sargus presented a sheltering behaviour, moving to more protected places to avoid the disturbance. Second, during the spawning season they made excursions to deep areas (> 50 m), where they aggregated to spawn. This study advances our understanding about the functioning of an established MPA and provides important insights into the biology and management of a small sedentary species, suggesting the relevance of rare but important fish behaviours.
Ordinary and Extraordinary Movement Behaviour of Small Resident Fish within a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area

PubMed Central

Aspillaga, Eneko; Bartumeus, Frederic; Linares, Cristina; Starr, Richard M.; López-Sanz, Àngel; Díaz, David; Zabala, Mikel; Hereu, Bernat

2016-01-01

It is important to account for the movement behaviour of fishes when designing effective marine protected areas (MPAs). Fish movements occur across different spatial and temporal scales and understanding the variety of movements is essential to make correct management decisions. This study describes in detail the movement patterns of an economically and commercially important species, Diplodus sargus, within a well-enforced Mediterranean MPA. We monitored horizontal and vertical movements of 41 adult individuals using passive acoustic telemetry for up to one year. We applied novel analysis and visualization techniques to get a comprehensive view of a wide range of movements. D. sargus individuals were highly territorial, moving within small home ranges (< 1 km2), inside which they displayed repetitive diel activity patterns. Extraordinary movements beyond the ordinary home range were observed under two specific conditions. First, during stormy events D. sargus presented a sheltering behaviour, moving to more protected places to avoid the disturbance. Second, during the spawning season they made excursions to deep areas (> 50 m), where they aggregated to spawn. This study advances our understanding about the functioning of an established MPA and provides important insights into the biology and management of a small sedentary species, suggesting the relevance of rare but important fish behaviours. PMID:27437692
Force generation within tissues during development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasza, Karen

During embryonic development, multicellular tissues physically change shape, move, and grow. Changes in epithelial tissue organization are often accomplished by local movements of cells that are driven largely by forces generated by the motor protein myosin II. These forces are patterned to orient cell movements, resulting in changes in tissue shape and organization to build functional tissues and organs. To investigate the mechanisms of force generation in vivo, we use the fruit fly embryo as a model system. Spatial patterns of forces orient cell movements to drive rapid tissue elongation along the head-to-tail axis of the embryo. I will describe how studying embryos generated with engineered myosin variants provides insight into where, when, and how forces are generated to efficiently reorganize tissues. We found that a myosin variant that is locked-in to the active or ``on'' state accelerates cell movements, while two mutant myosin variants associated with human disease produce slowed cell movement. These myosin variants all disrupt tissue elongation, but live imaging and biophysical measurements reveal distinct effects on myosin organization and dynamics within cells and uncover mechanisms that control the spatial and temporal patterns of force generation. These studies shed light not only on how defects in force generation contribute to disease but also on physical principles at work in active, living materials.
Lateralization of brain activity pattern during unilateral movement in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Wu, Tao; Hou, Yanan; Hallett, Mark; Zhang, Jiarong; Chan, Piu

2015-05-01

We investigated the lateralization of brain activity pattern during performance of unilateral movement in drug-naïve Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with only right hemiparkinsonian symptoms. Functional MRI was obtained when the subjects performed strictly unilateral right hand movement. A laterality index was calculated to examine the lateralization. Patients had decreased activity in the left putamen and left supplementary motor area, but had increased activity in the right primary motor cortex, right premotor cortex, left postcentral gyrus, and bilateral cerebellum. The laterality index was significantly decreased in PD patients compared with controls (0.41 ± 0.14 vs. 0.84 ± 0.09). The connectivity from the left putamen to cortical motor regions and cerebellum was decreased, while the interactions between the cortical motor regions, cerebellum, and right putamen were increased. Our study demonstrates that in early PD, the lateralization of brain activity during unilateral movement is significantly reduced. The dysfunction of the striatum-cortical circuit, decreased transcallosal inhibition, and compensatory efforts from cortical motor regions, cerebellum, and the less affected striatum are likely reasons contributing to the reduced motor lateralization. The disruption of the lateralized brain activity pattern might be a reason underlying some motor deficits in PD, like mirror movements or impaired bilateral motor coordination. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sensorimotor integration for functional recovery and the Bobath approach.

PubMed

Levin, Mindy F; Panturin, Elia

2011-04-01

Bobath therapy is used to treat patients with neurological disorders. Bobath practitioners use hands-on approaches to elicit and reestablish typical movement patterns through therapist-controlled sensorimotor experiences within the context of task accomplishment. One aspect of Bobath practice, the recovery of sensorimotor function, is reviewed within the framework of current motor control theories. We focus on the role of sensory information in movement production, the relationship between posture and movement and concepts related to motor recovery and compensation with respect to this therapeutic approach. We suggest that a major barrier to the evaluation of the therapeutic effectiveness of the Bobath concept is the lack of a unified framework for both experimental identification and treatment of neurological motor deficits. More conclusive analysis of therapeutic effectiveness requires the development of specific outcomes that measure movement quality.
A Flexible Approach for Assessing Functional Landscape Connectivity, with Application to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

PubMed Central

Harju, Seth M.; Olson, Chad V.; Dzialak, Matthew R.; Mudd, James P.; Winstead, Jeff B.

2013-01-01

Connectivity of animal populations is an increasingly prominent concern in fragmented landscapes, yet existing methodological and conceptual approaches implicitly assume the presence of, or need for, discrete corridors. We tested this assumption by developing a flexible conceptual approach that does not assume, but allows for, the presence of discrete movement corridors. We quantified functional connectivity habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) across a large landscape in central western North America. We assigned sample locations to a movement state (encamped, traveling and relocating), and used Global Positioning System (GPS) location data and conditional logistic regression to estimate state-specific resource selection functions. Patterns of resource selection during different movement states reflected selection for sagebrush and general avoidance of rough topography and anthropogenic features. Distinct connectivity corridors were not common in the 5,625 km2 study area. Rather, broad areas functioned as generally high or low quality connectivity habitat. A comprehensive map predicting the quality of connectivity habitat across the study area validated well based on a set of GPS locations from independent greater sage-grouse. The functional relationship between greater sage-grouse and the landscape did not always conform to the idea of a discrete corridor. A more flexible consideration of landscape connectivity may improve the efficacy of management actions by aligning those actions with the spatial patterns by which animals interact with the landscape. PMID:24349241
A flexible approach for assessing functional landscape connectivity, with application to greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).

PubMed

Harju, Seth M; Olson, Chad V; Dzialak, Matthew R; Mudd, James P; Winstead, Jeff B

2013-01-01

Connectivity of animal populations is an increasingly prominent concern in fragmented landscapes, yet existing methodological and conceptual approaches implicitly assume the presence of, or need for, discrete corridors. We tested this assumption by developing a flexible conceptual approach that does not assume, but allows for, the presence of discrete movement corridors. We quantified functional connectivity habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) across a large landscape in central western North America. We assigned sample locations to a movement state (encamped, traveling and relocating), and used Global Positioning System (GPS) location data and conditional logistic regression to estimate state-specific resource selection functions. Patterns of resource selection during different movement states reflected selection for sagebrush and general avoidance of rough topography and anthropogenic features. Distinct connectivity corridors were not common in the 5,625 km(2) study area. Rather, broad areas functioned as generally high or low quality connectivity habitat. A comprehensive map predicting the quality of connectivity habitat across the study area validated well based on a set of GPS locations from independent greater sage-grouse. The functional relationship between greater sage-grouse and the landscape did not always conform to the idea of a discrete corridor. A more flexible consideration of landscape connectivity may improve the efficacy of management actions by aligning those actions with the spatial patterns by which animals interact with the landscape.
Impaired Interlimb Coordination of Voluntary Leg Movements in Poststroke Hemiparesis

PubMed Central

Tseng, Shih-Chiao

2010-01-01

Appropriate interlimb coordination of the lower extremities is particularly important for a variety of functional human motor behaviors such as jumping, kicking a ball, or simply walking. Specific interlimb coordination patterns may be especially impaired after a lesion to the motor system such as stroke, yet this has not been thoroughly examined to date. The purpose of this study was to investigate the motor deficits in individuals with chronic stroke and hemiparesis when performing unilateral versus bilateral inphase versus bilateral antiphase voluntary cyclic ankle movements. We recorded ankle angular trajectories and muscle activity from the dorsiflexors and plantarflexors and compared these between subjects with stroke and a group of healthy age-matched control subjects. Results showed clear abnormalities in both the kinematics and EMG of the stroke subjects, with significant movement degradation during the antiphase task compared with either the unilateral or the inphase task. The abnormalities included prolonged cycle durations, reduced ankle excursions, decreased agonist EMG bursts, and reduced EMG modulation across movement phases. By comparison, the control group showed nearly identical performance across all task conditions. These findings suggest that stroke involving the corticospinal system projection to the leg specifically impairs one or more components of the neural circuitry involved in lower extremity interlimb coordination. The express susceptibility of the antiphase pattern to exaggerated motor deficits could contribute to functional deficits in a number of antiphase leg movement tasks, including walking. PMID:20463199
Fetal Eye Movements on Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PubMed Central

Woitek, Ramona; Kasprian, Gregor; Lindner, Christian; Stuhr, Fritz; Weber, Michael; Schöpf, Veronika; Brugger, Peter C.; Asenbaum, Ulrika; Furtner, Julia; Bettelheim, Dieter; Seidl, Rainer; Prayer, Daniela

2013-01-01

Objectives Eye movements are the physical expression of upper fetal brainstem function. Our aim was to identify and differentiate specific types of fetal eye movement patterns using dynamic MRI sequences. Their occurrence as well as the presence of conjugated eyeball motion and consistently parallel eyeball position was systematically analyzed. Methods Dynamic SSFP sequences were acquired in 72 singleton fetuses (17–40 GW, three age groups [17–23 GW, 24–32 GW, 33–40 GW]). Fetal eye movements were evaluated according to a modified classification originally published by Birnholz (1981): Type 0: no eye movements; Type I: single transient deviations; Type Ia: fast deviation, slower reposition; Type Ib: fast deviation, fast reposition; Type II: single prolonged eye movements; Type III: complex sequences; and Type IV: nystagmoid. Results In 95.8% of fetuses, the evaluation of eye movements was possible using MRI, with a mean acquisition time of 70 seconds. Due to head motion, 4.2% of the fetuses and 20.1% of all dynamic SSFP sequences were excluded. Eye movements were observed in 45 fetuses (65.2%). Significant differences between the age groups were found for Type I (p = 0.03), Type Ia (p = 0.031), and Type IV eye movements (p = 0.033). Consistently parallel bulbs were found in 27.3–45%. Conclusions In human fetuses, different eye movement patterns can be identified and described by MRI in utero. In addition to the originally classified eye movement patterns, a novel subtype has been observed, which apparently characterizes an important step in fetal brainstem development. We evaluated, for the first time, eyeball position in fetuses. Ultimately, the assessment of fetal eye movements by MRI yields the potential to identify early signs of brainstem dysfunction, as encountered in brain malformations such as Chiari II or molar tooth malformations. PMID:24194885
Understanding neuromotor strategy during functional upper extremity tasks using symbolic dynamics.

PubMed

Nathan, Dominic E; Guastello, Stephen J; Prost, Robert W; Jeutter, Dean C

2012-01-01

The ability to model and quantify brain activation patterns that pertain to natural neuromotor strategy of the upper extremities during functional task performance is critical to the development of therapeutic interventions such as neuroprosthetic devices. The mechanisms of information flow, activation sequence and patterns, and the interaction between anatomical regions of the brain that are specific to movement planning, intention and execution of voluntary upper extremity motor tasks were investigated here. This paper presents a novel method using symbolic dynamics (orbital decomposition) and nonlinear dynamic tools of entropy, self-organization and chaos to describe the underlying structure of activation shifts in regions of the brain that are involved with the cognitive aspects of functional upper extremity task performance. Several questions were addressed: (a) How is it possible to distinguish deterministic or causal patterns of activity in brain fMRI from those that are really random or non-contributory to the neuromotor control process? (b) Can the complexity of activation patterns over time be quantified? (c) What are the optimal ways of organizing fMRI data to preserve patterns of activation, activation levels, and extract meaningful temporal patterns as they evolve over time? Analysis was performed using data from a custom developed time resolved fMRI paradigm involving human subjects (N=18) who performed functional upper extremity motor tasks with varying time delays between the onset of intention and onset of actual movements. The results indicate that there is structure in the data that can be quantified through entropy and dimensional complexity metrics and statistical inference, and furthermore, orbital decomposition is sensitive in capturing the transition of states that correlate with the cognitive aspects of functional task performance.
Eye movement analysis and cognitive processing: detecting indicators of conversion to Alzheimer’s disease

PubMed Central

Pereira, Marta LG Freitas; Camargo, Marina von Zuben A; Aprahamian, Ivan; Forlenza, Orestes V

2014-01-01

A great amount of research has been developed around the early cognitive impairments that best predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Given that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is no longer considered to be an intermediate state between normal aging and AD, new paths have been traced to acquire further knowledge about this condition and its subtypes, and to determine which of them have a higher risk of conversion to AD. It is now known that other deficits besides episodic and semantic memory impairments may be present in the early stages of AD, such as visuospatial and executive function deficits. Furthermore, recent investigations have proven that the hippocampus and the medial temporal lobe structures are not only involved in memory functioning, but also in visual processes. These early changes in memory, visual, and executive processes may also be detected with the study of eye movement patterns in pathological conditions like MCI and AD. In the present review, we attempt to explore the existing literature concerning these patterns of oculomotor changes and how these changes are related to the early signs of AD. In particular, we argue that deficits in visual short-term memory, specifically in iconic memory, attention processes, and inhibitory control, may be found through the analysis of eye movement patterns, and we discuss how they might help to predict the progression from MCI to AD. We add that the study of eye movement patterns in these conditions, in combination with neuroimaging techniques and appropriate neuropsychological tasks based on rigorous concepts derived from cognitive psychology, may highlight the early presence of cognitive impairments in the course of the disease. PMID:25031536
Distinct neural signatures detected for ADHD subtypes after controlling for micro-movements in resting state functional connectivity MRI data

PubMed Central

Fair, Damien A.; Nigg, Joel T.; Iyer, Swathi; Bathula, Deepti; Mills, Kathryn L.; Dosenbach, Nico U. F.; Schlaggar, Bradley L.; Mennes, Maarten; Gutman, David; Bangaru, Saroja; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Dickstein, Daniel P.; Di Martino, Adriana; Kennedy, David N.; Kelly, Clare; Luna, Beatriz; Schweitzer, Julie B.; Velanova, Katerina; Wang, Yu-Feng; Mostofsky, Stewart; Castellanos, F. Xavier; Milham, Michael P.

2012-01-01

In recent years, there has been growing enthusiasm that functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could achieve clinical utility for a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, several barriers remain. For example, the acquisition of large-scale datasets capable of clarifying the marked heterogeneity that exists in psychiatric illnesses will need to be realized. In addition, there continues to be a need for the development of image processing and analysis methods capable of separating signal from artifact. As a prototypical hyperkinetic disorder, and movement-related artifact being a significant confound in functional imaging studies, ADHD offers a unique challenge. As part of the ADHD-200 Global Competition and this special edition of Frontiers, the ADHD-200 Consortium demonstrates the utility of an aggregate dataset pooled across five institutions in addressing these challenges. The work aimed to (1) examine the impact of emerging techniques for controlling for “micro-movements,” and (2) provide novel insights into the neural correlates of ADHD subtypes. Using support vector machine (SVM)-based multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) we show that functional connectivity patterns in individuals are capable of differentiating the two most prominent ADHD subtypes. The application of graph-theory revealed that the Combined (ADHD-C) and Inattentive (ADHD-I) subtypes demonstrated some overlapping (particularly sensorimotor systems), but unique patterns of atypical connectivity. For ADHD-C, atypical connectivity was prominent in midline default network components, as well as insular cortex; in contrast, the ADHD-I group exhibited atypical patterns within the dlPFC regions and cerebellum. Systematic motion-related artifact was noted, and highlighted the need for stringent motion correction. Findings reported were robust to the specific motion correction strategy employed. These data suggest that resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) data can be used to characterize individual patients with ADHD and to identify neural distinctions underlying the clinical heterogeneity of ADHD. PMID:23382713
Understanding the dynamical control of animal movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Donald

2008-03-01

Over the last 50 years, neurophysiologists have described many neural circuits that transform sensory input into motor commands, while biomechanicians and behavioral biologists have described many patterns of animal movement that occur in response to sensory input. Attempts to link these two have been frustrated by our technical inability to record from the necessary neurons in a freely behaving animal. As a result, we don't know how these neural circuits function in the closed loop context of free behavior, where the sensory and motor context changes on a millisecond time-scale. To address this problem, we have developed a software package, AnimatLab (www.AnimatLab.com), that enables users to reconstruct an animal's body and its relevant neural circuits, to link them at the sensory and motor ends, and through simulation, to test their ability to reproduce appropriate patterns of the animal's movements in a simulated Newtonian world. A Windows-based program, AnimatLab consists of a neural editor, a body editor, a world editor, stimulus and recording facilities, neural and physics engines, and an interactive 3-D graphical display. We have used AnimatLab to study three patterns of behavior: the grasshopper jump, crayfish escape, and crayfish leg movements used in postural control, walking, reaching and grasping. In each instance, the simulation helped identify constraints on both nervous function and biomechanical performance that have provided the basis for new experiments. Colleagues elsewhere have begun to use AnimatLab to study control of paw movements in cats and postural control in humans. We have also used AnimatLab simulations to guide the development of an autonomous hexapod robot in which the neural control circuitry is downloaded to the robot from the test computer.
Modulations of eye movement patterns by spatial filtering during the learning and testing phases of an old/new face recognition task.

PubMed

Lemieux, Chantal L; Collin, Charles A; Nelson, Elizabeth A

2015-02-01

In two experiments, we examined the effects of varying the spatial frequency (SF) content of face images on eye movements during the learning and testing phases of an old/new recognition task. At both learning and testing, participants were presented with face stimuli band-pass filtered to 11 different SF bands, as well as an unfiltered baseline condition. We found that eye movements varied significantly as a function of SF. Specifically, the frequency of transitions between facial features showed a band-pass pattern, with more transitions for middle-band faces (≈5-20 cycles/face) than for low-band (≈<5 cpf) or high-band (≈>20 cpf) ones. These findings were similar for the learning and testing phases. The distributions of transitions across facial features were similar for the middle-band, high-band, and unfiltered faces, showing a concentration on the eyes and mouth; conversely, low-band faces elicited mostly transitions involving the nose and nasion. The eye movement patterns elicited by low, middle, and high bands are similar to those previous researchers have suggested reflect holistic, configural, and featural processing, respectively. More generally, our results are compatible with the hypotheses that eye movements are functional, and that the visual system makes flexible use of visuospatial information in face processing. Finally, our finding that only middle spatial frequencies yielded the same number and distribution of fixations as unfiltered faces adds more evidence to the idea that these frequencies are especially important for face recognition, and reveals a possible mediator for the superior performance that they elicit.
Breaking Functional Connectivity into Components: A Novel Approach Using an Individual-Based Model, and First Outcomes

PubMed Central

Pe'er, Guy; Henle, Klaus; Dislich, Claudia; Frank, Karin

2011-01-01

Landscape connectivity is a key factor determining the viability of populations in fragmented landscapes. Predicting ‘functional connectivity’, namely whether a patch or a landscape functions as connected from the perspective of a focal species, poses various challenges. First, empirical data on the movement behaviour of species is often scarce. Second, animal-landscape interactions are bound to yield complex patterns. Lastly, functional connectivity involves various components that are rarely assessed separately. We introduce the spatially explicit, individual-based model FunCon as means to distinguish between components of functional connectivity and to assess how each of them affects the sensitivity of species and communities to landscape structures. We then present the results of exploratory simulations over six landscapes of different fragmentation levels and across a range of hypothetical bird species that differ in their response to habitat edges. i) Our results demonstrate that estimations of functional connectivity depend not only on the response of species to edges (avoidance versus penetration into the matrix), the movement mode investigated (home range movements versus dispersal), and the way in which the matrix is being crossed (random walk versus gap crossing), but also on the choice of connectivity measure (in this case, the model output examined). ii) We further show a strong effect of the mortality scenario applied, indicating that movement decisions that do not fully match the mortality risks are likely to reduce connectivity and enhance sensitivity to fragmentation. iii) Despite these complexities, some consistent patterns emerged. For instance, the ranking order of landscapes in terms of functional connectivity was mostly consistent across the entire range of hypothetical species, indicating that simple landscape indices can potentially serve as valuable surrogates for functional connectivity. Yet such simplifications must be carefully evaluated in terms of the components of functional connectivity they actually predict. PMID:21829617
Development and Implementation of an End-Effector Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot for Hemiplegic Patients with Line and Circle Tracking Training

PubMed Central

Li, Chong; Bi, Sheng; Zhang, Xuemin; Huo, Jianfei

2017-01-01

Numerous robots have been widely used to deliver rehabilitative training for hemiplegic patients to improve their functional ability. Because of the complexity and diversity of upper limb motion, customization of training patterns is one key factor during upper limb rehabilitation training. Most of the current rehabilitation robots cannot intelligently provide adaptive training parameters, and they have not been widely used in clinical rehabilitation. This article proposes a new end-effector upper limb rehabilitation robot, which is a two-link robotic arm with two active degrees of freedom. This work investigated the kinematics and dynamics of the robot system, the control system, and the realization of different rehabilitation therapies. We also explored the influence of constraint in rehabilitation therapies on interaction force and muscle activation. The deviation of the trajectory of the end effector and the required trajectory was less than 1 mm during the tasks, which demonstrated the movement accuracy of the robot. Besides, results also demonstrated the constraint exerted by the robot provided benefits for hemiplegic patients by changing muscle activation in the way similar to the movement pattern of the healthy subjects, which indicated that the robot can improve the patient's functional ability by training the normal movement pattern. PMID:29065614
Development and Implementation of an End-Effector Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot for Hemiplegic Patients with Line and Circle Tracking Training.

PubMed

Liu, Yali; Li, Chong; Ji, Linhong; Bi, Sheng; Zhang, Xuemin; Huo, Jianfei; Ji, Run

2017-01-01

Numerous robots have been widely used to deliver rehabilitative training for hemiplegic patients to improve their functional ability. Because of the complexity and diversity of upper limb motion, customization of training patterns is one key factor during upper limb rehabilitation training. Most of the current rehabilitation robots cannot intelligently provide adaptive training parameters, and they have not been widely used in clinical rehabilitation. This article proposes a new end-effector upper limb rehabilitation robot, which is a two-link robotic arm with two active degrees of freedom. This work investigated the kinematics and dynamics of the robot system, the control system, and the realization of different rehabilitation therapies. We also explored the influence of constraint in rehabilitation therapies on interaction force and muscle activation. The deviation of the trajectory of the end effector and the required trajectory was less than 1 mm during the tasks, which demonstrated the movement accuracy of the robot. Besides, results also demonstrated the constraint exerted by the robot provided benefits for hemiplegic patients by changing muscle activation in the way similar to the movement pattern of the healthy subjects, which indicated that the robot can improve the patient's functional ability by training the normal movement pattern.
Modifying patterns of movement in people with low back pain -does it help? A systematic review.

PubMed

Laird, Robert A; Kent, Peter; Keating, Jennifer L

2012-09-07

Physiotherapy for people with low back pain frequently includes assessment and modification of lumbo-pelvic movement. Interventions commonly aim to restore normal movement and thereby reduce pain and improve activity limitation. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate: (i) the effect of movement-based interventions on movement patterns (muscle activation, lumbo-pelvic kinematics or postural patterns) of people with low back pain (LBP), and (ii) the relationship between changes in movement patterns and subsequent changes in pain and activity limitation. MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, AMI, CINAHL, Scopus, AMED, ISI Web of Science were searched from inception until January 2012. Randomised controlled trials or controlled clinical trials of people with LBP were eligible for inclusion. The intervention must have been designed to influence (i) muscle activity patterns, (ii) lumbo-pelvic kinematic patterns or (iii) postural patterns, and included measurement of such deficits before and after treatment, to allow determination of the success of the intervention on the lumbo-pelvic movement. Twelve trials (25% of retrieved studies) met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently identified, assessed and extracted data. The PEDro scale was used to assess method quality. Intervention effects were described using standardised differences between group means and 95% confidence intervals. The included trials showed inconsistent, mostly small to moderate intervention effects on targeted movement patterns. There was considerable heterogeneity in trial design, intervention type and outcome measures. A relationship between changes to movement patterns and improvements in pain or activity limitation was observed in one of six studies on muscle activation patterns, one of four studies that examined the flexion relaxation response pattern and in two of three studies that assessed lumbo-pelvic kinematics or postural characteristics. Movement-based interventions were infrequently effective for changing observable movement patterns. A relationship between changes in movement patterns and improvement in pain or activity limitation was also infrequently observed. No independent studies confirm any observed relationships. Challenges for future research include defining best methods for measuring (i) movement aberrations, (ii) improvements in movements, and (iii) the relationship between changes in how people move and associated changes in other health indicators such as activity limitation.
Effects of pelvic skeletal asymmetry on trunk movement: three-dimensional analysis in healthy individuals versus patients with mechanical low back pain.

PubMed

Al-Eisa, Einas; Egan, David; Deluzio, Kevin; Wassersug, Richard

2006-02-01

Comparative analysis and correlational research design were used to investigate the association between anthropometry and biomechanical performance among asymptomatic subjects and patients with low back pain (LBP). To examine the association between pelvic asymmetry and patterns of trunk motion in asymptomatic and LBP subjects. Secondary objective was to investigate the association between restricted trunk motion, laterality of referred pain, and pelvic asymmetry. Subtle pelvic asymmetry (exhibited as either lateral pelvic tilt or iliac rotational asymmetry), which is common among normal individuals, has not been convincingly linked to abnormalities in back movements. Given the difficulty in diagnosing most LBP, a classification using pelvic asymmetry and patterns of movement could be helpful in establishing a rational treatment plan. Fifty-nine subjects with no history of LBP and 54 patients with mechanical unilateral LBP were tested. An anthropometric frame was used to measure pelvic asymmetry in standing. Dynamic motion data, comprised of the principal and coupled movements, were collected using the Qualysis Motion Capture System. While the groups did not differ in the total range of lumbar movement, the LBP group exhibited significantly higher asymmetry in the principal motion. The groups differed significantly in the pattern of coupled rotation during lateral flexion. Asymmetry in lumbar lateral flexion was highly related to two types of pelvic asymmetry: lateral pelvic tilt (LPT) and iliac rotation asymmetry (IRA). Asymmetry in lumbar axial rotation was highly related to IRA but weakly related to LPT. This study demonstrates objective differences in patterns of lumbar movement between asymptomatic subjects and patients with LBP. The study also demonstrates that subtle anatomic abnormality in the pelvis is associated with altered mechanics in the lumbar spine. We suggest that asymmetry of lumbar movement may be a better indicator of functional deficit than the absolute range of movement in LBP.
Do the kinematics of a baulked take-off in springboard diving differ from those of a completed dive.

PubMed

Barris, Sian; Farrow, Damian; Davids, Keith

2013-01-01

Consistency and invariance in movements are traditionally viewed as essential features of skill acquisition and elite sports performance. This emphasis on the stabilization of action has resulted in important processes of adaptation in movement coordination during performance being overlooked in investigations of elite sport performance. Here we investigate whether differences exist between the movement kinematics displayed by five, elite springboard divers (age 17 ± 2.4 years) in the preparation phases of baulked and completed take-offs. The two-dimensional kinematic characteristics of the reverse somersault take-off phases (approach and hurdle) were recorded during normal training sessions and used for intra-individual analysis. All participants displayed observable differences in movement patterns at key events during the approach phase; however, the presence of similar global topological characteristics suggested that, overall, participants did not perform distinctly different movement patterns during completed and baulked dives. These findings provide a powerful rationale for coaches to consider assessing functional variability or adaptability of motor behaviour as a key criterion of successful performance in sports such as diving.

A quarter of a world away: female humpback whale moves 10,000 km between breeding areas.

PubMed

Stevick, Peter T; Neves, Mariana C; Johansen, Freddy; Engel, Marcia H; Allen, Judith; Marcondes, Milton C C; Carlson, Carole

2011-04-23

Fidelity of individual animals to breeding sites is a primary determinant of population structure. The degree and scale of philopatry in a population reflect the fitness effects of social facilitation, ecological adaptation and optimal inbreeding. Patterns of breeding-site movement and fidelity are functions of social structure and are frequently sex biased. We report on a female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) first identified by natural markings off Brazil that subsequently was photographed off Madagascar. The minimum travel distance between these locations is greater than 9800 km, approximately 4000 km longer than any previously reported movement between breeding grounds, more than twice the species' typical seasonal migratory distance and the longest documented movement by a mammal. It is unexpected to find this exceptional long-distance movement between breeding groups by a female, as models of philopatry suggest that male mammals move more frequently or over longer distances in search of mating opportunities. While such movement may be advantageous, especially in changeable or unpredictable circumstances, it is not possible to unambiguously ascribe causality to this rare observation. This finding illustrates the behavioural flexibility in movement patterns that may be demonstrated within a typically philopatric species.
An independent race model involving an abort and re-plan strategy explains reach redirecting movements during planning and execution.

PubMed

Venkataramani, PrasannaVenkhatesh; Gopal, Atul; Murthy, Aditya

2018-03-01

Although race models have been extensively used to study inhibitory control, the mechanisms that enable change of reach plans in the context of race models remain unexplored. We used a redirect task in which targets occasionally changed their locations to study the control of reaching movements during movement planning and execution phases. We tested nine different race model architectures that could explain the redirect behavior of reaching movements. We show that an independent GO-STOP-GO model that reflects a plan-abort-re-plan strategy involving non-interacting elements successfully explained the various behavioral measures such as the compensation function and the pattern of error response reaction times. By extending the same race model to the execution phase, we could explain the extent and the pattern of hypometric trials. Interestingly, the race model also provided evidence that redirecting a movement during planning and execution shared the same inhibitory mechanism. Taken together, this study demonstrates the applicability of an independent race model to understand the computational mechanisms underlying the control of reach movements. © 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders of Basal Ganglia Origin: Restoring Function or Functionality?

PubMed

Wichmann, Thomas; DeLong, Mahlon R

2016-04-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is highly effective for both hypo- and hyperkinetic movement disorders of basal ganglia origin. The clinical use of DBS is, in part, empiric, based on the experience with prior surgical ablative therapies for these disorders, and, in part, driven by scientific discoveries made decades ago. In this review, we consider anatomical and functional concepts of the basal ganglia relevant to our understanding of DBS mechanisms, as well as our current understanding of the pathophysiology of two of the most commonly DBS-treated conditions, Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Finally, we discuss the proposed mechanism(s) of action of DBS in restoring function in patients with movement disorders. The signs and symptoms of the various disorders appear to result from signature disordered activity in the basal ganglia output, which disrupts the activity in thalamocortical and brainstem networks. The available evidence suggests that the effects of DBS are strongly dependent on targeting sensorimotor portions of specific nodes of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuit, that is, the subthalamic nucleus and the internal segment of the globus pallidus. There is little evidence to suggest that DBS in patients with movement disorders restores normal basal ganglia functions (e.g., their role in movement or reinforcement learning). Instead, it appears that high-frequency DBS replaces the abnormal basal ganglia output with a more tolerable pattern, which helps to restore the functionality of downstream networks.
Classification of Alzheimer’s Patients through Ubiquitous Computing †

PubMed Central

Nieto-Reyes, Alicia; Duque, Rafael; Montaña, José Luis; Lage, Carmen

2017-01-01

Functional data analysis and artificial neural networks are the building blocks of the proposed methodology that distinguishes the movement patterns among c’s patients on different stages of the disease and classifies new patients to their appropriate stage of the disease. The movement patterns are obtained by the accelerometer device of android smartphones that the patients carry while moving freely. The proposed methodology is relevant in that it is flexible on the type of data to which it is applied. To exemplify that, it is analyzed a novel real three-dimensional functional dataset where each datum is observed in a different time domain. Not only is it observed on a difference frequency but also the domain of each datum has different length. The obtained classification success rate of 83% indicates the potential of the proposed methodology. PMID:28753975
Continuous involuntary hand movements and schizencephaly: epilepsia partialis continua or dystonia?

PubMed

Marinelli, Lucio; Bonzano, Laura; Saitta, Laura; Trompetto, Carlo; Abbruzzese, Giovanni

2012-04-01

Schizencephaly is regarded as a malformation of cortical development (due to abnormal neuronal organization) and may be associated with continuous involuntary hand movements. The mechanisms underlying these movements are not clear and both dystonia and epilepsia partialis continua have been considered in previously reported cases. We describe a young patient affected by schizencephaly and continuous involuntary movements of the contralateral hand. Functional MRI showed bilateral cerebral activation, while the subject performed tapping movements with the affected hand and no significant difference in the activation pattern after diazepam infusion. Standard and back-averaged EEG showed no alterations. The results obtained from these investigations and the clinical features of the involuntary movements are not in favor of an epileptic genesis, while support the diagnosis of secondary dystonia.
Otolith and Vertical Canal Contributions to Dynamic Postural Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, F. Owen

1999-01-01

The objective of this project is to determine: 1) how do normal subjects adjust postural movements in response to changing or altered otolith input, for example, due to aging? and 2) how do patients adapt postural control after altered unilateral or bilateral vestibular sensory inputs such as ablative inner ear surgery or ototoxicity, respectively? The following hypotheses are under investigation: 1) selective alteration of otolith input or abnormalities of otolith receptor function will result in distinctive spatial, frequency, and temporal patterns of head movements and body postural sway dynamics. 2) subjects with reduced, altered, or absent vertical semicircular canal receptor sensitivity but normal otolith receptor function or vice versa, should show predictable alterations of body and head movement strategies essential for the control of postural sway and movement. The effect of altered postural movement control upon compensation and/or adaptation will be determined. These experiments provide data for the development of computational models of postural control in normals, vestibular deficient subjects and normal humans exposed to unusual force environments, including orbital space flight.
Attention to Automatic Movements in Parkinson's Disease: Modified Automatic Mode in the Striatum

PubMed Central

Wu, Tao; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Hejia; Hallett, Mark; Zheng, Zheng; Chan, Piu

2015-01-01

We investigated neural correlates when attending to a movement that could be made automatically in healthy subjects and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Subjects practiced a visuomotor association task until they could perform it automatically, and then directed their attention back to the automated task. Functional MRI was obtained during the early-learning, automatic stage, and when re-attending. In controls, attention to automatic movement induced more activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex, and rostral supplementary motor area. The motor cortex received more influence from the cortical motor association regions. In contrast, the pattern of the activity and connectivity of the striatum remained at the level of the automatic stage. In PD patients, attention enhanced activity in the DLPFC, premotor cortex, and cerebellum, but the connectivity from the putamen to the motor cortex decreased. Our findings demonstrate that, in controls, when a movement achieves the automatic stage, attention can influence the attentional networks and cortical motor association areas, but has no apparent effect on the striatum. In PD patients, attention induces a shift from the automatic mode back to the controlled pattern within the striatum. The shifting between controlled and automatic behaviors relies in part on striatal function. PMID:24925772
An equilibrium-point model of electromyographic patterns during single-joint movements based on experimentally reconstructed control signals.

PubMed

Latash, M L; Goodman, S R

1994-01-01

The purpose of this work has been to develop a model of electromyographic (EMG) patterns during single-joint movements based on a version of the equilibrium-point hypothesis, a method for experimental reconstruction of the joint compliant characteristics, the dual-strategy hypothesis, and a kinematic model of movement trajectory. EMG patterns are considered emergent properties of hypothetical control patterns that are equally affected by the control signals and peripheral feedback reflecting actual movement trajectory. A computer model generated the EMG patterns based on simulated movement kinematics and hypothetical control signals derived from the reconstructed joint compliant characteristics. The model predictions have been compared to published recordings of movement kinematics and EMG patterns in a variety of movement conditions, including movements over different distances, at different speeds, against different-known inertial loads, and in conditions of possible unexpected decrease in the inertial load. Changes in task parameters within the model led to simulated EMG patterns qualitatively similar to the experimentally recorded EMG patterns. The model's predictive power compares it favourably to the existing models of the EMG patterns. Copyright © 1994. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Examining Fundamental Movement Competency and Closed-Chain Upper-Extremity Dynamic Balance in Swimmers.

PubMed

Bullock, Garrett S; Brookreson, Nate; Knab, Amy M; Butler, Robert J

2017-06-01

Abnormal fundamental movement patterns and upper-quarter dynamic balance are proposed mechanisms affecting athletic performance and injury risk. There are few studies investigating functional movement and closed-chain upper-extremity dynamic stability in swimmers. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in fundamental movement competency and closed-chain upper-extremity dynamic balance, using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Upper-Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-UQ), of high school (HS; n = 70) and collegiate (COL; n = 70) swimmers. Variables included the individual movement tests on the FMS and the average normalized reach (percent limb length [%LL]) for each direction, with the YBT-UQ. Statistical analysis was completed using a chi square for the independent test scores on the FMS while independent samples t-test to examine performance on the YBT-UQ (p ≤ 0.05). HS swimmers exhibited a statistically significant greater percentage of below average performance (score of 0 or 1) on the following FMS tests: lunge (HS: 22.9%, COL: 4.3%), hurdle step (HS: 31.4%, COL: 7.1%), and push-up (HS: 61.4%, COL: 31.4%). Furthermore, COL males performed worse in the lunge (male: 9%, female: 0%), whereas COL females had poorer efficiency in the push-up (male: 17.6%, female: 44%). Significant effects of competition level and sex were observed in YBT-UQ medial reach (HS: female 92.06, male 101.63; COL: female 101.3, male 101.5% LL). Individual fundamental movement patterns that involved lumbopelvic neuromuscular control differed between HS and COL swimmers. General upper-extremity dynamic balance differed between competition levels. These data may be helpful in understanding injury and performance-based normative data for participation and return to swimming.
Movement-related neuromagnetic fields in preschool age children.

PubMed

Cheyne, Douglas; Jobst, Cecilia; Tesan, Graciela; Crain, Stephen; Johnson, Blake

2014-09-01

We examined sensorimotor brain activity associated with voluntary movements in preschool children using a customized pediatric magnetoencephalographic system. A videogame-like task was used to generate self-initiated right or left index finger movements in 17 healthy right-handed subjects (8 females, ages 3.2-4.8 years). We successfully identified spatiotemporal patterns of movement-related brain activity in 15/17 children using beamformer source analysis and surrogate MRI spatial normalization. Readiness fields in the contralateral sensorimotor cortex began ∼0.5 s prior to movement onset (motor field, MF), followed by transient movement-evoked fields (MEFs), similar to that observed during self-paced movements in adults, but slightly delayed and with inverted source polarities. We also observed modulation of mu (8-12 Hz) and beta (15-30 Hz) oscillations in sensorimotor cortex with movement, but with different timing and a stronger frequency band coupling compared to that observed in adults. Adult-like high-frequency (70-80 Hz) gamma bursts were detected at movement onset. All children showed activation of the right superior temporal gyrus that was independent of the side of movement, a response that has not been reported in adults. These results provide new insights into the development of movement-related brain function, for an age group in which no previous data exist. The results show that children under 5 years of age have markedly different patterns of movement-related brain activity in comparison to older children and adults, and indicate that significant maturational changes occur in the sensorimotor system between the preschool years and later childhood. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neurobiological degeneracy and affordance perception support functional intra-individual variability of inter-limb coordination during ice climbing.

PubMed

Seifert, Ludovic; Wattebled, Léo; Herault, Romain; Poizat, Germain; Adé, David; Gal-Petitfaux, Nathalie; Davids, Keith

2014-01-01

This study investigated the functional intra-individual movement variability of ice climbers differing in skill level to understand how icefall properties were used by participants as affordances to adapt inter-limb coordination patterns during performance. Seven expert climbers and seven beginners were observed as they climbed a 30 m icefall. Movement and positioning of the left and right hand ice tools, crampons and the climber's pelvis over the first 20 m of the climb were recorded and digitized using video footage from a camera (25 Hz) located perpendicular to the plane of the icefall. Inter-limb coordination, frequency and types of action and vertical axis pelvis displacement exhibited by each climber were analysed for the first five minutes of ascent. Participant perception of climbing affordances was assessed through: (i) calculating the ratio between exploratory movements and performed actions, and (ii), identifying, by self-confrontation interviews, the perceptual variables of environmental properties, which were significant to climbers for their actions. Data revealed that experts used a wider range of upper and lower limb coordination patterns, resulting in the emergence of different types of action and fewer exploratory movements, suggesting that effective holes in the icefall provided affordances to regulate performance. In contrast, beginners displayed lower levels of functional intra-individual variability of motor organization, due to repetitive swinging of ice tools and kicking of crampons to achieve and maintain a deep anchorage, suggesting lack of perceptual attunement and calibration to environmental properties to support climbing performance.
Long-term movement patterns of a coral reef predator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heupel, M. R.; Simpfendorfer, C. A.

2015-06-01

Long-term monitoring is required to fully define periodicity and patterns in animal movement. This is particularly relevant for defining what factors are driving the presence, location, and movements of individuals. The long-term movement and space use patterns of grey reef sharks, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, were examined on a whole of reef scale in the southern Great Barrier Reef to define whether movement and activity space varied through time. Twenty-nine C. amblyrhynchos were tracked for over 2 years to define movement patterns. All individuals showed high residency within the study site, but also had high roaming indices. This indicated that individuals remained in the region and used all of the monitored habitat (i.e., the entire reef perimeter). Use of space was consistent through time with high reuse of areas most of the year. Therefore, individuals maintained discrete home ranges, but undertook broader movements around the reef at times. Mature males showed greatest variation in movement with larger activity spaces and movement into new regions during the mating season (August-September). Depth use patterns also differed, suggesting behaviour or resource requirements varied between sexes. Examination of the long-term, reef-scale movements of C. amblyrhynchos has revealed that reproductive activity may play a key role in space use and activity patterns. It was unclear whether mating behaviour or an increased need for food to sustain reproductive activity and development played a greater role in these patterns. Reef shark movement patterns are becoming more clearly defined, but research is still required to fully understand the biological drivers for the observed patterns.
Movement Pattern Variability in Stone Knapping: Implications for the Development of Percussive Traditions

PubMed Central

Rein, Robert; Nonaka, Tetsushi; Bril, Blandine

2014-01-01

The earliest direct evidence for tool-use by our ancestors are 2.6 million year old stone tools from Africa. These earliest artifacts show that, already, early hominins had developed the required advanced movement skills and cognitive capacities to manufacture stone tools. Currently, it is not well understood, however, which specific movement skills are required for successful stone knapping and accordingly it is unknown how these skills emerged during early hominin evolution. In particular, it is not clear which striking movements are indicative of skilled performance, how striking movement patterns vary with task and environmental constraints, and how movement patterns are passed on within social groups. The present study addresses these questions by investigating striking movement patterns and striking variability in 18 modern stone knappers (nine experienced and nine novices). The results suggest that no single movement pattern characterizes successful stone knapping. Participants showed large inter-individual movement variability of the elementary knapping action irrespective of knapping experience and knapping performance. Changes in task- and environmental constraints led knappers to adapt their elementary striking actions using a combination of individual and common strategies. Investigation of striking pattern similarities within social groups showed only partial overlap of striking patterns across related individuals. The results therefore suggest that striking movement patterns in modern stone knappers are largely specific to the individual and movement variability is not indicative of knapping performance. The implications of these results for the development of percussive traditions are discussed. PMID:25426630
Key properties of expert movement systems in sport : an ecological dynamics perspective.

PubMed

Seifert, Ludovic; Button, Chris; Davids, Keith

2013-03-01

This paper identifies key properties of expertise in sport predicated on the performer-environment relationship. Weaknesses of traditional approaches to expert performance, which uniquely focus on the performer and the environment separately, are highlighted by an ecological dynamics perspective. Key properties of expert movement systems include 'multi- and meta-stability', 'adaptive variability', 'redundancy', 'degeneracy' and the 'attunement to affordances'. Empirical research on these expert system properties indicates that skill acquisition does not emerge from the internal representation of declarative and procedural knowledge, or the imitation of expert behaviours to linearly reduce a perceived 'gap' separating movements of beginners and a putative expert model. Rather, expert performance corresponds with the ongoing co-adaptation of an individual's behaviours to dynamically changing, interacting constraints, individually perceived and encountered. The functional role of adaptive movement variability is essential to expert performance in many different sports (involving individuals and teams; ball games and outdoor activities; land and aquatic environments). These key properties signify that, in sport performance, although basic movement patterns need to be acquired by developing athletes, there exists no ideal movement template towards which all learners should aspire, since relatively unique functional movement solutions emerge from the interaction of key constraints.
Movement Forms: A Graph-Dynamic Perspective

PubMed Central

Saltzman, Elliot; Holt, Ken

2014-01-01

The focus of this paper is on characterizing the physical movement forms (e.g., walk, crawl, roll, etc.) that can be used to actualize abstract, functionally-specified behavioral goals (e.g., locomotion). Emphasis is placed on how such forms are distinguished from one another, in part, by the set of topological patterns of physical contact between agent and environment (i.e., the set of physical graphs associated with each form) and the transitions among these patterns displayed over the course of performance (i.e., the form’s physical graph dynamics). Crucial in this regard is the creation and dissolution of loops in these graphs, which can be related to the distinction between open and closed kinematic chains. Formal similarities are described within the theoretical framework of task-dynamics between physically-closed kinematic chains (physical loops) that are created during various movement forms and functionally-closed kinematic chains (functional loops) that are associated with task-space control of end-effectors; it is argued that both types of loop must be flexibly incorporated into the coordinative structures that govern skilled action. Final speculation is focused on the role of graphs and their dynamics, not only in processes of coordination and control for individual agents, but also in processes of inter-agent coordination and the coupling of agents with (non-sentient) environmental objects. PMID:24910507
Movement Forms: A Graph-Dynamic Perspective.

PubMed

Saltzman, Elliot; Holt, Ken

2014-01-01

The focus of this paper is on characterizing the physical movement forms (e.g., walk, crawl, roll, etc.) that can be used to actualize abstract, functionally-specified behavioral goals (e.g., locomotion). Emphasis is placed on how such forms are distinguished from one another, in part, by the set of topological patterns of physical contact between agent and environment (i.e., the set of physical graphs associated with each form) and the transitions among these patterns displayed over the course of performance (i.e., the form's physical graph dynamics ). Crucial in this regard is the creation and dissolution of loops in these graphs, which can be related to the distinction between open and closed kinematic chains. Formal similarities are described within the theoretical framework of task-dynamics between physically-closed kinematic chains (physical loops) that are created during various movement forms and functionally-closed kinematic chains (functional loops) that are associated with task-space control of end-effectors; it is argued that both types of loop must be flexibly incorporated into the coordinative structures that govern skilled action. Final speculation is focused on the role of graphs and their dynamics, not only in processes of coordination and control for individual agents, but also in processes of inter-agent coordination and the coupling of agents with (non-sentient) environmental objects.
Control Networks in Paediatric Tourette Syndrome Show Immature and Anomalous Patterns of Functional Connectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Jessica A.; Fair, Damien A.; Dosenbach, Nico U. F.; Cohen, Alexander L.; Miezin, Francis M.; Petersen, Steven E.; Schlaggar, Bradley L.

2009-01-01

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a developmental disorder characterized by unwanted, repetitive behaviours that manifest as stereotyped movements and vocalizations called "tics". Operating under the hypothesis that the brain's control systems may be impaired in TS, we measured resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) between 39 previously…
Entropy of Movement Outcome in Space-Time.

PubMed

Lai, Shih-Chiung; Hsieh, Tsung-Yu; Newell, Karl M

2015-07-01

Information entropy of the joint spatial and temporal (space-time) probability of discrete movement outcome was investigated in two experiments as a function of different movement strategies (space-time, space, and time instructional emphases), task goals (point-aiming and target-aiming) and movement speed-accuracy constraints. The variance of the movement spatial and temporal errors was reduced by instructional emphasis on the respective spatial or temporal dimension, but increased on the other dimension. The space-time entropy was lower in targetaiming task than the point aiming task but did not differ between instructional emphases. However, the joint probabilistic measure of spatial and temporal entropy showed that spatial error is traded for timing error in tasks with space-time criteria and that the pattern of movement error depends on the dimension of the measurement process. The unified entropy measure of movement outcome in space-time reveals a new relation for the speed-accuracy.
Using an Artificial Neural Bypass to Restore Cortical Control of Rhythmic Movements in a Human with Quadriplegia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Gaurav; Friedenberg, David A.; Annetta, Nicholas; Glenn, Bradley; Bockbrader, Marcie; Majstorovic, Connor; Domas, Stephanie; Mysiw, W. Jerry; Rezai, Ali; Bouton, Chad

2016-09-01

Neuroprosthetic technology has been used to restore cortical control of discrete (non-rhythmic) hand movements in a paralyzed person. However, cortical control of rhythmic movements which originate in the brain but are coordinated by Central Pattern Generator (CPG) neural networks in the spinal cord has not been demonstrated previously. Here we show a demonstration of an artificial neural bypass technology that decodes cortical activity and emulates spinal cord CPG function allowing volitional rhythmic hand movement. The technology uses a combination of signals recorded from the brain, machine-learning algorithms to decode the signals, a numerical model of CPG network, and a neuromuscular electrical stimulation system to evoke rhythmic movements. Using the neural bypass, a quadriplegic participant was able to initiate, sustain, and switch between rhythmic and discrete finger movements, using his thoughts alone. These results have implications in advancing neuroprosthetic technology to restore complex movements in people living with paralysis.
Effects of various treatments on the chemokinetic behavior of third-stage larvae of Strongyloides ratti on a sodium chloride gradient.

PubMed

Tobata-Kudo, H; Higo, H; Koga, M; Tada, I

2000-11-01

In observations of the movements of the infective third-stage larvae of a rodent parasitic nematode, Strongyloides ratti, on a sodium chloride gradient set up on agarose plates, two types of chemokinetic behavior were seen: a unidirectional avoidance movement on initial placement of the larvae in unfavorable environmental conditions and a random dispersal movement on their placement within an area of favorable conditions. Track patterns were straight in the avoidance movement but included multiple changes of direction and loops in the dispersal movement. In the present study we examined the interventional activity of treatment with various enzymes, lectins, and chemicals by analyzing the unidirectional avoidance movements of the larvae. We observed that beta-glucosidase, hyaluronidase, beta-galactosidase, trypsin, protease, lipase, phospholipase C, soybean agglutinin, wheat germ agglutinin, and spermidine exerted inhibitory actions on those movements, which may be guided by the chemosensory function of this nematode.

How instructions modify perception: An fMRI study investigating brain areas involved in attributing human agency

PubMed Central

Stanley, James; Gowen, Emma; Miall, R. Christopher

2010-01-01

Behavioural studies suggest that the processing of movement stimuli is influenced by beliefs about the agency behind these actions. The current study examined how activity in social and action related brain areas differs when participants were instructed that identical movement stimuli were either human or computer generated. Participants viewed a series of point-light animation figures derived from motion-capture recordings of a moving actor, while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to monitor patterns of neural activity. The stimuli were scrambled to produce a range of stimulus realism categories; furthermore, before each trial participants were told that they were about to view either a recording of human movement or a computer-simulated pattern of movement. Behavioural results suggested that agency instructions influenced participants' perceptions of the stimuli. The fMRI analysis indicated different functions within the paracingulate cortex: ventral paracingulate cortex was more active for human compared to computer agency instructed trials across all stimulus types, whereas dorsal paracingulate cortex was activated more highly in conflicting conditions (human instruction, low realism or vice versa). These findings support the hypothesis that ventral paracingulate encodes stimuli deemed to be of human origin, whereas dorsal paracingulate cortex is involved more in the ascertainment of human or intentional agency during the observation of ambiguous stimuli. Our results highlight the importance of prior instructions or beliefs on movement processing and the role of the paracingulate cortex in integrating prior knowledge with bottom-up stimuli. PMID:20398769
Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Early Days: Correlation between Passive Activation and Motor Recovery After Unilateral Striatocapsular Cerebral Infarction.

PubMed

Zhou, Long-Jiang; Wang, Wei; Zhao, Yi; Liu, Chun-Feng; Zhang, Xin-Jiang; Liu, Zhen-Sheng; Li, Hua-Dong

2017-11-01

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) pattern and the motor function recovery of an affected limb during the passive movement of the affected limb at an early stage of the striatocapsular infarction (SCI). A total of 17 patients with an acute stage of SCI and 3 healthy volunteers as controls were included in this study. fMRI scans of passive movement were performed on the affected limbs of stroke patients within 1 week of onset. Follow-ups were carried out for the motor functions of the affected limbs (before fMRI scan, 1 month, and 3 months after the scan). The control group showed that the activation was mainly located in the contralateral sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA). The fMRI scan region of interest for stroke patients can be divided into 3 types: type I includes mainly the affected side, bilateral SMC, and SMA with activation; type II includes SMC on the affected side and SMA with activation; type III includes only SMC on the affected side or M1 with activation. The recovery of type I patients was better and faster, while the recovery of type II patients was better but slower, but recovery of type III patients was poorer and slower. Multiple cortical activation patterns were noted during the passive movement of the affected limbs at an early stage of SCI, and a correlation was found between the different activation patterns and the clinical prognosis of patients. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Associations between tongue movement pattern consistency and formant movement pattern consistency in response to speech behavioral modificationsa)

PubMed Central

Mefferd, Antje S.

2016-01-01

The degree of speech movement pattern consistency can provide information about speech motor control. Although tongue motor control is particularly important because of the tongue's primary contribution to the speech acoustic signal, capturing tongue movements during speech remains difficult and costly. This study sought to determine if formant movements could be used to estimate tongue movement pattern consistency indirectly. Two age groups (seven young adults and seven older adults) and six speech conditions (typical, slow, loud, clear, fast, bite block speech) were selected to elicit an age- and task-dependent performance range in tongue movement pattern consistency. Kinematic and acoustic spatiotemporal indexes (STI) were calculated based on sentence-length tongue movement and formant movement signals, respectively. Kinematic and acoustic STI values showed strong associations across talkers and moderate to strong associations for each talker across speech tasks; although, in cases where task-related tongue motor performance changes were relatively small, the acoustic STI values were poorly associated with kinematic STI values. These findings suggest that, depending on the sensitivity needs, formant movement pattern consistency could be used in lieu of direct kinematic analysis to indirectly examine speech motor control. PMID:27908069
Landscape-level movement patterns by lions in western Serengeti: comparing the influence of inter-specific competitors, habitat attributes and prey availability.

PubMed

Kittle, Andrew M; Bukombe, John K; Sinclair, Anthony R E; Mduma, Simon A R; Fryxell, John M

2016-01-01

Where apex predators move on the landscape influences ecosystem structure and function and is therefore key to effective landscape-level management and species-specific conservation. However the factors underlying predator distribution patterns within functional ecosystems are poorly understood. Predator movement should be sensitive to the spatial patterns of inter-specific competitors, spatial variation in prey density, and landscape attributes that increase individual prey vulnerability. We investigated the relative role of these fundamental factors on seasonal resource utilization by a globally endangered apex carnivore, the African lion (Panthera leo) in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. Lion space use was represented by novel landscape-level, modified utilization distributions (termed "localized density distributions") created from telemetry relocations of individual lions from multiple neighbouring prides. Spatial patterns of inter-specific competitors were similarly determined from telemetry re-locations of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), this system's primary competitor for lions; prey distribution was derived from 18 months of detailed census data; and remote sensing data was used to represent relevant habitat attributes. Lion space use was consistently influenced by landscape attributes that increase individual prey vulnerability to predation. Wet season activity, when available prey were scarce, was concentrated near embankments, which provide ambush opportunities, and dry season activity, when available prey were abundant, near remaining water sources where prey occurrence is predictable. Lion space use patterns were positively associated with areas of high prey biomass, but only in the prey abundant dry season. Finally, at the broad scale of this analysis, lion and hyena space use was positively correlated in the comparatively prey-rich dry season and unrelated in the wet season, suggesting lion movement was unconstrained by the spatial patterns of their main inter-specific competitors. The availability of potential prey and vulnerability of that prey to predation both motivate lion movement decisions, with their relative importance apparently mediated by overall prey abundance. With practical and theoretical implications, these results suggest that while top carnivores are consistently cognizant of how landscape features influence individual prey vulnerability, they also adopt a flexible approach to range use by adjusting spatial behaviour according to fluctuations in local prey abundance.
Modelling non-Euclidean movement and landscape connectivity in highly structured ecological networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sutherland, Christopher; Fuller, Angela K.; Royle, J. Andrew

2015-01-01

The ecological distance SCR model uses spatially indexed capture-recapture data to estimate how activity patterns are influenced by landscape structure. As well as reducing bias in estimates of abundance, this approach provides biologically realistic representations of home range geometry, and direct information about species-landscape interactions. The incorporation of both structural (landscape) and functional (movement) components of connectivity provides a direct measure of species-specific landscape connectivity.
Loss of the innate cortical engram for action patterns used in skilled reaching and the development of behavioral compensation following motor cortex lesions in the rat.

PubMed

Whishaw, I Q

2000-03-03

Damage to the motor cortex of the rat (Rattus norvegicus) impairs skilled movements used in reaching for food with the contralateral forepaw. Nevertheless, there is substantial recovery in success over a two-week postsurgical period. The profile of behavioral recovery is believed to reflect the eventual normalization of behavior, but this idea has not been explicitly examined. The present experiments examined postsurgical reaching success and reaching movements as a function of (1) lesion type, (2) lesion size, (3) lesion location, (4) depletion of forebrain noradrenaline, and (4) presurgical and postsurgical experience. The results show that at least two separate processes contribute to recovery in postsurgical performance. The early postsurgical period was characterized by extreme difficulties in making reaching movements. The experiments suggest that this initial impairment was due to the loss of the innate cortical engram that supports the action patterns used for skilled movements. Subsequent recovery in reaching success was not due to the reacquisition of normal movements, but was due rather to the use of compensatory movements. The results are discussed in relation to the idea that true recovery from motor cortex injury will require that damaged neurons and their connections be rescued or replaced.
Collaborations between CpG sites in DNA methylation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, You; Ren, Honglei; Lei, Jinzhi

2017-08-01

DNA methylation patterns have profound impacts on genome stability, gene expression and development. The molecular base of DNA methylation patterns has long been focused at single CpG sites level. Here, we construct a kinetic model of DNA methylation with collaborations between CpG sites, from which a correlation function was established based on experimental data. The function consists of three parts that suggest three possible sources of the correlation: movement of enzymes along DNA, collaboration between DNA methylation and nucleosome modification, and global enzyme concentrations within a cell. Moreover, the collaboration strength between DNA methylation and nucleosome modification is universal for mouse early embryo cells. The obtained correlation function provides insightful understanding for the mechanisms of inheritance of DNA methylation patterns.
The Endpoint Hypothesis: A Topological-Cognitive Assessment of Geographic Scale Movement Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klippel, Alexander; Li, Rui

Movement patterns of individual entities at the geographic scale are becoming a prominent research focus in spatial sciences. One pertinent question is how cognitive and formal characterizations of movement patterns relate. In other words, are (mostly qualitative) formal characterizations cognitively adequate? This article experimentally evaluates movement patterns that can be characterized as paths through a conceptual neighborhood graph, that is, two extended spatial entities changing their topological relationship gradually. The central questions addressed are: (a) Do humans naturally use topology to create cognitive equivalent classes, that is, is topology the basis for categorizing movement patterns spatially? (b) Are ‘all’ topological relations equally salient, and (c) does language influence categorization. The first two questions are addressed using a modification of the endpoint hypothesis stating that: movement patterns are distinguished by the topological relation they end in. The third question addresses whether language has an influence on the classification of movement patterns, that is, whether there is a difference between linguistic and non-linguistic category construction. In contrast to our previous findings we were able to document the importance of topology for conceptualizing movement patterns but also reveal differences in the cognitive saliency of topological relations. The latter aspect calls for a weighted conceptual neighborhood graph to cognitively adequately model human conceptualization processes.
A mutual support mechanism through intercellular movement of CAPRICE and GLABRA3 can pattern the Arabidopsis root epidermis.

PubMed

Savage, Natasha Saint; Walker, Tom; Wieckowski, Yana; Schiefelbein, John; Dolan, Liam; Monk, Nicholas A M

2008-09-23

The patterning of the Arabidopsis root epidermis depends on a genetic regulatory network that operates both within and between cells. Genetic studies have identified a number of key components of this network, but a clear picture of the functional logic of the network is lacking. Here, we integrate existing genetic and biochemical data in a mathematical model that allows us to explore both the sufficiency of known network interactions and the extent to which additional assumptions about the model can account for wild-type and mutant data. Our model shows that an existing hypothesis concerning the autoregulation of WEREWOLF does not account fully for the expression patterns of components of the network. We confirm the lack of WEREWOLF autoregulation experimentally in transgenic plants. Rather, our modelling suggests that patterning depends on the movement of the CAPRICE and GLABRA3 transcriptional regulators between epidermal cells. Our combined modelling and experimental studies show that WEREWOLF autoregulation does not contribute to the initial patterning of epidermal cell fates in the Arabidopsis seedling root. In contrast to a patterning mechanism relying on local activation, we propose a mechanism based on lateral inhibition with feedback. The active intercellular movements of proteins that are central to our model underlie a mechanism for pattern formation in planar groups of cells that is centred on the mutual support of two cell fates rather than on local activation and lateral inhibition.
A Mutual Support Mechanism through Intercellular Movement of CAPRICE and GLABRA3 Can Pattern the Arabidopsis Root Epidermis

PubMed Central

Savage, Natasha Saint; Walker, Tom; Wieckowski, Yana; Schiefelbein, John; Dolan, Liam; Monk, Nicholas A. M

2008-01-01

The patterning of the Arabidopsis root epidermis depends on a genetic regulatory network that operates both within and between cells. Genetic studies have identified a number of key components of this network, but a clear picture of the functional logic of the network is lacking. Here, we integrate existing genetic and biochemical data in a mathematical model that allows us to explore both the sufficiency of known network interactions and the extent to which additional assumptions about the model can account for wild-type and mutant data. Our model shows that an existing hypothesis concerning the autoregulation of WEREWOLF does not account fully for the expression patterns of components of the network. We confirm the lack of WEREWOLF autoregulation experimentally in transgenic plants. Rather, our modelling suggests that patterning depends on the movement of the CAPRICE and GLABRA3 transcriptional regulators between epidermal cells. Our combined modelling and experimental studies show that WEREWOLF autoregulation does not contribute to the initial patterning of epidermal cell fates in the Arabidopsis seedling root. In contrast to a patterning mechanism relying on local activation, we propose a mechanism based on lateral inhibition with feedback. The active intercellular movements of proteins that are central to our model underlie a mechanism for pattern formation in planar groups of cells that is centred on the mutual support of two cell fates rather than on local activation and lateral inhibition. PMID:18816165
[The Changes in the Hemodynamic Activity of the Brain during Moroe Imagery Training with the Use of Brain-Computer Interface].

PubMed

Frolov, A A; Husek, D; Silchenko, A V; Tintera, Y; Rydlo, J

2016-01-01

With the use of functional MRI (fMRI), we studied the changes in brain hemodynamic activity of healthy subjects during motor imagery training with the use brain-computer interface (BCI), which is based on the recognition of EEG patterns of imagined movements. ANOVA dispersion analysis showed there are 14 areas of the brain where statistically sgnificant changes were registered. Detailed analysis of the activity in these areas before and after training (Student's and Mann-Whitney tests) reduced the amount of areas with significantly changed activity to five; these are Brodmann areas 44 and 45, insula, middle frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate gyrus. We suggest that these changes are caused by the formation of memory traces of those brain activity patterns which are most accurately recognized by BCI classifiers as correspondent with limb movements. We also observed a tendency of increase in the activity of motor imagery after training. The hemodynamic activity in all these 14 areas during real movements was either approximatly the same or significantly higher than during motor imagery; activity during imagined leg movements was higher that that during imagined arm movements, except for the areas of representation of arms.
Developmental kinesiology: three levels of motor control in the assessment and treatment of the motor system.

PubMed

Kobesova, Alena; Kolar, Pavel

2014-01-01

Three levels of sensorimotor control within the central nervous system (CNS) can be distinguished. During the neonatal stage, general movements and primitive reflexes are controlled at the spinal and brain stem levels. Analysis of the newborn's spontaneous general movements and the assessment of primitive reflexes is crucial in the screening and early recognition of a risk for abnormal development. Following the newborn period, the subcortical level of the CNS motor control emerges and matures mainly during the first year of life. This allows for basic trunk stabilization, a prerequisite for any phasic movement and for the locomotor function of the extremities. At the subcortical level, orofacial muscles and afferent information are automatically integrated within postural-locomotor patterns. Finally, the cortical (the highest) level of motor control increasingly becomes activated. Cortical control is important for the individual qualities and characteristics of movement. It also allows for isolated segmental movement and relaxation. A child with impaired cortical motor control may be diagnosed with developmental dyspraxia or developmental coordination disorder. Human ontogenetic models, i.e., developmental motor patterns, can be used in both the diagnosis and treatment of locomotor system dysfunction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Applying network theory to animal movements to identify properties of landscape space use.

PubMed

Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Blake, Stephen; Northrup, Joseph M; Wittemyer, George

2018-04-01

Network (graph) theory is a popular analytical framework to characterize the structure and dynamics among discrete objects and is particularly effective at identifying critical hubs and patterns of connectivity. The identification of such attributes is a fundamental objective of animal movement research, yet network theory has rarely been applied directly to animal relocation data. We develop an approach that allows the analysis of movement data using network theory by defining occupied pixels as nodes and connection among these pixels as edges. We first quantify node-level (local) metrics and graph-level (system) metrics on simulated movement trajectories to assess the ability of these metrics to pull out known properties in movement paths. We then apply our framework to empirical data from African elephants (Loxodonta africana), giant Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.), and mule deer (Odocoileous hemionus). Our results indicate that certain node-level metrics, namely degree, weight, and betweenness, perform well in capturing local patterns of space use, such as the definition of core areas and paths used for inter-patch movement. These metrics were generally applicable across data sets, indicating their robustness to assumptions structuring analysis or strategies of movement. Other metrics capture local patterns effectively, but were sensitive to specified graph properties, indicating case specific applications. Our analysis indicates that graph-level metrics are unlikely to outperform other approaches for the categorization of general movement strategies (central place foraging, migration, nomadism). By identifying critical nodes, our approach provides a robust quantitative framework to identify local properties of space use that can be used to evaluate the effect of the loss of specific nodes on range wide connectivity. Our network approach is intuitive, and can be implemented across imperfectly sampled or large-scale data sets efficiently, providing a framework for conservationists to analyze movement data. Functions created for the analyses are available within the R package moveNT. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.
EMG activation patterns associated with high frequency, long-duration intracortical microstimulation of primary motor cortex.

PubMed

Griffin, Darcy M; Hudson, Heather M; Belhaj-Saïf, Abderraouf; Cheney, Paul D

2014-01-29

The delivery of high-frequency, long-duration intracortical microstimulation (HFLD-ICMS) to primary motor cortex (M1) in primates produces hand movements to a common final end-point regardless of the starting hand position (Graziano et al., 2002). We have confirmed this general conclusion. We further investigated the extent to which the (1) temporal pattern, (2) magnitude, and (3) latency of electromyographic (EMG) activation associated with HFLD-ICMS-evoked movements are dependent on task conditions, including limb posture. HFLD-ICMS was applied to layer V sites in M1 cortex. EMG activation with HFLD-ICMS was evaluated while two male rhesus macaques performed a number of tasks in which the starting position of the hand could be varied throughout the workspace. HFLD-ICMS-evoked EMG activity was largely stable across all parameters tested independent of starting hand position. The most common temporal pattern of HFLD-ICMS-evoked EMG activity (58% of responses) was a sharp rise to a plateau. The plateau level was maintained essentially constant for the entire duration of the stimulus train. The plateau pattern is qualitatively different from the largely bell-shaped patterns typical of EMG activity associated with natural goal directed movements (Brown and Cooke, 1990; Hoffman and Strick, 1999). HFLD-ICMS produces relatively fixed parameters of muscle activation independent of limb position. We conclude that joint movement associated with HFLD-ICMS occurs as a function of the length-tension properties of stimulus-activated muscles until an equilibrium between agonist and antagonist muscle force is achieved.
EMG Activation Patterns Associated with High Frequency, Long-Duration Intracortical Microstimulation of Primary Motor Cortex

PubMed Central

Griffin, Darcy M.; Hudson, Heather M.; Belhaj-Saïf, Abderraouf

2014-01-01

The delivery of high-frequency, long-duration intracortical microstimulation (HFLD-ICMS) to primary motor cortex (M1) in primates produces hand movements to a common final end-point regardless of the starting hand position (Graziano et al., 2002). We have confirmed this general conclusion. We further investigated the extent to which the (1) temporal pattern, (2) magnitude, and (3) latency of electromyographic (EMG) activation associated with HFLD-ICMS-evoked movements are dependent on task conditions, including limb posture. HFLD-ICMS was applied to layer V sites in M1 cortex. EMG activation with HFLD-ICMS was evaluated while two male rhesus macaques performed a number of tasks in which the starting position of the hand could be varied throughout the workspace. HFLD-ICMS-evoked EMG activity was largely stable across all parameters tested independent of starting hand position. The most common temporal pattern of HFLD-ICMS-evoked EMG activity (58% of responses) was a sharp rise to a plateau. The plateau level was maintained essentially constant for the entire duration of the stimulus train. The plateau pattern is qualitatively different from the largely bell-shaped patterns typical of EMG activity associated with natural goal directed movements (Brown and Cooke, 1990; Hoffman and Strick, 1999). HFLD-ICMS produces relatively fixed parameters of muscle activation independent of limb position. We conclude that joint movement associated with HFLD-ICMS occurs as a function of the length–tension properties of stimulus-activated muscles until an equilibrium between agonist and antagonist muscle force is achieved. PMID:24478348
Identification of trunk and pelvis movement compensations in patients with transtibial amputation using angular momentum separation.

PubMed

Gaffney, Brecca M; Murray, Amanda M; Christiansen, Cory L; Davidson, Bradley S

2016-03-01

Patients with unilateral dysvascular transtibial amputation (TTA) have a higher risk of developing low back pain than their healthy counterparts, which may be related to movement compensations used in the absence of ankle function. Assessing components of segmental angular momentum provides a unique framework to identify and interpret these movement compensations alongside traditional observational analyses. Angular momentum separation indicates two components of total angular momentum: (1) transfer momentum and (2) rotational momentum. The objective of this investigation was to assess movement compensations in patients with dysvascular TTA, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and healthy controls (HC) by examining patterns of generating and arresting trunk and pelvis segmental angular momenta during gait. We hypothesized that all groups would demonstrate similar patterns of generating/arresting total momentum and transfer momentum in the trunk and pelvis in reference to the groups (patients with DM and HC). We also hypothesized that patients with amputation would demonstrate different (larger) patterns of generating/arresting rotational angular momentum in the trunk. Patients with amputation demonstrated differences in trunk and pelvis transfer angular momentum in the sagittal and transverse planes in comparison to the reference groups, which indicates postural compensations adopted during walking. However, patients with amputation demonstrated larger patterns of generating and arresting of trunk and pelvis rotational angular momentum in comparison to the reference groups. These segmental rotational angular momentum patterns correspond with high eccentric muscle demands needed to arrest the angular momentum, and may lead to consequential long-term effects such as low back pain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Decoding the individual finger movements from single-trial functional magnetic resonance imaging recordings of human brain activity.

PubMed

Shen, Guohua; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Mengxing; Lei, Du; Yang, Guang; Zhang, Shanmin; Du, Xiaoxia

2014-06-01

Multivariate pattern classification analysis (MVPA) has been applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to decode brain states from spatially distributed activation patterns. Decoding upper limb movements from non-invasively recorded human brain activation is crucial for implementing a brain-machine interface that directly harnesses an individual's thoughts to control external devices or computers. The aim of this study was to decode the individual finger movements from fMRI single-trial data. Thirteen healthy human subjects participated in a visually cued delayed finger movement task, and only one slight button press was performed in each trial. Using MVPA, the decoding accuracy (DA) was computed separately for the different motor-related regions of interest. For the construction of feature vectors, the feature vectors from two successive volumes in the image series for a trial were concatenated. With these spatial-temporal feature vectors, we obtained a 63.1% average DA (84.7% for the best subject) for the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex and a 46.0% average DA (71.0% for the best subject) for the contralateral primary motor cortex; both of these values were significantly above the chance level (20%). In addition, we implemented searchlight MVPA to search for informative regions in an unbiased manner across the whole brain. Furthermore, by applying searchlight MVPA to each volume of a trial, we visually demonstrated the information for decoding, both spatially and temporally. The results suggest that the non-invasive fMRI technique may provide informative features for decoding individual finger movements and the potential of developing an fMRI-based brain-machine interface for finger movement. © 2014 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The Moving Rubber Hand Illusion Reveals that Explicit Sense of Agency for Tapping Movements Is Preserved in Functional Movement Disorders.

PubMed

Marotta, Angela; Bombieri, Federica; Zampini, Massimiliano; Schena, Federico; Dallocchio, Carlo; Fiorio, Mirta; Tinazzi, Michele

2017-01-01

Functional movement disorders (FMD) are characterized by motor symptoms (e.g., tremor, gait disorder, and dystonia) that are not compatible with movement abnormalities related to a known organic cause. One key clinical feature of FMD is that motor symptoms are similar to voluntary movements but are subjectively experienced as involuntary by patients. This gap might be related to abnormal self-recognition of bodily action, which involves two main components: sense of agency and sense of body ownership. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate whether this function is altered in FMD, specifically focusing on the subjective feeling of agency, body ownership, and their interaction during normal voluntary movements. Patients with FMD ( n = 21) and healthy controls ( n = 21) underwent the moving Rubber Hand Illusion (mRHI), in which passive and active movements can differentially elicit agency, ownership or both. Explicit measures of agency and ownership were obtained via a questionnaire. Patients and controls showed a similar pattern of response: when the rubber hand was in a plausible posture, active movements elicited strong agency and ownership; implausible posture of the rubber hand abolished ownership but not agency; passive movements suppressed agency but not ownership. These findings suggest that explicit sense of agency and body ownership are preserved in FMD. The latter finding is shared by a previous study in FMD using a static version of the RHI, whereas the former appears to contrast with studies demonstrating altered implicit measures of agency (e.g., sensory attenuation). Our study extends previous findings by suggesting that in FMD: (i) the sense of body ownership is retained also when interacting with the motor system; (ii) the subjective experience of agency for voluntary tapping movements, as measured by means of mRHI, is preserved.
Discovering loose group movement patterns from animal trajectories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Yuwei; Luo, Ze; Xiong, Yan; Prosser, Diann J.; Newman, Scott H.; Takekawa, John Y.; Yan, Baoping

2015-01-01

The technical advances of positioning technologies enable us to track animal movements at finer spatial and temporal scales, and further help to discover a variety of complex interactive relationships. In this paper, considering the loose gathering characteristics of the real-life groups' members during the movements, we propose two kinds of loose group movement patterns and corresponding discovery algorithms. Firstly, we propose the weakly consistent group movement pattern which allows the gathering of a part of the members and individual temporary leave from the whole during the movements. To tolerate the high dispersion of the group at some moments (i.e. to adapt the discontinuity of the group's gatherings), we further scheme the weakly consistent and continuous group movement pattern. The extensive experimental analysis and comparison with the real and synthetic data shows that the group pattern discovery algorithms proposed in this paper are similar to the the real-life frequent divergences of the members during the movements, can discover more complete memberships, and have considerable performance.
Movement Pattern and Parameter Learning in Children: Effects of Feedback Frequency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goh, Hui-Ting; Kantak, Shailesh S.; Sullivan, Katherine J.

2012-01-01

Reduced feedback during practice has been shown to be detrimental to movement accuracy in children but not in young adults. We hypothesized that the reduced accuracy is attributable to reduced movement parameter learning, but not pattern learning, in children. A rapid arm movement task that required the acquisition of a motor pattern scaled to…

Movement patterns of limb coordination in infant rolling.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Watanabe, Hama; Taga, Gentaro

2016-12-01

Infants must perform dynamic whole-body movements to initiate rolling, a key motor skill. However, little is known regarding limb coordination and postural control in infant rolling. To address this lack of knowledge, we examined movement patterns and limb coordination during rolling in younger infants (aged 5-7 months) that had just begun to roll and in older infants (aged 8-10 months) with greater rolling experience. Due to anticipated difficulty in obtaining measurements over the second half of the rolling sequence, we limited our analysis to the first half. Ipsilateral and contralateral limbs were identified on the basis of rolling direction and were classified as either a stationary limb used for postural stability or a moving limb used for controlled movement. We classified the observed movement patterns by identifying the number of stationary limbs and the serial order of combinational limb movement patterns. Notably, older infants performed more movement patterns that involved a lower number of stationary limbs than younger infants. Despite the wide range of possible movement patterns, a small group of basic patterns dominated in both age groups. Our results suggest that the fundamental structure of limb coordination during rolling in the early acquisition stages remains unchanged until at least 8-10 months of age. However, compared to younger infants, older infants exhibited a greater ability to select an effective rotational movement by positioning themselves with fewer stationary limbs and performing faster limb movements.
RELATIONSHIP OF PRESEASON MOVEMENT SCREENS WITH OVERUSE SYMPTOMS IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL PLAYERS

PubMed Central

Clifton, Daniel R.; Onate, James A.; Ramsey, Vincent K.; Cromartie, Fred

2017-01-01

Background: The shoulder mobility screen of the Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™) and the upper extremity patterns of the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) assess global, multi-joint movement capabilities in the upper-extremities. Identifying which assessment can most accurately determine if baseball players are at an increased risk of experiencing overuse symptoms in the shoulder or elbow throughout a competitive season may reduce throwing-related injuries requiring medical attention. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if preseason FMS™ or SFMA scores were related to overuse severity scores in the shoulder or elbow during the preseason and competitive season. Study design: Cohort study. Methods: Sixty healthy, male, Division III collegiate baseball players (mean age = 20.1 ± 2.0 years) underwent preseason testing using the FMS™ shoulder mobility screen, and SFMA upper extremity patterns. Their scores were dichotomized into good and bad movement scores, and were compared to weekly questionnaires registering overuse symptoms and pain severity in the shoulder or elbow during the season. Results: Poor FMS™ performance was associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing at least one overuse symptom during the preseason independent of grade and position (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 5.14, p = 0.03). Poor SFMA performance was associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing at least one overuse symptom during the preseason (adjusted OR = 6.10, p = 0.03) and during the competitive season (adjusted OR = 17.07, p = 0.03) independent of grade and position. Conclusion: FMS™ shoulder mobility and SFMA upper extremity pattern performance were related to the likelihood of experiencing overuse symptoms during a baseball season. Participants with poor FMSTM performances may be more likely to experience at least one overuse symptom in their shoulder or elbow during the preseason. Additionally, individuals with poor SFMA performances may be more likely to report overuse symptoms during the preseason or competitive season. Level of evidence: Level 3 PMID:29158957
Mapping landscape corridors

Treesearch

Peter Vogt; Kurt H. Riitters; Marcin Iwanowski; Christine Estreguil; Jacek Kozak; Pierre Soille

2007-01-01

Corridors are important geographic features for biological conservation and biodiversity assessment. The identification and mapping of corridors is usually based on visual interpretations of movement patterns (functional corridors) or habitat maps (structural corridors). We present a method for automated corridor mapping with morphological image processing, and...
Evaluation of reach and grasp robot-assisted therapy suggests similar functional recovery patterns on proximal and distal arm segments in sub-acute hemiplegia.

PubMed

Loureiro, Rui C V; Harwin, William S; Lamperd, Robert; Collin, Christine

2014-05-01

This paper provides some additional evidence in support of the hypothesis that robot therapies are clinically beneficial in neurorehabilitation. Although only four subjects were included in the study, the design of the intervention and the measures were done so as to minimize bias. The results are presented as single case studies, and can only be interpreted as such due to the study size. The intensity of intervention was 16 h and the therapy philosophy (based on Carr and Shepherd) was that coordinated movements are preferable to joint based therapies, and that coordinating distal movements (in this case grasps) helps not only to recover function in these areas, but has greater value since the results are immediately transferable to daily skills such as reach and grasp movements.
Hybrid assistive systems for rehabilitation: lessons learned from functional electrical therapy in hemiplegics.

PubMed

Popović, Dejan B; Popović, Mirjana B

2006-01-01

This paper suggests that the optimal method for promoting of the recovery of upper extremity function in hemiplegic individuals is the use of hybrid assistive systems (HAS). The suggested HAS is a combination of stimulation of paralyzed distal segments (hand) in synchrony with robot controlled movements of proximal segments (upper arm and forearm). The use of HAS is envisioned as part of voluntary activation of preserved sensory-motor systems during task related exercise. This HAS design follows our results from functional electrical therapy, constraint induced movement therapy, intensive exercise therapy, and use of robots for rehabilitation. The suggestion is also based on strong evidences that cortical plasticity is best promoted by task related exercise and patterned electrical stimulation.
Eye movements during object recognition in visual agnosia.

PubMed

Charles Leek, E; Patterson, Candy; Paul, Matthew A; Rafal, Robert; Cristino, Filipe

2012-07-01

This paper reports the first ever detailed study about eye movement patterns during single object recognition in visual agnosia. Eye movements were recorded in a patient with an integrative agnosic deficit during two recognition tasks: common object naming and novel object recognition memory. The patient showed normal directional biases in saccades and fixation dwell times in both tasks and was as likely as controls to fixate within object bounding contour regardless of recognition accuracy. In contrast, following initial saccades of similar amplitude to controls, the patient showed a bias for short saccades. In object naming, but not in recognition memory, the similarity of the spatial distributions of patient and control fixations was modulated by recognition accuracy. The study provides new evidence about how eye movements can be used to elucidate the functional impairments underlying object recognition deficits. We argue that the results reflect a breakdown in normal functional processes involved in the integration of shape information across object structure during the visual perception of shape. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abnormal motor patterns in the framework of the equilibrium-point hypothesis: a cause for dystonic movements?

PubMed

Latash, M L; Gutman, S R

1994-01-01

Until now, the equilibrium-point hypothesis (lambda model) of motor control has assumed nonintersecting force-length characteristics of the tonic stretch reflex for individual muscles. Limited data from animal experiments suggest, however, that such intersections may occur. We have assumed the possibility of intersection of the characteristics of the tonic stretch reflex and performed a computer simulation of movement trajectories and electromyographic patterns. The simulation has demonstrated, in particular, that a transient change in the slope of the characteristic of an agonist muscle may lead to temporary movement reversals, hesitations, oscillations, and multiple electromyographic bursts that are typical of movements of patients with dystonia. The movement patterns of three patients with idiopathic dystonia during attempts at fast single-joint movements (in the elbow, wrist, and ankle) were recorded and compared with the results of the computer simulation. This approach considers that motor disorders in dystonia result from faulty control patterns that may not correlate with any morphological or neurophysiological changes. It provides a basis for the high variability of dystonic movements. The uniqueness of abnormal motor patterns in dystonia, that precludes statistical analysis across patients, may result from subtle differences in the patterns of intersecting characteristics of the tonic stretch reflex. The applicability of our analysis to disordered multijoint movement patterns is discussed.
Multi-segmental movements as a function of experience in karate.

PubMed

Zago, Matteo; Codari, Marina; Iaia, F Marcello; Sforza, Chiarella

2017-08-01

Karate is a martial art that partly depends on subjective scoring of complex movements. Principal component analysis (PCA)-based methods can identify the fundamental synergies (principal movements) of motor system, providing a quantitative global analysis of technique. In this study, we aimed at describing the fundamental multi-joint synergies of a karate performance, under the hypothesis that the latter are skilldependent; estimate karateka's experience level, expressed as years of practice. A motion capture system recorded traditional karate techniques of 10 professional and amateur karateka. At any time point, the 3D-coordinates of body markers produced posture vectors that were normalised, concatenated from all karateka and submitted to a first PCA. Five principal movements described both gross movement synergies and individual differences. A second PCA followed by linear regression estimated the years of practice using principal movements (eigenpostures and weighting curves) and centre of mass kinematics (error: 3.71 years; R2 = 0.91, P ≪ 0.001). Principal movements and eigenpostures varied among different karateka and as functions of experience. This approach provides a framework to develop visual tools for the analysis of motor synergies in karate, allowing to detect the multi-joint motor patterns that should be restored after an injury, or to be specifically trained to increase performance.
The efficacy of the Microsoft KinectTM to assess human bimanual coordination.

PubMed

Liddy, Joshua J; Zelaznik, Howard N; Huber, Jessica E; Rietdyk, Shirley; Claxton, Laura J; Samuel, Arjmand; Haddad, Jeffrey M

2017-06-01

The Microsoft Kinect has been used in studies examining posture and gait. Despite the advantages of portability and low cost, this device has not been used to assess interlimb coordination. Fundamental insights into movement control, variability, health, and functional status can be gained by examining coordination patterns. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of the Microsoft Kinect to capture bimanual coordination relative to a research-grade motion capture system. Twenty-four healthy adults performed coordinated hand movements in two patterns (in-phase and antiphase) at eight movement frequencies (1.00-3.33 Hz). Continuous relative phase (CRP) and discrete relative phase (DRP) were used to quantify the means (mCRP and mDRP) and variability (sdCRP and sdDRP) of coordination patterns. Between-device agreement was assessed using Bland-Altman bias with 95 % limits of agreement, concordance correlation coefficients (absolute agreement), and Pearson correlation coefficients (relative agreement). Modest-to-excellent relative and absolute agreements were found for mCRP in all conditions. However, mDRP showed poor agreement for the in-phase pattern at low frequencies, due to large between-device differences in a subset of participants. By contrast, poor absolute agreement was observed for both sdCRP and sdDRP, while relative agreement ranged from poor to excellent. Overall, the Kinect captures the macroscopic patterns of bimanual coordination better than coordination variability.
Nonlinear analysis of human physical activity patterns in health and disease.

PubMed

Paraschiv-Ionescu, A; Buchser, E; Rutschmann, B; Aminian, K

2008-02-01

The reliable and objective assessment of chronic disease state has been and still is a very significant challenge in clinical medicine. An essential feature of human behavior related to the health status, the functional capacity, and the quality of life is the physical activity during daily life. A common way to assess physical activity is to measure the quantity of body movement. Since human activity is controlled by various factors both extrinsic and intrinsic to the body, quantitative parameters only provide a partial assessment and do not allow for a clear distinction between normal and abnormal activity. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the analysis of human activity pattern based on the definition of different physical activity time series with the appropriate analysis methods. The temporal pattern of postures, movements, and transitions between postures was quantified using fractal analysis and symbolic dynamics statistics. The derived nonlinear metrics were able to discriminate patterns of daily activity generated from healthy and chronic pain states.
Toward robust phase-locking in Melibe swim central pattern generator models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalil, Sajiya; Allen, Dane; Youker, Joseph; Shilnikov, Andrey

2013-12-01

Small groups of interneurons, abbreviated by CPG for central pattern generators, are arranged into neural networks to generate a variety of core bursting rhythms with specific phase-locked states, on distinct time scales, which govern vital motor behaviors in invertebrates such as chewing and swimming. These movements in lower level animals mimic motions of organs in higher animals due to evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Hence, various neurological diseases can be linked to abnormal movement of body parts that are regulated by a malfunctioning CPG. In this paper, we, being inspired by recent experimental studies of neuronal activity patterns recorded from a swimming motion CPG of the sea slug Melibe leonina, examine a mathematical model of a 4-cell network that can plausibly and stably underlie the observed bursting rhythm. We develop a dynamical systems framework for explaining the existence and robustness of phase-locked states in activity patterns produced by the modeled CPGs. The proposed tools can be used for identifying core components for other CPG networks with reliable bursting outcomes and specific phase relationships between the interneurons. Our findings can be employed for identifying or implementing the conditions for normal and pathological functioning of basic CPGs of animals and artificially intelligent prosthetics that can regulate various movements.
Movement and Movement Patterns of Early Childhood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, Caroline B.

This study was undertaken to determine the progressive development in movement and movement patterns (coordinated movements of body parts used involuntarily to achieve an objective) of children 2- to 6-years-old, to identify general characteristics which may be studied for appraisal of growth and development, and to study variations in movement…
Hand kinematics of piano playing

PubMed Central

Flanders, Martha; Soechting, John F.

2011-01-01

Dexterous use of the hand represents a sophisticated sensorimotor function. In behaviors such as playing the piano, it can involve strong temporal and spatial constraints. The purpose of this study was to determine fundamental patterns of covariation of motion across joints and digits of the human hand. Joint motion was recorded while 5 expert pianists played 30 excerpts from musical pieces, which featured ∼50 different tone sequences and fingering. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis using an expectation-maximization algorithm revealed that joint velocities could be categorized into several patterns, which help to simplify the description of the movements of the multiple degrees of freedom of the hand. For the thumb keystroke, two distinct patterns of joint movement covariation emerged and they depended on the spatiotemporal patterns of the task. For example, the thumb-under maneuver was clearly separated into two clusters based on the direction of hand translation along the keyboard. While the pattern of the thumb joint velocities differed between these clusters, the motions at the metacarpo-phalangeal and proximal-phalangeal joints of the four fingers were more consistent. For a keystroke executed with one of the fingers, there were three distinct patterns of joint rotations, across which motion at the striking finger was fairly consistent, but motion of the other fingers was more variable. Furthermore, the amount of movement spillover of the striking finger to the adjacent fingers was small irrespective of the finger used for the keystroke. These findings describe an unparalleled amount of independent motion of the fingers. PMID:21880938
Coupling dynamics in speech gestures: amplitude and rate influences.

PubMed

van Lieshout, Pascal H H M

2017-08-01

Speech is a complex oral motor function that involves multiple articulators that need to be coordinated in space and time at relatively high movement speeds. How this is accomplished remains an important and largely unresolved empirical question. From a coordination dynamics perspective, coordination involves the assembly of coordinative units that are characterized by inherently stable coupling patterns that act as attractor states for task-specific actions. In the motor control literature, one particular model formulated by Haken et al. (Biol Cybern 51(5):347-356, 1985) or HKB has received considerable attention in the way it can account for changes in the nature and stability of specific coordination patterns between limbs or between limbs and external stimuli. In this model (and related versions), movement amplitude is considered a critical factor in the formation of these patterns. Several studies have demonstrated its role for bimanual coordination and similar types of tasks, but for speech motor control such studies are lacking. The current study describes a systematic approach to evaluate the impact of movement amplitude and movement duration on coordination stability in the production of bilabial and tongue body gestures for specific vowel-consonant-vowel strings. The vowel combinations that were used induced a natural contrast in movement amplitude at three speaking rate conditions (slow, habitual, fast). Data were collected on ten young adults using electromagnetic articulography, recording movement data from lips and tongue with high temporal and spatial precision. The results showed that with small movement amplitudes there is a decrease in coordination stability, independent from movement duration. These findings were found to be robust across all individuals and are interpreted as further evidence that principles of coupling dynamics operate in the oral motor control system similar to other motor systems and can be explained in terms of coupling mechanisms between neural oscillators (organized in networks) and effector systems. The relevance of these findings for understanding motor control issues in people with speech disorders is discussed as well.
Improving EMG based classification of basic hand movements using EMD.

PubMed

Sapsanis, Christos; Georgoulas, George; Tzes, Anthony; Lymberopoulos, Dimitrios

2013-01-01

This paper presents a pattern recognition approach for the identification of basic hand movements using surface electromyographic (EMG) data. The EMG signal is decomposed using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) into Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) and subsequently a feature extraction stage takes place. Various combinations of feature subsets are tested using a simple linear classifier for the detection task. Our results suggest that the use of EMD can increase the discrimination ability of the conventional feature sets extracted from the raw EMG signal.
Temporal patterns in road crossing behaviour in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) at sites with wildlife warning reflectors

PubMed Central

Kämmerle, Jim-Lino; Kröschel, Max; Hagen, Robert; Storch, Ilse; Suchant, Rudi

2017-01-01

Every year, there are millions of documented vehicle collisions involving cervids across Europe and North America. While temporal patterns in collision occurrence are relatively well described, few studies have targeted deer behaviour as a critical component of collision prevention. In this study, we investigated weekly and daily patterns in road crossing behaviour in roe deer. Using road crossing events and movement data obtained from GPS telemetry, we employed mixed-effect models to explain frequency and timing of crossings at five road segments by a number of predictors including traffic volume, deer movement activity and the presence of wildlife warning reflectors. We analysed 13,689 road crossing events by 32 study animals. Individual variation in crossing frequency was high but daily patterns in crossing events were highly consistent among animals. Variation in the intensity of movement activity on a daily and seasonal scale was the main driver of road crossing behaviour. The seasonal variation in crossing frequency reflected differences in movement activity throughout the reproductive cycle, while daily variation in the probability to cross exhibited a clear nocturnal emphasis and reflected crepuscular activity peaks. The frequency of road crossings increased as a function of road density in the home-range, while traffic volume only exerted marginal effects. Movement activity of roe deer in our study coincided with commuter traffic mainly in the early morning and late afternoon during winter and during periods of high spatial activity such as the rut. Both timing and frequency of crossing events remained unchanged in the presence of reflectors. Our results emphasise the importance of behavioural studies for understanding roe deer vehicle-collision patterns and thus provide important information for collision prevention. We suggest that mitigation of collision risk should focus on strategic seasonal measures and animal warning systems targeting drivers. PMID:28953951
Changing beliefs for changing movement and pain: Classification-based cognitive functional therapy (CB-CFT) for chronic non-specific low back pain.

PubMed

Meziat Filho, N

2016-02-01

This case report presents the effect of classification-based cognitive functional therapy in a patient with chronic disabling low back pain. The patient was assessed using a multidimensional biopsychosocial classification system and was classified as having flexion pattern of movement impairment disorder. Management of this patient was to change her belief that bending over and sitting would cause damage to her disc, combined with active exercises for graded exposure to lumbar flexion to restore normal movement. Three months after the first appointment, the treatment resulted in reduced pain, the mitigation of fear avoidance beliefs and the remediation of functional disability. The patient returned to work and was walking for one hour a day on a treadmill. The cognitive intervention to change the patient's negative beliefs related to the biomedical model was important to make the graded exercises and the lifestyle changes possible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Using an Artificial Neural Bypass to Restore Cortical Control of Rhythmic Movements in a Human with Quadriplegia

PubMed Central

Sharma, Gaurav; Friedenberg, David A.; Annetta, Nicholas; Glenn, Bradley; Bockbrader, Marcie; Majstorovic, Connor; Domas, Stephanie; Mysiw, W. Jerry; Rezai, Ali; Bouton, Chad

2016-01-01

Neuroprosthetic technology has been used to restore cortical control of discrete (non-rhythmic) hand movements in a paralyzed person. However, cortical control of rhythmic movements which originate in the brain but are coordinated by Central Pattern Generator (CPG) neural networks in the spinal cord has not been demonstrated previously. Here we show a demonstration of an artificial neural bypass technology that decodes cortical activity and emulates spinal cord CPG function allowing volitional rhythmic hand movement. The technology uses a combination of signals recorded from the brain, machine-learning algorithms to decode the signals, a numerical model of CPG network, and a neuromuscular electrical stimulation system to evoke rhythmic movements. Using the neural bypass, a quadriplegic participant was able to initiate, sustain, and switch between rhythmic and discrete finger movements, using his thoughts alone. These results have implications in advancing neuroprosthetic technology to restore complex movements in people living with paralysis. PMID:27658585
Further studies of crania from ancient northern Africa: an analysis of crania from first dynasty Egyptian tombs, using discriminant functions.

PubMed

Keita, S O

1992-03-01

An analysis of First Dynasty crania from Abydos was undertaken using multiple discriminant functions. The results demonstrate greater affinity with Upper Nile Valley patterns, but also suggest change from earlier craniometric trends. Gene flow and movement of northern officials to the important southern city may explain the findings.
Modeling discrete and rhythmic movements through motor primitives: a review.

PubMed

Degallier, Sarah; Ijspeert, Auke

2010-10-01

Rhythmic and discrete movements are frequently considered separately in motor control, probably because different techniques are commonly used to study and model them. Yet the increasing interest in finding a comprehensive model for movement generation requires bridging the different perspectives arising from the study of those two types of movements. In this article, we consider discrete and rhythmic movements within the framework of motor primitives, i.e., of modular generation of movements. In this way we hope to gain an insight into the functional relationships between discrete and rhythmic movements and thus into a suitable representation for both of them. Within this framework we can define four possible categories of modeling for discrete and rhythmic movements depending on the required command signals and on the spinal processes involved in the generation of the movements. These categories are first discussed in terms of biological concepts such as force fields and central pattern generators and then illustrated by several mathematical models based on dynamical system theory. A discussion on the plausibility of theses models concludes the work.

Patterned control of human locomotion

PubMed Central

Lacquaniti, Francesco; Ivanenko, Yuri P; Zago, Myrka

2012-01-01

There is much experimental evidence for the existence of biomechanical constraints which simplify the problem of control of multi-segment movements. In addition, it has been hypothesized that movements are controlled using a small set of basic temporal components or activation patterns, shared by several different muscles and reflecting global kinematic and kinetic goals. Here we review recent studies on human locomotion showing that muscle activity is accounted for by a combination of few basic patterns, each one timed at a different phase of the gait cycle. Similar patterns are involved in walking and running at different speeds, walking forwards or backwards, and walking under different loading conditions. The corresponding weights of distribution to different muscles may change as a function of the condition, allowing highly flexible control. Biomechanical correlates of each activation pattern have been described, leading to the hypothesis that the co-ordination of limb and body segments arises from the coupling of neural oscillators between each other and with limb mechanical oscillators. Muscle activations need only intervene during limited time epochs to force intrinsic oscillations of the system when energy is lost. PMID:22411012
Patterned control of human locomotion.

PubMed

Lacquaniti, Francesco; Ivanenko, Yuri P; Zago, Myrka

2012-05-15

There is much experimental evidence for the existence of biomechanical constraints which simplify the problem of control of multi-segment movements. In addition, it has been hypothesized that movements are controlled using a small set of basic temporal components or activation patterns, shared by several different muscles and reflecting global kinematic and kinetic goals. Here we review recent studies on human locomotion showing that muscle activity is accounted for by a combination of few basic patterns, each one timed at a different phase of the gait cycle. Similar patterns are involved in walking and running at different speeds, walking forwards or backwards, and walking under different loading conditions. The corresponding weights of distribution to different muscles may change as a function of the condition, allowing highly flexible control. Biomechanical correlates of each activation pattern have been described, leading to the hypothesis that the co-ordination of limb and body segments arises from the coupling of neural oscillators between each other and with limb mechanical oscillators. Muscle activations need only intervene during limited time epochs to force intrinsic oscillations of the system when energy is lost.
A functional movement screen profile of an Australian state police force: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Orr, Robin Marc; Pope, Rodney; Stierli, Michael; Hinton, Ben

2016-07-18

Police officers are required to perform dynamic movements in unpredictable environments, the results of which can lead to injury. Early identification of poor movement patterns of a police population, and potential sub groups within this population, may provide opportunities to treat and minimise injury risks. The aim of this study was to profile the functional movement capabilities of an Australian state police force and potential sub groups through a retrospective cohort study. Retrospective data from an Australian State Police Force were provided for analysis (♂ n = 1155, mean (±SD) age = 31.34 ± 8.41 years: ♀ n = 357, mean age = 27.99 ± 8.02 years). Data consisted of Functional Movement Screen (FMS) assessment results of male and female trainees and qualified police officers with all assessments conducted by a qualified Police Physical Training Instructor. Significantly higher (U = 253863, p < .001) FMS total scores were found for recruits (mean 15.23 ± SD 2.01 points) when compared to attested officers (14.57 ± 2.96 points) and differences in FMS total scores also approached significance for females (15.24 ± 2.35 points) when compared to males (14.84 ± 2.55 points, U = 186926, p = .007), with age found to be a key, significant factor in explaining these observed differences (F (1,1507) = 23.519, p < .001). The FMS components demonstrating poorest movement performance across all groups were the hurdle step and rotary stability. Generally, police personnel (both attested officers and recruits of both genders) of greater age have a lower functional movement capability when compared to younger personnel, with greater percentages scoring 14 or below on the FMS. Specific conditioning programs to improve strength, range of motion and stability during identified key movement types in those demonstrating poorer movement performance may serve to reduce injuries in police personnel.
A Systematic Survey of Expression and Function of Zebrafish frizzled Genes

PubMed Central

Nikaido, Masataka; Law, Edward W. P.; Kelsh, Robert N.

2013-01-01

Wnt signaling is crucial for the regulation of numerous processes in development. Consistent with this, the gene families for both the ligands (Wnts) and receptors (Frizzleds) are very large. Surprisingly, while we have a reasonable understanding of the Wnt ligands likely to mediate specific Wnt-dependent processes, the corresponding receptors usually remain to be elucidated. Taking advantage of the zebrafish model's excellent genomic and genetic properties, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of the expression patterns of frizzled (fzd) genes in zebrafish. To explore their functions, we focused on testing their requirement in several developmental events known to be regulated by Wnt signaling, convergent extension movements of gastrulation, neural crest induction, and melanocyte specification. We found fourteen distinct fzd genes in the zebrafish genome. Systematic analysis of their expression patterns between 1-somite and 30 hours post-fertilization revealed complex, dynamic and overlapping expression patterns. This analysis demonstrated that only fzd3a, fzd9b, and fzd10 are expressed in the dorsal neural tube at stages corresponding to the timing of melanocyte specification. Surprisingly, however, morpholino knockdown of these, alone or in combination, gave no indication of reduction of melanocytes, suggesting the important involvement of untested fzds or another type of Wnt receptor in this process. Likewise, we found only fzd7b and fzd10 expressed at the border of the neural plate at stages appropriate for neural crest induction. However, neural crest markers were not reduced by knockdown of these receptors. Instead, these morpholino knockdown studies showed that fzd7a and fzd7b work co-operatively to regulate convergent extension movement during gastrulation. Furthermore, we show that the two fzd7 genes function together with fzd10 to regulate epiboly movements and mesoderm differentiation. PMID:23349976
Effects of special exercise programs on functional movement screen scores and injury prevention in preprofessional young football players.

PubMed

Dinc, Engin; Kilinc, Bekir Eray; Bulat, Muge; Erten, Yunus Turgay; Bayraktar, Bülent

2017-10-01

To increase movement capacity and to reduce injury risk in young soccer players by implementing a special functional exercise program based on functional movement screen (FMS) and correctives. 67 young male athletes 14-19 years of age from a Super League Football Club Academy participated in the study. Functional movement patterns were evaluated with FMS assessment protocol. Deep squat, hurdle step, inline lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up, and rotatory stability were examined in FMS. Considering the FMS scores the number of intervention and control groups were defined as 24 and 43, respectively. Intervention program was composed of 1 hr twice a week sessions in total of 12 weeks with 4 weeks of mobility, 4 weeks of stability, and 4 weeks of integration exercises. At the end of 12-week intervention and control groups were re-evaluated with FMS protocol. Contact and noncontact sports injuries recorded during one season. In intervention group there was statistically significant difference in increase in total FMS scores ( P <0.01), deep squat ( P ≤0.001), hurdle step ( P <0.05), inline lunge ( P <0.01), and trunk stability push-up ( P <0.01). In control group total FMS, deep squat, and trunk stability push-up scores increased with a statistical difference ( P <0.01, P <0.05, P ≤0.01, respectively). The incidence of noncontact injury in control group was higher than intervention group ( P <0.05). Periodic movement screening and proper corrections with functional training is valuable in order to create better movement capacity to build better physical performance and more effective injury prevention.
Neurobiological foundations of neurologic music therapy: rhythmic entrainment and the motor system

PubMed Central

Thaut, Michael H.; McIntosh, Gerald C.; Hoemberg, Volker

2015-01-01

Entrainment is defined by a temporal locking process in which one system’s motion or signal frequency entrains the frequency of another system. This process is a universal phenomenon that can be observed in physical (e.g., pendulum clocks) and biological systems (e.g., fire flies). However, entrainment can also be observed between human sensory and motor systems. The function of rhythmic entrainment in rehabilitative training and learning was established for the first time by Thaut and colleagues in several research studies in the early 1990s. It was shown that the inherent periodicity of auditory rhythmic patterns could entrain movement patterns in patients with movement disorders (see for a review: Thaut et al., 1999). Physiological, kinematic, and behavioral movement analysis showed very quickly that entrainment cues not only changed the timing of movement but also improved spatial and force parameters. Mathematical models have shown that anticipatory rhythmic templates as critical time constraints can result in the complete specification of the dynamics of a movement over the entire movement cycle, thereby optimizing motor planning and execution. Furthermore, temporal rhythmic entrainment has been successfully extended into applications in cognitive rehabilitation and speech and language rehabilitation, and thus become one of the major neurological mechanisms linking music and rhythm to brain rehabilitation. These findings provided a scientific basis for the development of neurologic music therapy. PMID:25774137
Neurobiological foundations of neurologic music therapy: rhythmic entrainment and the motor system.

PubMed

Thaut, Michael H; McIntosh, Gerald C; Hoemberg, Volker

2014-01-01

Entrainment is defined by a temporal locking process in which one system's motion or signal frequency entrains the frequency of another system. This process is a universal phenomenon that can be observed in physical (e.g., pendulum clocks) and biological systems (e.g., fire flies). However, entrainment can also be observed between human sensory and motor systems. The function of rhythmic entrainment in rehabilitative training and learning was established for the first time by Thaut and colleagues in several research studies in the early 1990s. It was shown that the inherent periodicity of auditory rhythmic patterns could entrain movement patterns in patients with movement disorders (see for a review: Thaut et al., 1999). Physiological, kinematic, and behavioral movement analysis showed very quickly that entrainment cues not only changed the timing of movement but also improved spatial and force parameters. Mathematical models have shown that anticipatory rhythmic templates as critical time constraints can result in the complete specification of the dynamics of a movement over the entire movement cycle, thereby optimizing motor planning and execution. Furthermore, temporal rhythmic entrainment has been successfully extended into applications in cognitive rehabilitation and speech and language rehabilitation, and thus become one of the major neurological mechanisms linking music and rhythm to brain rehabilitation. These findings provided a scientific basis for the development of neurologic music therapy.
Maturation of body and breathing movements in 24-33 week-old fetuses threatening to deliver prematurely.

PubMed

Kisilevsky, B S; Hains, S M; Low, J A

1999-05-01

Maturation of spontaneous fetal body and breathing movements of 24- to 33-week-old fetuses in 168 pregnancies threatening to deliver prematurely were examined on the basis of newborn outcome (premature compromised, premature healthy, term healthy). Maturation of fetuses in 60 low-risk pregnancies delivering as healthy full-term infants served as a normative comparison group. Each fetus was observed for 30 min; the amount of body and breathing movements were noted and an estimation of amniotic fluid volume was made. The pattern of behavioural maturation was similar for all outcome groups; with advancing gestation there was a decrease in body movements and an increase in breathing movements. Both reduced activity levels and advanced behaviours were observed in the high-risk outcome groups. The high-risk fetuses had reduced levels of body movements which increased with better outcome and, an earlier onset of increased amounts of breathing, occurring at 30 weeks in contrast to 33 weeks for the comparison group. In the presence of ruptured membranes, those high-risk fetuses who were born prematurely had less breathing compared to those who delivered at term. Similar maturation patterns among high- and low-risk outcome groups suggests normal/typical functional development in the high-risk fetal groups. The observed differential behaviours were associated with prematurity and most likely associated with events leading to premature labour.
Inducing any virtual two-dimensional movement in humans by applying muscle tendon vibration.

PubMed

Roll, Jean-Pierre; Albert, Frédéric; Thyrion, Chloé; Ribot-Ciscar, Edith; Bergenheim, Mikael; Mattei, Benjamin

2009-02-01

In humans, tendon vibration evokes illusory sensation of movement. We developed a model mimicking the muscle afferent patterns corresponding to any two-dimensional movement and checked its validity by inducing writing illusory movements through specific sets of muscle vibrators. Three kinds of illusory movements were compared. The first was induced by vibration patterns copying the responses of muscle spindle afferents previously recorded by microneurography during imposed ankle movements. The two others were generated by the model. Sixteen different vibratory patterns were applied to 20 motionless volunteers in the absence of vision. After each vibration sequence, the participants were asked to name the corresponding graphic symbol and then to reproduce the illusory movement perceived. Results showed that the afferent patterns generated by the model were very similar to those recorded microneurographically during actual ankle movements (r=0.82). The model was also very efficient for generating afferent response patterns at the wrist level, if the preferred sensory directions of the wrist muscle groups were first specified. Using recorded and modeled proprioceptive patterns to pilot sets of vibrators placed at the ankle or wrist levels evoked similar illusory movements, which were correctly identified by the participants in three quarters of the trials. Our proprioceptive model, based on neurosensory data recorded in behaving humans, should then be a useful tool in fields of research such as sensorimotor learning, rehabilitation, and virtual reality.
Planning Ahead: Object-Directed Sequential Actions Decoded from Human Frontoparietal and Occipitotemporal Networks

PubMed Central

Gallivan, Jason P.; Johnsrude, Ingrid S.; Randall Flanagan, J.

2016-01-01

Object-manipulation tasks (e.g., drinking from a cup) typically involve sequencing together a series of distinct motor acts (e.g., reaching toward, grasping, lifting, and transporting the cup) in order to accomplish some overarching goal (e.g., quenching thirst). Although several studies in humans have investigated the neural mechanisms supporting the planning of visually guided movements directed toward objects (such as reaching or pointing), only a handful have examined how manipulatory sequences of actions—those that occur after an object has been grasped—are planned and represented in the brain. Here, using event-related functional MRI and pattern decoding methods, we investigated the neural basis of real-object manipulation using a delayed-movement task in which participants first prepared and then executed different object-directed action sequences that varied either in their complexity or final spatial goals. Consistent with previous reports of preparatory brain activity in non-human primates, we found that activity patterns in several frontoparietal areas reliably predicted entire action sequences in advance of movement. Notably, we found that similar sequence-related information could also be decoded from pre-movement signals in object- and body-selective occipitotemporal cortex (OTC). These findings suggest that both frontoparietal and occipitotemporal circuits are engaged in transforming object-related information into complex, goal-directed movements. PMID:25576538
Individual Movement Strategies Revealed through Novel Clustering of Emergent Movement Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valle, Denis; Cvetojevic, Sreten; Robertson, Ellen P.; Reichert, Brian E.; Hochmair, Hartwig H.; Fletcher, Robert J.

2017-03-01

Understanding movement is critical in several disciplines but analysis methods often neglect key information by adopting each location as sampling unit, rather than each individual. We introduce a novel statistical method that, by focusing on individuals, enables better identification of temporal dynamics of connectivity, traits of individuals that explain emergent movement patterns, and sites that play a critical role in connecting subpopulations. We apply this method to two examples that span movement networks that vary considerably in size and questions: movements of an endangered raptor, the snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), and human movement in Florida inferred from Twitter. For snail kites, our method reveals substantial differences in movement strategies for different bird cohorts and temporal changes in connectivity driven by the invasion of an exotic food resource, illustrating the challenge of identifying critical connectivity sites for conservation in the presence of global change. For human movement, our method is able to reliably determine the origin of Florida visitors and identify distinct movement patterns within Florida for visitors from different places, providing near real-time information on the spatial and temporal patterns of tourists. These results emphasize the need to integrate individual variation to generate new insights when modeling movement data.
Hand Rehabilitation Learning System With an Exoskeleton Robotic Glove.

PubMed

Ma, Zhou; Ben-Tzvi, Pinhas; Danoff, Jerome

2016-12-01

This paper presents a hand rehabilitation learning system, the SAFE Glove, a device that can be utilized to enhance the rehabilitation of subjects with disabilities. This system is able to learn fingertip motion and force for grasping different objects and then record and analyze the common movements of hand function including grip and release patterns. The glove is then able to reproduce these movement patterns in playback fashion to assist a weakened hand to accomplish these movements, or to modulate the assistive level based on the user's or therapist's intent for the purpose of hand rehabilitation therapy. Preliminary data have been collected from healthy hands. To demonstrate the glove's ability to manipulate the hand, the glove has been fitted on a wooden hand and the grasping of various objects was performed. To further prove that hands can be safely driven by this haptic mechanism, force sensor readings placed between each finger and the mechanism are plotted. These experimental results demonstrate the potential of the proposed system in rehabilitation therapy.
Understanding eye movements in face recognition using hidden Markov models.

PubMed

Chuk, Tim; Chan, Antoni B; Hsiao, Janet H

2014-09-16

We use a hidden Markov model (HMM) based approach to analyze eye movement data in face recognition. HMMs are statistical models that are specialized in handling time-series data. We conducted a face recognition task with Asian participants, and model each participant's eye movement pattern with an HMM, which summarized the participant's scan paths in face recognition with both regions of interest and the transition probabilities among them. By clustering these HMMs, we showed that participants' eye movements could be categorized into holistic or analytic patterns, demonstrating significant individual differences even within the same culture. Participants with the analytic pattern had longer response times, but did not differ significantly in recognition accuracy from those with the holistic pattern. We also found that correct and wrong recognitions were associated with distinctive eye movement patterns; the difference between the two patterns lies in the transitions rather than locations of the fixations alone. © 2014 ARVO.
Movement coordination patterns between the foot joints during walking.

PubMed

Arnold, John B; Caravaggi, Paolo; Fraysse, François; Thewlis, Dominic; Leardini, Alberto

2017-01-01

In 3D gait analysis, kinematics of the foot joints are usually reported via isolated time histories of joint rotations and no information is provided on the relationship between rotations at different joints. The aim of this study was to identify movement coordination patterns in the foot during walking by expanding an existing vector coding technique according to an established multi-segment foot and ankle model. A graphical representation is also described to summarise the coordination patterns of joint rotations across multiple patients. Three-dimensional multi-segment foot kinematics were recorded in 13 adults during walking. A modified vector coding technique was used to identify coordination patterns between foot joints involving calcaneus, midfoot, metatarsus and hallux segments. According to the type and direction of joints rotations, these were classified as in-phase (same direction), anti-phase (opposite directions), proximal or distal joint dominant. In early stance, 51 to 75% of walking trials showed proximal-phase coordination between foot joints comprising the calcaneus, midfoot and metatarsus. In-phase coordination was more prominent in late stance, reflecting synergy in the simultaneous inversion occurring at multiple foot joints. Conversely, a distal-phase coordination pattern was identified for sagittal plane motion of the ankle relative to the midtarsal joint, highlighting the critical role of arch shortening to locomotor function in push-off. This study has identified coordination patterns between movement of the calcaneus, midfoot, metatarsus and hallux by expanding an existing vector cording technique for assessing and classifying coordination patterns of foot joints rotations during walking. This approach provides a different perspective in the analysis of multi-segment foot kinematics, and may be used for the objective quantification of the alterations in foot joint coordination patterns due to lower limb pathologies or following injuries.
Evolutionary Patterns of RNA-Based Duplication in Non-Mammalian Chordates

PubMed Central

Li, Xin; Vibranovski, Maria D.; Gan, Xiaoni; Wang, Dengqiang; Wang, Wen; Long, Manyuan; He, Shunping

2011-01-01

The role of RNA-based duplication, or retroposition, in the evolution of new gene functions in mammals, plants, and Drosophila has been widely reported. However, little is known about RNA-based duplication in non-mammalian chordates. In this study, we screened ten non-mammalian chordate genomes for retrocopies and investigated their evolutionary patterns. We identified numerous retrocopies in these species. Examination of the age distribution of these retrocopies revealed no burst of young retrocopies in ancient chordate species. Upon comparing these non-mammalian chordate species to the mammalian species, we observed that a larger fraction of the non-mammalian retrocopies was under strong evolutionary constraints than mammalian retrocopies are, as evidenced by signals of purifying selection and expression profiles. For the Western clawed frog, Medaka, and Sea squirt, many retrogenes have evolved gonad and brain expression patterns, similar to what was observed in human. Testing of retrogene movement in the Medaka genome, where the nascent sex chrosomes have been well assembled, did not reveal any significant gene movement. Taken together, our analyses demonstrate that RNA-based duplication generates many functional genes and can make a significant contribution to the evolution of non-mammalian genomes. PMID:21779328
A unifying framework for quantifying the nature of animal interactions.

PubMed

Potts, Jonathan R; Mokross, Karl; Lewis, Mark A

2014-07-06

Collective phenomena, whereby agent-agent interactions determine spatial patterns, are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. On the other hand, movement and space use are also greatly influenced by the interactions between animals and their environment. Despite both types of interaction fundamentally influencing animal behaviour, there has hitherto been no unifying framework for the models proposed in both areas. Here, we construct a general method for inferring population-level spatial patterns from underlying individual movement and interaction processes, a key ingredient in building a statistical mechanics for ecological systems. We show that resource selection functions, as well as several examples of collective motion models, arise as special cases of our framework, thus bringing together resource selection analysis and collective animal behaviour into a single theory. In particular, we focus on combining the various mechanistic models of territorial interactions in the literature with step selection functions, by incorporating interactions into the step selection framework and demonstrating how to derive territorial patterns from the resulting models. We demonstrate the efficacy of our model by application to a population of insectivore birds in the Amazon rainforest. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
Do Communication Disorders Extend to Musical Messages?: An Answer from Children with Hearing Loss or Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Whipple, Christina M.; Gfeller, Kate; Driscoll, Virginia; Oleson, Jacob; McGregor, Karla

2014-01-01

Background Effective musical communication requires conveyance of the intended message in a manner perceptible to the receiver. Communication disorders that impair transmitting or decoding of structural features of music (e.g., pitch, timbre) and/or symbolic representation may result in atypical musical communication, which can have a negative impact on music therapy interventions. Objective This study compared recognition of symbolic representation of emotions or movements in music by two groups of children with different communicative characteristics: severe to profound hearing loss (using cochlear implants [CI]) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their responses were compared to those of children with typical-development and normal hearing (TD-NH). Accuracy was examined as a function of communicative status, emotional or movement category, and individual characteristics. Methods Participants listened to recorded musical excerpts conveying emotions or movements and matched them with labels. Measures relevant to auditory and/or language function were also gathered. Results There was no significant difference between the ASD and TD-NH groups in identification of musical emotions or movements. However, the CI group was significantly less accurate than the other two groups in identification of both emotions and movements. Mixed effects logistic regression revealed different patterns of accuracy for specific emotions as a function of group. Conclusion Conveyance of emotions or movements through music may be decoded differently by persons with different types of communication disorders. Because music is the primary therapeutic tool in music therapy sessions, clinicians should consider these differential abilities when selecting music for clinical interventions focusing on emotions or movement. PMID:25691513
Mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) movements in the Texas Chenier Plain Region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moon, Jena A.; Haukos, David A.; Conway, Warren C.

2015-01-01

As a surrogate species for Strategic Habitat Conservation, the mottled duck (Anas fulgivula) is an indicator species to coastal marsh health and function. Currently, biologists have a relatively poor understanding of regional mottled duck movements. We outfitted adult female mottled ducks with solar satellite transmitters during summer 2009–2011. Movement patterns were measured among years and phenology, in relation to available habitat at the landscape level, and in association to potential disturbance. Movement distances were measured in ArcGIS and then evaluated using analysis of variance for independent variables of year, month, biological time period, and season. Average weekly distances traveled by mottled ducks were relatively short (<5,000m) compared to other waterfowl. Movement occurrence and distance were linked to biological season with longest distances documented during the molt period. Movements also differed among years, with drought conditions associated with longer movement distances. Magnitude of movements may be an indicator of habitat quality for mottled ducks in the Texas Chenier Plain Region. By focusing on providing large freshwater pools and fresh/intermediate marsh during the molt period, managers could positively impact mottled ducks.
Convergence of marine megafauna movement patterns in coastal and open oceans.

PubMed

Sequeira, A M M; Rodríguez, J P; Eguíluz, V M; Harcourt, R; Hindell, M; Sims, D W; Duarte, C M; Costa, D P; Fernández-Gracia, J; Ferreira, L C; Hays, G C; Heupel, M R; Meekan, M G; Aven, A; Bailleul, F; Baylis, A M M; Berumen, M L; Braun, C D; Burns, J; Caley, M J; Campbell, R; Carmichael, R H; Clua, E; Einoder, L D; Friedlaender, Ari; Goebel, M E; Goldsworthy, S D; Guinet, C; Gunn, J; Hamer, D; Hammerschlag, N; Hammill, M; Hückstädt, L A; Humphries, N E; Lea, M-A; Lowther, A; Mackay, A; McHuron, E; McKenzie, J; McLeay, L; McMahon, C R; Mengersen, K; Muelbert, M M C; Pagano, A M; Page, B; Queiroz, N; Robinson, P W; Shaffer, S A; Shivji, M; Skomal, G B; Thorrold, S R; Villegas-Amtmann, S; Weise, M; Wells, R; Wetherbee, B; Wiebkin, A; Wienecke, B; Thums, M

2018-03-20

The extent of increasing anthropogenic impacts on large marine vertebrates partly depends on the animals' movement patterns. Effective conservation requires identification of the key drivers of movement including intrinsic properties and extrinsic constraints associated with the dynamic nature of the environments the animals inhabit. However, the relative importance of intrinsic versus extrinsic factors remains elusive. We analyze a global dataset of ∼2.8 million locations from >2,600 tracked individuals across 50 marine vertebrates evolutionarily separated by millions of years and using different locomotion modes (fly, swim, walk/paddle). Strikingly, movement patterns show a remarkable convergence, being strongly conserved across species and independent of body length and mass, despite these traits ranging over 10 orders of magnitude among the species studied. This represents a fundamental difference between marine and terrestrial vertebrates not previously identified, likely linked to the reduced costs of locomotion in water. Movement patterns were primarily explained by the interaction between species-specific traits and the habitat(s) they move through, resulting in complex movement patterns when moving close to coasts compared with more predictable patterns when moving in open oceans. This distinct difference may be associated with greater complexity within coastal microhabitats, highlighting a critical role of preferred habitat in shaping marine vertebrate global movements. Efforts to develop understanding of the characteristics of vertebrate movement should consider the habitat(s) through which they move to identify how movement patterns will alter with forecasted severe ocean changes, such as reduced Arctic sea ice cover, sea level rise, and declining oxygen content.
Goal-directed arm movements in children with fetal alcohol syndrome: a kinematic approach.

PubMed

Domellöf, E; Fagard, J; Jacquet, A-Y; Rönnqvist, L

2011-02-01

Although many studies have documented deficits in general motor functioning in children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), few have employed detailed measurements to explore the specific nature of such disabilities. This pilot study explores whether three-dimensional (3D) kinematic analysis may generate increased knowledge of the effect of intrauterine alcohol exposure on motor control processes by detecting atypical upper-limb movement pattern specificity in children with FAS relative to typically developing (TD) children. Left and right arm and head movements during a sequential unimanual goal-directed precision task in a sample of children with FAS and in TD children were registered by an optoelectronic tracking system (ProReflex, Qualisys Inc.). Children with FAS demonstrated evidently poorer task performance compared with TD children. Additionally, analyses of arm movement kinematics revealed atypical spatio-temporal organization in the children with FAS. In general, they exhibited longer arm movement trajectories at both the proximal and distal level, faster velocities at the proximal level but slower at the distal level, and more segmented distal movements. Children with FAS also showed atypically augmented and fast head movements during the task performance. Findings indicate neuromotor deficits and developmental delay in goal-directed arm movements because of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is suggested that 3D kinematic analysis is a valid technique for furthering the understanding of motor control processes in children with FAS/fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. A combination with relevant neuroimaging techniques in future studies would enable a more clear-cut interpretation of how atypical movement patterns relate to underlying brain abnormalities. © 2010 The Author(s). European Journal of Neurology © 2010 EFNS.

Coordination of reach-to-grasp kinematics in individuals with childhood-onset dystonia due to hemiplegic cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

Kukke, Sahana N.; Curatalo, Lindsey A.; de Campos, Ana Carolina; Hallett, Mark; Alter, Katharine E.; Damiano, Diane L.

2015-01-01

Functional reaching is impaired in dystonia. Here, we analyze upper extremity kinematics to quantify timing and coordination abnormalities during unimanual reach-to-grasp movements in individuals with childhood-onset unilateral wrist dystonia. Kinematics were measured during movements of both upper limbs in a patient group (n = 11, age = 17.5 ± 5 years), and a typically developing control group (n = 9, age = 16.6 ± 5 years). Hand aperture was computed to study the coordination of reach and grasp. Time-varying joint synergies within one upper limb were calculated using a novel technique based on principal component analysis to study intra-limb coordination. In the non-dominant arm, results indicate reduced coordination between reach and grasp in patients who could not lift the grasped object compared to those who could lift it. Lifters exhibit incoordination in distal upper extremity joints later in the movement and non-lifters lacked coordination throughout the movement and in the whole upper limb. The amount of atypical coordination correlates with dystonia severity in patients. Reduced coordination during movement may reflect deficits in the execution of simultaneous movements, motor planning, or muscle activation. Rehabilitation efforts can focus on particular time points when kinematic patterns deviate abnormally to improve functional reaching in individuals with childhood-onset dystonia. PMID:26208359
Coordination of Reach-to-Grasp Kinematics in Individuals With Childhood-Onset Dystonia Due to Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Kukke, Sahana N; Curatalo, Lindsey A; de Campos, Ana Carolina; Hallett, Mark; Alter, Katharine E; Damiano, Diane L

2016-05-01

Functional reaching is impaired in dystonia. Here, we analyze upper extremity kinematics to quantify timing and coordination abnormalities during unimanual reach-to-grasp movements in individuals with childhood-onset unilateral wrist dystonia. Kinematics were measured during movements of both upper limbs in a patient group ( n = 11, age = 17.5 ±5 years), and a typically developing control group ( n = 9, age = 16.6 ±5 years). Hand aperture was computed to study the coordination of reach and grasp. Time-varying joint synergies within one upper limb were calculated using a novel technique based on principal component analysis to study intra-limb coordination. In the non-dominant arm, results indicate reduced coordination between reach and grasp in patients who could not lift the grasped object compared to those who could lift it. Lifters exhibit incoordination in distal upper extremity joints later in the movement and non-lifters lacked coordination throughout the movement and in the whole upper limb. The amount of atypical coordination correlates with dystonia severity in patients. Reduced coordination during movement may reflect deficits in the execution of simultaneous movements, motor planning, or muscle activation. Rehabilitation efforts can focus on particular time points when kinematic patterns deviate abnormally to improve functional reaching in individuals with childhood-onset dystonia.
First passage time: Connecting random walks to functional responses in heterogeneous environments (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, M. A.; McKenzie, H.; Merrill, E.

2010-12-01

In this talk I will outline first passage time analysis for animals undertaking complex movement patterns, and will demonstrate how first passage time can be used to derive functional responses in predator prey systems. The result is a new approach to understanding type III functional responses based on a random walk model. I will extend the analysis to heterogeneous environments to assess the effects of linear features on functional responses in wolves and elk using GPS tracking data.
Lateral Membrane Waves Constitute a Universal Dynamic Pattern of Motile Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Döbereiner, Hans-Günther; Dubin-Thaler, Benjamin J.; Hofman, Jake M.; Xenias, Harry S.; Sims, Tasha N.; Giannone, Grégory; Dustin, Michael L.; Wiggins, Chris H.; Sheetz, Michael P.

2006-07-01

We have monitored active movements of the cell circumference on specifically coated substrates for a variety of cells including mouse embryonic fibroblasts and T cells, as well as wing disk cells from fruit flies. Despite having different functions and being from multiple phyla, these cell types share a common spatiotemporal pattern in their normal membrane velocity; we show that protrusion and retraction events are organized in lateral waves along the cell membrane. These wave patterns indicate both spatial and temporal long-range periodic correlations of the actomyosin gel.
The neuropsychiatry of hyperkinetic movement disorders: insights from neuroimaging into the neural circuit bases of dysfunction.

PubMed

Hayhow, Bradleigh D; Hassan, Islam; Looi, Jeffrey C L; Gaillard, Francesco; Velakoulis, Dennis; Walterfang, Mark

2013-01-01

Movement disorders, particularly those associated with basal ganglia disease, have a high rate of comorbid neuropsychiatric illness. We consider the pathophysiological basis of the comorbidity between movement disorders and neuropsychiatric illness by 1) reviewing the epidemiology of neuropsychiatric illness in a range of hyperkinetic movement disorders, and 2) correlating findings to evidence from studies that have utilized modern neuroimaging techniques to investigate these disorders. In addition to diseases classically associated with basal ganglia pathology, such as Huntington disease, Wilson disease, the neuroacanthocytoses, and diseases of brain iron accumulation, we include diseases associated with pathology of subcortical white matter tracts, brain stem nuclei, and the cerebellum, such as metachromatic leukodystrophy, dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy, and the spinocerebellar ataxias. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are integral to a thorough phenomenological account of hyperkinetic movement disorders. Drawing on modern theories of cortico-subcortical circuits, we argue that these disorders can be conceptualized as disorders of complex subcortical networks with distinct functional architectures. Damage to any component of these complex information-processing networks can have variable and often profound consequences for the function of more remote neural structures, creating a diverse but nonetheless rational pattern of clinical symptomatology.
Turning a cylindrical treadmill with feet: an MR-compatible device for assessment of the neural correlates of lower-limb movement.

PubMed

Toyomura, Akira; Yokosawa, Koichi; Shimojo, Atsushi; Fujii, Tetsunoshin; Kuriki, Shinya

2018-06-17

Locomotion, which is one of the most basic motor functions, is critical for performing various daily-life activities. Despite its essential function, assessment of brain activity during lower-limb movement is still limited because of the constraints of existing brain imaging methods. Here, we describe an MR-compatible, cylindrical treadmill device that allows participants to perform stepping movements on an MRI scanner table. The device was constructed from wood and all of the parts were handmade by the authors. We confirmed the MR-compatibility of the device by evaluating the temporal signal-to-noise ratio of 64 voxels of a phantom during scanning. Brain activity was measured while twenty participants turned the treadmill with feet in sync with metronome sounds. The rotary speed of the cylinder was encoded by optical fibers. The post/pre-central gyrus and cerebellum showed significant activity during the movements, which was comparable to the activity patterns reported in previous studies. Head movement on the y- and z-axes was influenced more by lower-limb movement than was head movement on the x-axis. Among the 60 runs (3 runs × 20 participants), head movement during two of the runs (3.3%) was excessive due to the lower-limb movement. Compared to MR-compatible devices proposed in the previous studies, the advantage of this device may be simple structure and replicability to realize stepping movement with a supine position. Collectively, our results suggest that the treadmill device is useful for evaluating lower-limb-related neural activity. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Movement pattern recognition in basketball free-throw shooting.

PubMed

Schmidt, Andrea

2012-04-01

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the movement patterns of free-throw shooters in basketball at different skill levels. There were two points of interest. First, to explore what information can be drawn from the movement pattern and second, to examine the methodological possibilities of pattern analysis. To this end, several qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The resulting data were converged in a triangulation. Using a special kind of ANN named Dynamically Controlled Networks (DyCoN), a 'complex feature' consisting of several isolated features (angle displacements and velocities of the articulations of the kinematic chain) was calculated. This 'complex feature' was displayed by a trajectory combining several neurons of the network, reflecting the devolution of the twelve angle measures over the time course of each shooting action. In further network analyses individual characteristics were detected, as well as movement phases. Throwing patterns were successfully classified and the stability and variability of the realized pattern were established. The movement patterns found were clearly individually shaped as well as formed by the skill level. The triangulation confirmed the individual movement organizations. Finally, a high stability of the network methods was documented. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Is having similar eye movement patterns during face learning and recognition beneficial for recognition performance? Evidence from hidden Markov modeling.

PubMed

Chuk, Tim; Chan, Antoni B; Hsiao, Janet H

2017-12-01

The hidden Markov model (HMM)-based approach for eye movement analysis is able to reflect individual differences in both spatial and temporal aspects of eye movements. Here we used this approach to understand the relationship between eye movements during face learning and recognition, and its association with recognition performance. We discovered holistic (i.e., mainly looking at the face center) and analytic (i.e., specifically looking at the two eyes in addition to the face center) patterns during both learning and recognition. Although for both learning and recognition, participants who adopted analytic patterns had better recognition performance than those with holistic patterns, a significant positive correlation between the likelihood of participants' patterns being classified as analytic and their recognition performance was only observed during recognition. Significantly more participants adopted holistic patterns during learning than recognition. Interestingly, about 40% of the participants used different patterns between learning and recognition, and among them 90% switched their patterns from holistic at learning to analytic at recognition. In contrast to the scan path theory, which posits that eye movements during learning have to be recapitulated during recognition for the recognition to be successful, participants who used the same or different patterns during learning and recognition did not differ in recognition performance. The similarity between their learning and recognition eye movement patterns also did not correlate with their recognition performance. These findings suggested that perceptuomotor memory elicited by eye movement patterns during learning does not play an important role in recognition. In contrast, the retrieval of diagnostic information for recognition, such as the eyes for face recognition, is a better predictor for recognition performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Quantifying long-term trajectories of plant community change with movement models: implication for ecological resilience

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantification of rates and patterns of community dynamics is central for understanding the organization and function of ecosystems. These insights may support a greater empirical understanding of ecological resilience, and the application of resilience concepts toward ecosystem management. Distinct...
Comparison of differences in respiratory function and pressure as a predominant abnormal movement of children with cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

Kwon, Hae-Yeon

2017-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine differences in respiratory function and pressure among three groups of children with cerebral palsy as a predominant abnormal movement which included spastic type, dyskinetic type, and ataxic type. [Subjects and Methods] Forty-three children with cerebral palsy of 5–13 years of age in I–III levels according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System, the study subjects were divided by stratified random sampling into three groups of spastic type, dyskinetic type, and ataxic type. For reliability of the measurement results, respiratory function and pressure of the children with cerebral palsy were measured by the same inspector using Spirometer Pony FX (Cosmed Ltd., Italy) equipment, and the subject’s guardians (legal representative) was always made to observe. [Results] In the respiratory function, there were significant differences among three groups in all of forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at one second, and peak expiratory flow. For respiratory pressure, the maximal inspiratory pressure had significant differences among three groups, although the maximal expiratory pressure had no significant difference. [Conclusion] Therefore, pediatric physical therapists could be provided with important clinical information in understanding the differences in respiratory function and pressure for the children with cerebral palsy showing predominantly abnormal movement as a diverse qualitative characteristics of the muscle tone and movement patterns, and in planning intervention programs for improvement of respiratory capacity. PMID:28265153
The Moving Rubber Hand Illusion Reveals that Explicit Sense of Agency for Tapping Movements Is Preserved in Functional Movement Disorders

PubMed Central

Marotta, Angela; Bombieri, Federica; Zampini, Massimiliano; Schena, Federico; Dallocchio, Carlo; Fiorio, Mirta; Tinazzi, Michele

2017-01-01

Functional movement disorders (FMD) are characterized by motor symptoms (e.g., tremor, gait disorder, and dystonia) that are not compatible with movement abnormalities related to a known organic cause. One key clinical feature of FMD is that motor symptoms are similar to voluntary movements but are subjectively experienced as involuntary by patients. This gap might be related to abnormal self-recognition of bodily action, which involves two main components: sense of agency and sense of body ownership. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate whether this function is altered in FMD, specifically focusing on the subjective feeling of agency, body ownership, and their interaction during normal voluntary movements. Patients with FMD (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 21) underwent the moving Rubber Hand Illusion (mRHI), in which passive and active movements can differentially elicit agency, ownership or both. Explicit measures of agency and ownership were obtained via a questionnaire. Patients and controls showed a similar pattern of response: when the rubber hand was in a plausible posture, active movements elicited strong agency and ownership; implausible posture of the rubber hand abolished ownership but not agency; passive movements suppressed agency but not ownership. These findings suggest that explicit sense of agency and body ownership are preserved in FMD. The latter finding is shared by a previous study in FMD using a static version of the RHI, whereas the former appears to contrast with studies demonstrating altered implicit measures of agency (e.g., sensory attenuation). Our study extends previous findings by suggesting that in FMD: (i) the sense of body ownership is retained also when interacting with the motor system; (ii) the subjective experience of agency for voluntary tapping movements, as measured by means of mRHI, is preserved. PMID:28634447
Noninvasive analysis of human neck muscle function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conley, M. S.; Meyer, R. A.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Feeback, D. L.; Dudley, G. A.

1995-01-01

STUDY DESIGN. Muscle use evoked by exercise was determined by quantifying shifts in signal relaxation times of T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. Images were collected at rest and after exercise at each of two intensities (moderate and intense) for each of four head movements: 1) extension, 2) flexion, 3) rotation, and 4) lateral flexion. OBJECTIVE. This study examined the intensity and pattern of neck muscle use evoked by various movements of the head. The results will help elucidate the pathophysiology, and thus methods for treating disorders of the cervical musculoskeletal system. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA. Exercise-induced contrast shifts in T2 has been shown to indicate muscle use during the activity. The noninvasive nature of magnetic resonance imaging appears to make it an ideal approach for studying the function of the complex neuromuscular system of the neck. METHODS. The extent of T2 increase was examined to gauge how intensely nine different neck muscles or muscle pairs were used in seven subjects. The absolute and relative cross-sectional area of muscle showing a shift in signal relaxation was assessed to infer the pattern of use among and within individual neck muscles or muscle pairs. RESULTS. Signal relaxation increased with exercise intensity for each head movement. The absolute and relative cross-sectional area of muscle showing a shift in signal relaxation also increased with exercise load. Neck muscles or muscle pairs extensively used to perform each head movement were: extension--semispinalis capitis and cervicis and splenius capitis; flexion--sternocleidomastoid and longus capitis and colli; rotation--splenius capitis, levator scapulae, scalenus, semispinalis capitis ipsilateral to the rotation, and sternocleidomastoid contralateral; and lateral flexion--sternocleidomastoid CONCLUSION. The results of this study, in part, agree with the purported functions of neck muscles derived from anatomic location. This also was true for the few selected muscles that have been examined in human electromyographic studies. Neck muscle function and morphology can be studied at a detailed level using exercise-induced shifts in magnetic resonance images.
Individual muscle control using an exoskeleton robot for muscle function testing.

PubMed

Ueda, Jun; Ming, Ding; Krishnamoorthy, Vijaya; Shinohara, Minoru; Ogasawara, Tsukasa

2010-08-01

Healthy individuals modulate muscle activation patterns according to their intended movement and external environment. Persons with neurological disorders (e.g., stroke and spinal cord injury), however, have problems in movement control due primarily to their inability to modulate their muscle activation pattern in an appropriate manner. A functionality test at the level of individual muscles that investigates the activity of a muscle of interest on various motor tasks may enable muscle-level force grading. To date there is no extant work that focuses on the application of exoskeleton robots to induce specific muscle activation in a systematic manner. This paper proposes a new method, named "individual muscle-force control" using a wearable robot (an exoskeleton robot, or a power-assisting device) to obtain a wider variety of muscle activity data than standard motor tasks, e.g., pushing a handle by hand. A computational algorithm systematically computes control commands to a wearable robot so that a desired muscle activation pattern for target muscle forces is induced. It also computes an adequate amount and direction of a force that a subject needs to exert against a handle by his/her hand. This individual muscle control method enables users (e.g., therapists) to efficiently conduct neuromuscular function tests on target muscles by arbitrarily inducing muscle activation patterns. This paper presents a basic concept, mathematical formulation, and solution of the individual muscle-force control and its implementation to a muscle control system with an exoskeleton-type robot for upper extremity. Simulation and experimental results in healthy individuals justify the use of an exoskeleton robot for future muscle function testing in terms of the variety of muscle activity data.
Dynamical patterns of cattle trade movements.

PubMed

Bajardi, Paolo; Barrat, Alain; Natale, Fabrizio; Savini, Lara; Colizza, Vittoria

2011-01-01

Despite their importance for the spread of zoonotic diseases, our understanding of the dynamical aspects characterizing the movements of farmed animal populations remains limited as these systems are traditionally studied as static objects and through simplified approximations. By leveraging on the network science approach, here we are able for the first time to fully analyze the longitudinal dataset of Italian cattle movements that reports the mobility of individual animals among farms on a daily basis. The complexity and inter-relations between topology, function and dynamical nature of the system are characterized at different spatial and time resolutions, in order to uncover patterns and vulnerabilities fundamental for the definition of targeted prevention and control measures for zoonotic diseases. Results show how the stationarity of statistical distributions coexists with a strong and non-trivial evolutionary dynamics at the node and link levels, on all timescales. Traditional static views of the displacement network hide important patterns of structural changes affecting nodes' centrality and farms' spreading potential, thus limiting the efficiency of interventions based on partial longitudinal information. By fully taking into account the longitudinal dimension, we propose a novel definition of dynamical motifs that is able to uncover the presence of a temporal arrow describing the evolution of the system and the causality patterns of its displacements, shedding light on mechanisms that may play a crucial role in the definition of preventive actions.
Dynamical Patterns of Cattle Trade Movements

PubMed Central

Bajardi, Paolo; Barrat, Alain; Natale, Fabrizio; Savini, Lara; Colizza, Vittoria

2011-01-01

Despite their importance for the spread of zoonotic diseases, our understanding of the dynamical aspects characterizing the movements of farmed animal populations remains limited as these systems are traditionally studied as static objects and through simplified approximations. By leveraging on the network science approach, here we are able for the first time to fully analyze the longitudinal dataset of Italian cattle movements that reports the mobility of individual animals among farms on a daily basis. The complexity and inter-relations between topology, function and dynamical nature of the system are characterized at different spatial and time resolutions, in order to uncover patterns and vulnerabilities fundamental for the definition of targeted prevention and control measures for zoonotic diseases. Results show how the stationarity of statistical distributions coexists with a strong and non-trivial evolutionary dynamics at the node and link levels, on all timescales. Traditional static views of the displacement network hide important patterns of structural changes affecting nodes' centrality and farms' spreading potential, thus limiting the efficiency of interventions based on partial longitudinal information. By fully taking into account the longitudinal dimension, we propose a novel definition of dynamical motifs that is able to uncover the presence of a temporal arrow describing the evolution of the system and the causality patterns of its displacements, shedding light on mechanisms that may play a crucial role in the definition of preventive actions. PMID:21625633
Lower extremity function during gait in participants with first time acute lateral ankle sprain compared to controls.

PubMed

Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn

2015-02-01

Laboratory analyses of chronic ankle instability populations during gait have elucidated a number of anomalous movement patterns. No current research exists analysing these movement patterns in a group in the acute phase of lateral ankle sprain (LAS) injury. It is possible that participants with an acute LAS display movement patterns continuous with their chronically impaired counterparts. Sixty eight participants with acute LAS and nineteen non-injured participants completed five gait trials. 3D lower extremity temporal kinematic and kinetic data were collected from 200 ms pre- to 200 ms post-heel strike (period 1) and from 200 ms pre- to 200 ms post-toe off (period 2). During period 1, the LAS group displayed increased knee flexion with increased net extensor pattern at the knee joint, increased ankle inversion with a greater inversion moment, and reduced ankle plantar flexion, compared to the non-injured control group. During period 2, the LAS group displayed decreased hip extension with a decrease in the flexor moment at the hip, and decreased ankle plantar flexion with a decrease in the net plantar flexion moment, compared to the non-injured control group. These results indicate that participants with acute LAS display coordination strategies which may play a role in the onset of chronicity or recovery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Intrinsic functional connectivity alterations in progressive supranuclear palsy: Differential effects in frontal cortex, motor, and midbrain networks.

PubMed

Rosskopf, Johannes; Gorges, Martin; Müller, Hans-Peter; Lulé, Dorothée; Uttner, Ingo; Ludolph, Albert C; Pinkhardt, Elmar; Juengling, Freimut D; Kassubek, Jan

2017-07-01

The topography of functional network changes in progressive supranuclear palsy can be mapped by intrinsic functional connectivity MRI. The objective of this study was to study functional connectivity and its clinical and behavioral correlates in dedicated networks comprising the cognition-related default mode and the motor and midbrain functional networks in patients with PSP. Whole-brain-based "resting-state" functional MRI and high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data together with neuropsychological and video-oculographic data from 34 PSP patients (22 with Richardson subtype and 12 with parkinsonian subtype) and 35 matched healthy controls were subjected to network-based functional connectivity and voxel-based morphometry analysis. After correction for global patterns of brain atrophy, the group comparison between PSP patients and controls revealed significantly decreased functional connectivity (P < 0.05, corrected) in the prefrontal cortex, which was significantly correlated with cognitive performance (P = 0.006). Of note, midbrain network connectivity in PSP patients showed increased connectivity with the thalamus, on the one hand, whereas, on the other hand, lower functional connectivity within the midbrain was significantly correlated with vertical gaze impairment, as quantified by video-oculography (P = 0.004). PSP Richardson subtype showed significantly increased functional motor network connectivity with the medial prefrontal gyrus. PSP-associated neurodegeneration was attributed to both decreased and increased functional connectivity. Decreasing functional connectivity was associated with worse behavioral performance (ie, dementia severity and gaze palsy), whereas the pattern of increased functional connectivity may be a potential adaptive mechanism. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Optimization and evaluation of a proportional derivative controller for planar arm movement.

PubMed

Jagodnik, Kathleen M; van den Bogert, Antonie J

2010-04-19

In most clinical applications of functional electrical stimulation (FES), the timing and amplitude of electrical stimuli have been controlled by open-loop pattern generators. The control of upper extremity reaching movements, however, will require feedback control to achieve the required precision. Here we present three controllers using proportional derivative (PD) feedback to stimulate six arm muscles, using two joint angle sensors. Controllers were first optimized and then evaluated on a computational arm model that includes musculoskeletal dynamics. Feedback gains were optimized by minimizing a weighted sum of position errors and muscle forces. Generalizability of the controllers was evaluated by performing movements for which the controller was not optimized, and robustness was tested via model simulations with randomly weakened muscles. Robustness was further evaluated by adding joint friction and doubling the arm mass. After optimization with a properly weighted cost function, all PD controllers performed fast, accurate, and robust reaching movements in simulation. Oscillatory behavior was seen after improper tuning. Performance improved slightly as the complexity of the feedback gain matrix increased. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Optimization and evaluation of a proportional derivative controller for planar arm movement

PubMed Central

Jagodnik, Kathleen M.; van den Bogert, Antonie J.

2013-01-01

In most clinical applications of functional electrical stimulation (FES), the timing and amplitude of electrical stimuli have been controlled by open-loop pattern generators. The control of upper extremity reaching movements, however, will require feedback control to achieve the required precision. Here we present three controllers using proportional derivative (PD) feedback to stimulate six arm muscles, using two joint angle sensors. Controllers were first optimized and then evaluated on a computational arm model that includes musculoskeletal dynamics. Feedback gains were optimized by minimizing a weighted sum of position errors and muscle forces. Generalizability of the controllers was evaluated by performing movements for which the controller was not optimized, and robustness was tested via model simulations with randomly weakened muscles. Robustness was further evaluated by adding joint friction and doubling the arm mass. After optimization with a properly weighted cost function, all PD controllers performed fast, accurate, and robust reaching movements in simulation. Oscillatory behavior was seen after improper tuning. Performance improved slightly as the complexity of the feedback gain matrix increased. PMID:20097345
Investigation of the Association Between Motor Stereotypy Behavior With Fundamental Movement Skills, Adaptive Functioning, and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Symptomology in Children With Intellectual Disabilities.

PubMed

Powell, Joanne L; Pringle, Lydia; Greig, Matt

2017-02-01

Motor stereotypy behaviors are patterned, coordinated, repetitive behaviors that are particularly evident in those with an autistic spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. The extent to which motor stereotypy behavior severity is associated with motor skills and maladaptive behavior, measures of adaptive functioning, along with fundamental movement skills and degree of autistic spectrum disorder symptomology is assessed in this preliminary report. Twelve participants, aged 7 to 16 years, with a reported motor stereotypy behavior and either mild or severe intellectual disability comprising developmental or global delay took part in the study. Spearman rho correlational analysis showed that severity of motor stereotypy behavior was significantly positively correlated with autistic spectrum disorder symptomology ( P = .008) and maladaptive behavior ( P = .008) but not fundamental movement skills ( P > .05). An increase in fundamental movement skills score was associated with a decrease in autistic spectrum disorder symptomology ( P = .01) and an increase in motor skills ( P = .002). This study provides evidence showing a significant relationship between motor stereotypy behavior severity with degree of autistic spectrum disorder symptomology and maladaptive behavior.

Visual cues that are effective for contextual saccade adaptation

PubMed Central

Azadi, Reza

2014-01-01

The accuracy of saccades, as maintained by saccade adaptation, has been shown to be context dependent: able to have different amplitude movements to the same retinal displacement dependent on motor contexts such as orbital starting location. There is conflicting evidence as to whether purely visual cues also effect contextual saccade adaptation and, if so, what function this might serve. We tested what visual cues might evoke contextual adaptation. Over 5 experiments, 78 naive subjects made saccades to circularly moving targets, which stepped outward or inward during the saccade depending on target movement direction, speed, or color and shape. To test if the movement or context postsaccade were critical, we stopped the postsaccade target motion (experiment 4) or neutralized the contexts by equating postsaccade target speed to an intermediate value (experiment 5). We found contextual adaptation in all conditions except those defined by color and shape. We conclude that some, but not all, visual cues before the saccade are sufficient for contextual adaptation. We conjecture that this visual contextuality functions to allow for different motor states for different coordinated movement patterns, such as coordinated saccade and pursuit motor planning. PMID:24647429
Eye Movements during Silent and Oral Reading in a Regular Orthography: Basic Characteristics and Correlations with Childhood Cognitive Abilities and Adolescent Reading Skills

PubMed Central

Krieber, Magdalena; Bartl-Pokorny, Katrin D.; Pokorny, Florian B.; Zhang, Dajie; Landerl, Karin; Körner, Christof; Pernkopf, Franz; Pock, Thomas; Einspieler, Christa; Marschik, Peter B.

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to define differences between silent and oral reading with respect to spatial and temporal eye movement parameters. Eye movements of 22 German-speaking adolescents (14 females; mean age = 13;6 years;months) were recorded while reading an age-appropriate text silently and orally. Preschool cognitive abilities were assessed at the participants’ age of 5;7 (years;months) using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. The participants’ reading speed and reading comprehension at the age of 13;6 (years;months) were determined using a standardized inventory to evaluate silent reading skills in German readers (Lesegeschwindigkeits- und -verständnistest für Klassen 6–12). The results show that (i) reading mode significantly influenced both spatial and temporal characteristics of eye movement patterns; (ii) articulation decreased the consistency of intraindividual reading performances with regard to a significant number of eye movement parameters; (iii) reading skills predicted the majority of eye movement parameters during silent reading, but influenced only a restricted number of eye movement parameters when reading orally; (iv) differences with respect to a subset of eye movement parameters increased with reading skills; (v) an overall preschool cognitive performance score predicted reading skills at the age of 13;6 (years;months), but not eye movement patterns during either silent or oral reading. However, we found a few significant correlations between preschool performances on subscales of sequential and simultaneous processing and eye movement parameters for both reading modes. Overall, the findings suggest that eye movement patterns depend on the reading mode. Preschool cognitive abilities were more closely related to eye movement patterns of oral than silent reading, while reading skills predicted eye movement patterns during silent reading, but less so during oral reading. PMID:28151950
Patterns of Movement in Foster Care: An Optimal Matching Analysis

PubMed Central

Havlicek, Judy

2011-01-01

Placement instability remains a vexing problem for child welfare agencies across the country. This study uses child welfare administrative data to retrospectively follow the entire placement histories (birth to age 17.5) of 474 foster youth who reached the age of majority in the state of Illinois and to search for patterns in their movement through the child welfare system. Patterns are identified through optimal matching and hierarchical cluster analyses. Multiple logistic regression is used to analyze administrative and survey data in order to examine covariates related to patterns. Five distinct patterns of movement are differentiated: Late Movers, Settled with Kin, Community Care, Institutionalized, and Early Entry. These patterns suggest high but variable rates of movement. Implications for child welfare policy and service provision are discussed. PMID:20873020
Vestibulo-Cervico-Ocular Responses and Tracking Eye Movements after Prolonged Exposure to Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kornilova, L. N.; Naumov, I. A.; Azarov, K. A.; Sagalovitch, S. V.; Reschke, Millard F.; Kozlovskaya, I. B.

2007-01-01

The vestibular function and tracking eye movements were investigated in 12 Russian crew members of ISS missions on days 1(2), 4(5-6), and 8(9-10) after prolonged exposure to microgravity (126 to 195 days). The spontaneous oculomotor activity, static torsional otolith-cervico-ocular reflex, dynamic vestibulo-cervico-ocular responses, vestibular reactivity, tracking eye movements, and gaze-holding were studied using videooculography (VOG) and electrooculography (EOG) for parallel eye movement recording. On post-flight days 1-2 (R+1-2) some cosmonauts demonstrated: - an increased spontaneous oculomotor activity (floating eye movements, spontaneous nystagmus of the typical and atypical form, square wave jerks, gaze nystagmus) with the head held in the vertical position; - suppressed otolith function (absent or reduced by one half amplitude of torsional compensatory eye counter-rolling) with the head inclined statically right- or leftward by 300; - increased vestibular reactivity (lowered threshold and increased intensity of the vestibular nystagmus) during head turns around the longitudinal body axis at 0.125 Hz; - a significant change in the accuracy, velocity, and temporal characteristics of the eye tracking. The pattern, depth, dynamics, and velocity of the vestibular function and tracking eye movements recovery varied with individual participants in the investigation. However, there were also regular responses during readaptation to the normal gravity: - suppression of the otolith function was typically accompanied by an exaggerated vestibular reactivity; - the structure of visual tracking (the accuracy of fixational eye rotations, smooth tracking, and gaze-holding) was disturbed (the appearance of correcting saccades, the transition of smooth tracking to saccadic tracking) only in those cosmonauts who, in parallel to an increased reactivity of the vestibular input, also had central changes in the oculomotor system (spontaneous nystagmus, gaze nystagmus).
Movement patterns of Tenebrio beetles demonstrate empirically that correlated-random-walks have similitude with a Lévy walk.

PubMed

Reynolds, Andy M; Leprêtre, Lisa; Bohan, David A

2013-11-07

Correlated random walks are the dominant conceptual framework for modelling and interpreting organism movement patterns. Recent years have witnessed a stream of high profile publications reporting that many organisms perform Lévy walks; movement patterns that seemingly stand apart from the correlated random walk paradigm because they are discrete and scale-free rather than continuous and scale-finite. Our new study of the movement patterns of Tenebrio molitor beetles in unchanging, featureless arenas provides the first empirical support for a remarkable and deep theoretical synthesis that unites correlated random walks and Lévy walks. It demonstrates that the two models are complementary rather than competing descriptions of movement pattern data and shows that correlated random walks are a part of the Lévy walk family. It follows from this that vast numbers of Lévy walkers could be hiding in plain sight.
An equilibrium-point model for fast, single-joint movement: I. Emergence of strategy-dependent EMG patterns.

PubMed

Latash, M L; Gottlieb, G L

1991-09-01

We describe a model for the regulation of fast, single-joint movements, based on the equilibrium-point hypothesis. Limb movement follows constant rate shifts of independently regulated neuromuscular variables. The independently regulated variables are tentatively identified as thresholds of a length sensitive reflex for each of the participating muscles. We use the model to predict EMG patterns associated with changes in the conditions of movement execution, specifically, changes in movement times, velocities, amplitudes, and moments of limb inertia. The approach provides a theoretical neural framework for the dual-strategy hypothesis, which considers certain movements to be results of one of two basic, speed-sensitive or speed-insensitive strategies. This model is advanced as an alternative to pattern-imposing models based on explicit regulation of timing and amplitudes of signals that are explicitly manifest in the EMG patterns.
Optimizing pattern recognition-based control for partial-hand prosthesis application.

PubMed

Earley, Eric J; Adewuyi, Adenike A; Hargrove, Levi J

2014-01-01

Partial-hand amputees often retain good residual wrist motion, which is essential for functional activities involving use of the hand. Thus, a crucial design criterion for a myoelectric, partial-hand prosthesis control scheme is that it allows the user to retain residual wrist motion. Pattern recognition (PR) of electromyographic (EMG) signals is a well-studied method of controlling myoelectric prostheses. However, wrist motion degrades a PR system's ability to correctly predict hand-grasp patterns. We studied the effects of (1) window length and number of hand-grasps, (2) static and dynamic wrist motion, and (3) EMG muscle source on the ability of a PR-based control scheme to classify functional hand-grasp patterns. Our results show that training PR classifiers with both extrinsic and intrinsic muscle EMG yields a lower error rate than training with either group by itself (p<0.001); and that training in only variable wrist positions, with only dynamic wrist movements, or with both variable wrist positions and movements results in lower error rates than training in only the neutral wrist position (p<0.001). Finally, our results show that both an increase in window length and a decrease in the number of grasps available to the classifier significantly decrease classification error (p<0.001). These results remained consistent whether the classifier selected or maintained a hand-grasp.
The impact of shoulder abduction loading on EMG-based intention detection of hand opening and closing after stroke.

PubMed

Lan, Yiyun; Yao, Jun; Dewald, Julius P A

2011-01-01

Many stroke patients are subject to limited hand functions in the paretic arm due to a significant loss of Corticospinal Tract (CST) fibers. A possible solution for this problem is to classify surface Electromyography (EMG) signals generated by hand movements and uses that to implement Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). However, EMG usually presents an abnormal muscle coactivation pattern shown as increased coupling between muscles within and/or across joints after stroke. The resulting Abnormal Muscle Synergies (AMS) could make the classification more difficult in individuals with stroke, especially when attempting to use the hand together with other joints in the paretic arm. Therefore, this study is aimed at identifying the impact of AMS following stroke on EMG pattern recognition between two hand movements. In an effort to achieve this goal, 7 chronic hemiparetic chronic stroke subjects were recruited and asked to perform hand opening and closing movements at their paretic arm while being either fully supported by a virtual table or loaded with 25% of subject's maximum shoulder abduction force. During the execution of motor tasks EMG signals from the wrist flexors and extensors were simultaneously acquired. Our results showed that increased synergy-induced activity at elbow flexors, induced by increasing shoulder abduction loading, deteriorated the performance of EMG pattern recognition for hand opening for those with a weak grasp strength and EMG activity. However, no such impact on hand closing has yet been observed possibly because finger/wrist flexion is facilitated by the shoulder abduction-induced flexion synergy.
Parametric motion control of robotic arms: A biologically based approach using neural networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bock, O.; D'Eleuterio, G. M. T.; Lipitkas, J.; Grodski, J. J.

1993-01-01

A neural network based system is presented which is able to generate point-to-point movements of robotic manipulators. The foundation of this approach is the use of prototypical control torque signals which are defined by a set of parameters. The parameter set is used for scaling and shaping of these prototypical torque signals to effect a desired outcome of the system. This approach is based on neurophysiological findings that the central nervous system stores generalized cognitive representations of movements called synergies, schemas, or motor programs. It has been proposed that these motor programs may be stored as torque-time functions in central pattern generators which can be scaled with appropriate time and magnitude parameters. The central pattern generators use these parameters to generate stereotypical torque-time profiles, which are then sent to the joint actuators. Hence, only a small number of parameters need to be determined for each point-to-point movement instead of the entire torque-time trajectory. This same principle is implemented for controlling the joint torques of robotic manipulators where a neural network is used to identify the relationship between the task requirements and the torque parameters. Movements are specified by the initial robot position in joint coordinates and the desired final end-effector position in Cartesian coordinates. This information is provided to the neural network which calculates six torque parameters for a two-link system. The prototypical torque profiles (one per joint) are then scaled by those parameters. After appropriate training of the network, our parametric control design allowed the reproduction of a trained set of movements with relatively high accuracy, and the production of previously untrained movements with comparable accuracy. We conclude that our approach was successful in discriminating between trained movements and in generalizing to untrained movements.
The tarsal-metatarsal complex of caviomorph rodents: Anatomy and functional-adaptive analysis.

PubMed

Candela, Adriana M; Muñoz, Nahuel A; García-Esponda, César M

2017-06-01

Caviomorph rodents represent a major adaptive radiation of Neotropical mammals. They occupy a variety of ecological niches, which is also reflected in their wide array of locomotor behaviors. It is expected that this radiation would be mirrored by an equivalent disparity of tarsal-metatarsal morphology. Here, the tarsal-metatarsal complex of Erethizontidae, Cuniculidae, Dasyproctidae, Caviidae, Chinchillidae, Octodontidae, Ctenomyidae, and Echimyidae was examined, in order to evaluate its anatomical variation and functional-adaptive relevance in relation to locomotor behaviors. A qualitative study in functional morphology and a geometric morphometric analysis were performed. We recognized two distinct tarsal-metatarsal patterns that represent the extremes of anatomical variation in the foot. The first, typically present in arboreal species, is characterized by features that facilitate movements at different levels of the tarsal-metatarsal complex. The second pattern, typically present in cursorial caviomorphs, has a set of features that act to stabilize the joints, improve the interlocking of the tarsal bones, and restrict movements to the parasagittal plane. The morphological disparity recognized in this study seems to result from specific locomotor adaptations to climb, dig, run, jump and swim, as well as phylogenetic effects within and among the groups studies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
COMAP: a new computational interpretation of human movement planning level based on coordinated minimum angle jerk policies and six universal movement elements.

PubMed

Emadi Andani, Mehran; Bahrami, Fariba

2012-10-01

Flash and Hogan (1985) suggested that the CNS employs a minimum jerk strategy when planning any given movement. Later, Nakano et al. (1999) showed that minimum angle jerk predicts the actual arm trajectory curvature better than the minimum jerk model. Friedman and Flash (2009) confirmed this claim. Besides the behavioral support that we will discuss, we will show that this model allows simplicity in planning any given movement. In particular, we prove mathematically that each movement that satisfies the minimum joint angle jerk condition is reproducible by a linear combination of six functions. These functions are calculated independent of the type of the movement and are normalized in the time domain. Hence, we call these six universal functions the Movement Elements (ME). We also show that the kinematic information at the beginning and end of the movement determines the coefficients of the linear combination. On the other hand, in analyzing recorded data from sit-to-stand (STS) transfer, arm-reaching movement (ARM) and gait, we observed that minimum joint angle jerk condition is satisfied only during different successive phases of these movements and not for the entire movement. Driven by these observations, we assumed that any given ballistic movement may be decomposed into several successive phases without overlap, such that for each phase the minimum joint angle jerk condition is satisfied. At the boundaries of each phase the angular acceleration of each joint should obtain its extremum (zero third derivative). As a consequence, joint angles at each phase will be linear combinations of the introduced MEs. Coefficients of the linear combination at each phase are the values of the joint kinematics at the boundaries of that phase. Finally, we conclude that these observations may constitute the basis of a computational interpretation, put differently, of the strategy used by the Central Nervous System (CNS) for motor planning. We call this possible interpretation "Coordinated Minimum Angle jerk Policy" or COMAP. Based on this policy, the function of the CNS in generating the desired pattern of any given task (like STS, ARM or gait) can be described computationally using three factors: (1) the kinematics of the motor system at given body states, i.e., at certain movement events/instances, (2) the time length of each phase, and (3) the proposed MEs. From a computational point of view, this model significantly simplifies the processes of movement planning as well as feature abstraction for saving characterizing information of any given movement in memory. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Coarse-scale movement patterns of a small-bodied fish inhabiting a desert stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzul, M.C.; Quist, M.C.; Dinsmore, S.J.; Gaines, D.B.; Bower, M.R.

2013-01-01

Located on the floor of Death Valley (CA, USA), Salt Creek harbors a single fish species, the Salt Creek pupfish, Cyprinodon salinus salinus, which has adapted to this extremely harsh environment. Salt Creek is fed by an underground spring and is comprised of numerous pools, runs, and marshes that exhibit substantial variability in temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen concentrations. In addition, the wetted area of Salt Creek is reduced throughout the summer months due to high rates of evaporation, with some reaches drying completely. Therefore, it seems logical that short- and long-term movement patterns may play an important role in Salt Creek pupfish population dynamics. The objective of this study was to describe coarse-scale movements of Salt Creek pupfish in Salt Creek during their breeding season from March to May. Sex ratios and length–frequency distributions varied spatially within Salt Creek, suggesting population segregation during the breeding season. Long-distance movements were generally rare, although two fish moved more than 1.2 km. Movement in upstream reaches was rare or absent, in contrast to the greater movement observed in downstream reaches (29% of recaptures). Temporal trends and demographic patterns in movement were not observed. Because the two most downstream habitats dry up in the summer, our results indicate that coarse-scale movements that re-populate downstream reaches likely occur during other times of year. Consequently, the importance of small- and large-scale movements is influenced by season. Further assessment of Salt Creek movement patterns conducted during other times of year may better illuminate long-distance movement patterns and source-sink dynamics.
Short time sports exercise boosts motor imagery patterns: implications of mental practice in rehabilitation programs

PubMed Central

Wriessnegger, Selina C.; Steyrl, David; Koschutnig, Karl; Müller-Putz, Gernot R.

2014-01-01

Motor imagery (MI) is a commonly used paradigm for the study of motor learning or cognitive aspects of action control. The rationale for using MI training to promote the relearning of motor function arises from research on the functional correlates that MI shares with the execution of physical movements. While most of the previous studies investigating MI were based on simple movements in the present study a more attractive mental practice was used to investigate cortical activation during MI. We measured cerebral responses with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in twenty three healthy volunteers as they imagined playing soccer or tennis before and after a short physical sports exercise. Our results demonstrated that only 10 min of training are enough to boost MI patterns in motor related brain regions including premotor cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA) but also fronto-parietal and subcortical structures. This supports previous findings that MI has beneficial effects especially in combination with motor execution when used in motor rehabilitation or motor learning processes. We conclude that sports MI combined with an interactive game environment could be a promising additional tool in future rehabilitation programs aiming to improve upper or lower limb functions or support neuroplasticity. PMID:25071505
Clinical relevance of the effects of reach-to-grasp training using trunk restraint in individuals with hemiparesis poststroke: A systematic review.

PubMed

Greisberger, Andrea; Aviv, Hanna; Garbade, Sven F; Diermayr, Gudrun

2016-04-28

To evaluate the evidence for, and clinical relevance of, immediate and long-term effects of trunk restraint during reach-to-grasp training poststroke on movement patterns and functional abilities within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, Cochrane Library (publication dates January 1985 to March 2015). Randomized controlled trials comparing training using trunk restraint with any other exercise training. Data were extracted by one researcher and checked by two other researchers. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale were used by two researchers to assess study quality and risk of bias. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies found better recovery of movement patterns (trunk displacement, elbow extension, and/or shoulder flexion - body function/structure) at post-test in the experimental compared with the control groups. Functional abilities (activity/participation) improved more in the experimental groups in 3 studies at post-test. Long-term effects were found in one study after 4 weeks. Trunk restraint has immediate and some long-term effects in adults with chronic stroke. However, these effects are not consistently clinically relevant when referring to minimal detectable change or minimal clinically important difference values.
Contemporary movements and tectonics on Canada's west coast: A discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riddihough, Robin P.

1982-06-01

Evidence from published tidal records and geodetic relevelling data in British Columbia indicates that there is a consistent pattern of contemporary uplift on the outer coast (2 mm/yr) and subsidence on the inner coast (1-2 mm/yr). The zero uplift contour or "hinge-line" runs through Hecate Strait, Georgia Strait and Victoria. This pattern continues southwards into Washington State but is interrupted to the north by considerable uplift in southeastern Alaska. Although glacio-isostatic recovery has dominated vertical movements in the region over the last 10,000 years, the distribution and trend of the observed contemporary movements are not compatible with the pattern to be expected from this source and are most probably tectonic in origin. There is, however, no clear distinction between the movements seen opposite the Queen Charlotte transform margin and the Vancouver Island convergent margin. Comparison with movements observed at other active plate margins show that the pattern is essentially similar to that seen in association with subduction and convergence. The paradox that the vertical movement rates are much too great to explain observed geology and topography may be soluble by assuming that discontinuous lateral shifts of the movement pattern occur on a scale of hundreds of thousands of years.
MULTISCALE MODELS OF TAXIS-DRIVEN PATTERNING IN BACTERIAL POPULATIONS

PubMed Central

XUE, CHUAN; OTHMER, HANS G.

2009-01-01

Spatially-distributed populations of various types of bacteria often display intricate spatial patterns that are thought to result from the cellular response to gradients of nutrients or other attractants. In the past decade a great deal has been learned about signal transduction, metabolism and movement in E. coli and other bacteria, but translating the individual-level behavior into population-level dynamics is still a challenging problem. However, this is a necessary step because it is computationally impractical to use a strictly cell-based model to understand patterning in growing populations, since the total number of cells may reach 1012 - 1014 in some experiments. In the past phenomenological equations such as the Patlak-Keller-Segel equations have been used in modeling the cell movement that is involved in the formation of such patterns, but the question remains as to how the microscopic behavior can be correctly described by a macroscopic equation. Significant progress has been made for bacterial species that employ a “run-and-tumble” strategy of movement, in that macroscopic equations based on simplified schemes for signal transduction and turning behavior have been derived [14, 15]. Here we extend previous work in a number of directions: (i) we allow for time-dependent signals, which extends the applicability of the equations to natural environments, (ii) we use a more general turning rate function that better describes the biological behavior, and (iii) we incorporate the effect of hydrodynamic forces that arise when cells swim in close proximity to a surface. We also develop a new approach to solving the moment equations derived from the transport equation that does not involve closure assumptions. Numerical examples show that the solution of the lowest-order macroscopic equation agrees well with the solution obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation of cell movement under a variety of temporal protocols for the signal. We also apply the method to derive equations of chemotactic movement that are governed by multiple chemotactic signals. PMID:19784399
Computer mouse movement patterns: A potential marker of mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Seelye, Adriana; Hagler, Stuart; Mattek, Nora; Howieson, Diane B; Wild, Katherine; Dodge, Hiroko H; Kaye, Jeffrey A

2015-12-01

Subtle changes in cognitively demanding activities occur in MCI but are difficult to assess with conventional methods. In an exploratory study, we examined whether patterns of computer mouse movements obtained from routine home computer use discriminated between older adults with and without MCI. Participants were 42 cognitively intact and 20 older adults with MCI enrolled in a longitudinal study of in-home monitoring technologies. Mouse pointer movement variables were computed during one week of routine home computer use using algorithms that identified and characterized mouse movements within each computer use session. MCI was associated with making significantly fewer total mouse moves ( p <.01), and making mouse movements that were more variable, less efficient, and with longer pauses between movements ( p <.05). Mouse movement measures were significantly associated with several cognitive domains ( p 's<.01-.05). Remotely monitored computer mouse movement patterns are a potential early marker of real-world cognitive changes in MCI.
Altered movement patterns and muscular activity during single and double leg squats in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament injury.

PubMed

Trulsson, Anna; Miller, Michael; Hansson, Gert-Åke; Gummesson, Christina; Garwicz, Martin

2015-02-13

Individuals with Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury often show altered movement patterns, suggested to be partly due to impaired sensorimotor control. Here, we therefore aimed to assess muscular activity during movements often used in ACL-rehabilitation and to characterize associations between deviations in muscular activity and specific altered movement patterns, using and further exploring the previously developed Test for substitution Patterns (TSP). Sixteen participants (10 women) with unilateral ACL rupture performed Single and Double Leg Squats (SLS; DLS). Altered movement patterns were scored according to TSP, and Surface Electromyography (SEMG) was recorded bilaterally in six hip, thigh and shank muscles. To quantify deviations in muscular activity, SEMG ratios were calculated between homonymous muscles on injured and non-injured sides, and between antagonistic muscles on the same side. Correlations between deviations of injured/non-injured side SEMG ratios and specific altered movement patterns were calculated. Injured/non-injured ratios were low at transition from knee flexion to extension in quadriceps in SLS, and in quadriceps and hamstrings in DLS. On injured side, the quadriceps/hamstrings ratio prior to the beginning of DLS and end of DLS and SLS, and tibialis/gastrocnemius ratio at end of DLS were lower than on non-injured side. Correlations were found between specific altered movement patterns and deviating muscular activity at transition from knee flexion to extension in SLS, indicating that the more deviating the muscular activity on injured side, the more pronounced the altered movement pattern. "Knee medial to supporting foot" correlated to lower injured/non-injured ratios in gluteus medius (rs = -0.73, p = 0.001), "lateral displacement of hip-pelvis-region" to lower injured/non-injured ratios in quadriceps (rs = -0.54, p = 0.03) and "displacement of trunk" to higher injured/non-injured ratios in gluteus medius (rs = 0.62, p = 0.01). Deviations in muscular activity between injured and non-injured sides and between antagonistic muscular activity within injured as compared to non-injured sides indicated specific alterations in sensorimotor control of the lower limb in individuals with ACL rupture. Also, correlations between deviating muscular activity and specific altered movement patterns were suggested as indications of altered sensorimotor control. We therefore advocate that quantitative assessments of altered movement patterns should be considered in ACL-rehabilitation.
Do communication disorders extend to musical messages? An answer from children with hearing loss or autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Whipple, Christina M; Gfeller, Kate; Driscoll, Virginia; Oleson, Jacob; McGregor, Karla

2015-01-01

Effective musical communication requires conveyance of the intended message in a manner perceptible to the receiver. Communication disorders that impair transmitting or decoding of structural features of music (e.g., pitch, timbre) and/or symbolic representation may result in atypical musical communication, which can have a negative impact on music therapy interventions. This study compared recognition of symbolic representation of emotions or movements in music by two groups of children with different communicative characteristics: severe to profound hearing loss (using cochlear implants [CI]) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their responses were compared to those of children with typical-development and normal hearing (TD-NH). Accuracy was examined as a function of communicative status, emotional or movement category, and individual characteristics. Participants listened to recorded musical excerpts conveying emotions or movements and matched them with labels. Measures relevant to auditory and/or language function were also gathered. There was no significant difference between the ASD and TD-NH groups in identification of musical emotions or movements. However, the CI group was significantly less accurate than the other two groups in identification of both emotions and movements. Mixed effects logistic regression revealed different patterns of accuracy for specific emotions as a function of group. Conveyance of emotions or movements through music may be decoded differently by persons with different types of communication disorders. Because music is the primary therapeutic tool in music therapy sessions, clinicians should consider these differential abilities when selecting music for clinical interventions focusing on emotions or movement. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
A Novel Saccadic Strategy Revealed by Suppression Head Impulse Testing of Patients with Bilateral Vestibular Loss.

PubMed

de Waele, Catherine; Shen, Qiwen; Magnani, Christophe; Curthoys, Ian S

2017-01-01

We examined the eye movement response patterns of a group of patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) during suppression head impulse testing. Some showed a new saccadic strategy that may have potential for explaining how patients use saccades to recover from vestibular loss. Eight patients with severe BVL [vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gains less than 0.35 and absent otolithic function] were tested. All patients were given the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and questioned about oscillopsia during abrupt head movements. Two paradigms of video head impulse testing of the horizontal VOR were used: (1) the classical head impulse paradigm [called head impulse test (HIMPs)]-fixating an earth-fixed target during the head impulse and (2) the new complementary test paradigm-fixating a head-fixed target during the head impulse (called SHIMPs). The VOR gain of HIMPs was quantified by two algorithms. During SHIMPs testing, some BVL patients consistently generated an inappropriate covert compensatory saccade during the head impulse that required a corresponding large anti-compensatory saccade at the end of the head impulse in order to obey the instructions to maintain gaze on the head-fixed target. By contrast, other BVL patients did not generate this inappropriate covert saccade and did not exhibit a corresponding anti-compensatory saccade. The latencies of the covert saccade in SHIMPs and HIMPs were similar. The pattern of covert saccades during SHIMPs appears to be related to the reduction of oscillopsia during abrupt head movements. BVL patients who did not report oscillopsia showed this unusual saccadic pattern, whereas BVL patients who reported oscillopsia did not show this pattern. This inappropriate covert SHIMPs saccade may be an objective indicator of how some patients with vestibular loss have learned to trigger covert saccades during head movements in everyday life.

Cervical intraspinal microstimulation evokes robust forelimb movements before and after injury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunshine, Michael D.; Cho, Frances S.; Lockwood, Danielle R.; Fechko, Amber S.; Kasten, Michael R.; Moritz, Chet T.

2013-06-01

Objective. Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) is a promising method for reanimating paralyzed limbs following neurological injury. ISMS within the cervical and lumbar spinal cord is capable of evoking a variety of highly-functional movements prior to injury, but the ability of ISMS to evoke forelimb movements after cervical spinal cord injury is unknown. Here we examine the forelimb movements and muscles activated by cervical ISMS both before and after contusion injury. Approach. We documented the forelimb muscles activated and movements evoked via systematic stimulation of the rodent cervical spinal cord both before injury and three, six and nine weeks following a moderate C4/C5 lateralized contusion injury. Animals were anesthetized with isoflurane to permit construction of somatotopic maps of evoked movements and quantify evoked muscle synergies between cervical segments C3 and T1. Main results. When ISMS was delivered to the cervical spinal cord, a variety of responses were observed at 68% of locations tested, with a spatial distribution that generally corresponded to the location of motor neuron pools. Stimulus currents required to achieve movement and the number of sites where movements could be evoked were unchanged by spinal cord injury. A transient shift toward extension-dominated movements and restricted muscle synergies were observed at three and six weeks following injury, respectively. By nine weeks after injury, however, ISMS-evoked patterns were similar to spinally-intact animals. Significance. The results demonstrate the potential for cervical ISMS to reanimate hand and arm function following spinal cord injury. Robust forelimb movements can be evoked both before and during the chronic stages of recovery from a clinically relevant and sustained cervical contusion injury.
Context-aware pattern discovery for moving object trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharif, Mohammad; Asghar Alesheikh, Ali; Kaffash Charandabi, Neda

2018-05-01

Movement of point objects are highly sensitive to the underlying situations and conditions during the movement, which are known as contexts. Analyzing movement patterns, while accounting the contextual information, helps to better understand how point objects behave in various contexts and how contexts affect their trajectories. One potential solution for discovering moving objects patterns is analyzing the similarities of their trajectories. This article, therefore, contextualizes the similarity measure of trajectories by not only their spatial footprints but also a notion of internal and external contexts. The dynamic time warping (DTW) method is employed to assess the multi-dimensional similarities of trajectories. Then, the results of similarity searches are utilized in discovering the relative movement patterns of the moving point objects. Several experiments are conducted on real datasets that were obtained from commercial airplanes and the weather information during the flights. The results yielded the robustness of DTW method in quantifying the commonalities of trajectories and discovering movement patterns with 80 % accuracy. Moreover, the results revealed the importance of exploiting contextual information because it can enhance and restrict movements.
Multi-Dimensional Pattern Discovery of Trajectories Using Contextual Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharif, M.; Alesheikh, A. A.

2017-10-01

Movement of point objects are highly sensitive to the underlying situations and conditions during the movement, which are known as contexts. Analyzing movement patterns, while accounting the contextual information, helps to better understand how point objects behave in various contexts and how contexts affect their trajectories. One potential solution for discovering moving objects patterns is analyzing the similarities of their trajectories. This article, therefore, contextualizes the similarity measure of trajectories by not only their spatial footprints but also a notion of internal and external contexts. The dynamic time warping (DTW) method is employed to assess the multi-dimensional similarities of trajectories. Then, the results of similarity searches are utilized in discovering the relative movement patterns of the moving point objects. Several experiments are conducted on real datasets that were obtained from commercial airplanes and the weather information during the flights. The results yielded the robustness of DTW method in quantifying the commonalities of trajectories and discovering movement patterns with 80 % accuracy. Moreover, the results revealed the importance of exploiting contextual information because it can enhance and restrict movements.
Brain oxygenation patterns during the execution of tool use demonstration, tool use pantomime, and body-part-as-object tool use.

PubMed

Helmich, Ingo; Holle, Henning; Rein, Robert; Lausberg, Hedda

2015-04-01

Divergent findings exist whether left and right hemispheric pre- and postcentral cortices contribute to the production of tool use related hand movements. In order to clarify the neural substrates of tool use demonstrations with tool in hand, tool use pantomimes without tool in hand, and body-part-as-object presentations of tool use (BPO) in a naturalistic mode of execution, we applied functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in twenty-three right-handed participants. Functional NIRS techniques allow for the investigation of brain oxygenation during the execution of complex hand movements with an unlimited movement range. Brain oxygenation patterns were retrieved from 16 channels of measurement above pre- and postcentral cortices of each hemisphere. The results showed that tool use demonstration with tool in hand leads to increased oxygenation as compared to tool use pantomimes in the left hemispheric somatosensory gyrus. Left hand executions of the demonstration of tool use, pantomime of tool use, and BPO of tool use led to increased oxygenation in the premotor and somatosensory cortices of the left hemisphere as compared to right hand executions of either condition. The results indicate that the premotor and somatosensory cortices of the left hemisphere constitute relevant brain structures for tool related hand movement production when using the left hand, whereas the somatosensory cortex of the left hemisphere seems to provide specific mental representations when performing tool use demonstrations with the tool in hand. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A System for Delivering Mechanical Stimulation and Robot-Assisted Therapy to the Rat Whisker Pad during Facial Nerve Regeneration

PubMed Central

Heaton, James T.; Knox, Christopher; Malo, Juan; Kobler, James B.; Hadlock, Tessa A.

2013-01-01

Functional recovery is typically poor after facial nerve transection and surgical repair. In rats, whisking amplitude remains greatly diminished after facial nerve regeneration, but can recover more completely if the whiskers are periodically mechanically stimulated during recovery. Here we present a robotic “whisk assist” system for mechanically driving whisker movement after facial nerve injury. Movement patterns were either pre-programmed to reflect natural amplitudes and frequencies, or movements of the contralateral (healthy) side of the face were detected and used to control real-time mirror-like motion on the denervated side. In a pilot study, twenty rats were divided into nine groups and administered one of eight different whisk assist driving patterns (or control) for 5–20 minutes, five days per week, across eight weeks of recovery after unilateral facial nerve cut and suture repair. All rats tolerated the mechanical stimulation well. Seven of the eight treatment groups recovered average whisking amplitudes that exceeded controls, although small group sizes precluded statistical confirmation of group differences. The potential to substantially improve facial nerve recovery through mechanical stimulation has important clinical implications, and we have developed a system to control the pattern and dose of stimulation in the rat facial nerve model. PMID:23475376
On the barn owl's visual pre-attack behavior: I. Structure of head movements and motion patterns.

PubMed

Ohayon, Shay; van der Willigen, Robert F; Wagner, Hermann; Katsman, Igor; Rivlin, Ehud

2006-09-01

Barn owls exhibit a rich repertoire of head movements before taking off for prey capture. These movements occur mainly at light levels that allow for the visual detection of prey. To investigate these movements and their functional relevance, we filmed the pre-attack behavior of barn owls. Off-line image analysis enabled reconstruction of all six degrees of freedom of head movements. Three categories of head movements were observed: fixations, head translations and head rotations. The observed rotations contained a translational component. Head rotations did not follow Listing's law, but could be well described by a second-order surface, which indicated that they are in close agreement with Donder's law. Head translations did not contain any significant rotational components. Translations were further segmented into straight-line and curved paths. Translations along an axis perpendicular to the line of sight were similar to peering movements observed in other animals. We suggest that these basic motion elements (fixations, head rotations, translations along a straight line, and translation along a curved trajectory) may be combined to form longer and more complex behavior. We speculate that these head movements mainly underlie estimation of distance during prey capture.
Pioneers of eye movement research

PubMed Central

Wade, Nicholas J

2010-01-01

Recent advances in the technology affording eye movement recordings carry the risk of neglecting past achievements. Without the assistance of this modern armoury, great strides were made in describing the ways the eyes move. For Aristotle the fundamental features of eye movements were binocular, and he described the combined functions of the eyes. This was later given support using simple procedures like placing a finger over the eyelid of the closed eye and culminated in Hering's law of equal innervation. However, the overriding concern in the 19th century was with eye position rather than eye movements. Appreciating discontinuities of eye movements arose from studies of vertigo. The characteristics of nystagmus were recorded before those of saccades and fixations. Eye movements during reading were described by Hering and by Lamare in 1879; both used similar techniques of listening to sounds made during contractions of the extraocular muscles. Photographic records of eye movements during reading were made by Dodge early in the 20th century, and this stimulated research using a wider array of patterns. In the mid-20th century attention shifted to the stability of the eyes during fixation, with the emphasis on involuntary movements. The contributions of pioneers from Aristotle to Yarbus are outlined. PMID:23396982
Exploratory Movement Generates Higher-Order Information That Is Sufficient for Accurate Perception of Scaled Egocentric Distance

PubMed Central

Mantel, Bruno; Stoffregen, Thomas A.; Campbell, Alain; Bardy, Benoît G.

2015-01-01

Body movement influences the structure of multiple forms of ambient energy, including optics and gravito-inertial force. Some researchers have argued that egocentric distance is derived from inferential integration of visual and non-visual stimulation. We suggest that accurate information about egocentric distance exists in perceptual stimulation as higher-order patterns that extend across optics and inertia. We formalize a pattern that specifies the egocentric distance of a stationary object across higher-order relations between optics and inertia. This higher-order parameter is created by self-generated movement of the perceiver in inertial space relative to the illuminated environment. For this reason, we placed minimal restrictions on the exploratory movements of our participants. We asked whether humans can detect and use the information available in this higher-order pattern. Participants judged whether a virtual object was within reach. We manipulated relations between body movement and the ambient structure of optics and inertia. Judgments were precise and accurate when the higher-order optical-inertial parameter was available. When only optic flow was available, judgments were poor. Our results reveal that participants perceived egocentric distance from the higher-order, optical-inertial consequences of their own exploratory activity. Analysis of participants’ movement trajectories revealed that self-selected movements were complex, and tended to optimize availability of the optical-inertial pattern that specifies egocentric distance. We argue that accurate information about egocentric distance exists in higher-order patterns of ambient energy, that self-generated movement can generate these higher-order patterns, and that these patterns can be detected and used to support perception of egocentric distance that is precise and accurate. PMID:25856410
Retention of movement pattern changes after a lower extremity injury prevention program is affected by program duration.

PubMed

Padua, Darin A; DiStefano, Lindsay J; Marshall, Stephen W; Beutler, Anthony I; de la Motte, Sarah J; DiStefano, Michael J

2012-02-01

Changes in movement patterns have been repeatedly observed immediately after completing a lower extremity injury prevention program. However, it is not known if movement pattern changes are maintained after discontinuing the training program. The ability to maintain movement pattern changes after training has ceased may be influenced by the program's duration. The authors hypothesized that among individuals who completed either a 3-month or 9-month training program and who demonstrated immediate movement pattern changes, only those who completed the 9-month training program would maintain movement pattern changes after a 3-month period of no longer performing the exercises. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. A total of 140 youth soccer athletes from 15 separate teams volunteered to participate. Athletes' movement patterns were assessed using the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) at pretest, posttest, and 3 months after ceasing the program (retention test). Eighty-four of the original 140 participants demonstrated improvements in their LESS scores between pretest and posttest (change in LESS score >0) and were included in the final analyses for this study (n = 84; 20 boys and 64 girls; mean age, 14 ± 2 years; age range, 11-17 years). Teams performed 3-month (short-duration group) and 9-month (extended-duration group) injury prevention programs. The exercises performed were identical for both groups. Teams performed the programs as part of their normal warm-up routine. Although both groups improved their total LESS scores from pretest to posttest, only the extended-duration training group retained their improvements 3 months after ceasing the injury prevention program (F(2,137) = 3.38; P = .04). Results suggest that training duration may be an important factor to consider when designing injury prevention programs that facilitate long-term changes in movement control.
Exploring patterns of movement suspension in pedestrian mobility.

PubMed

Orellana, Daniel; Wachowicz, Monica

2011-01-01

One of the main tasks in analyzing pedestrian movement is to detect places where pedestrians stop, as those places usually are associated with specific human activities, and they can allow us to understand pedestrian movement behavior. Very few approaches have been proposed to detect the locations of stops in positioning data sets, and they often are based on selecting the location of candidate stops as well as potential spatial and temporal thresholds according to different application requirements. However, these approaches are not suitable for analyzing the slow movement of pedestrians where the inaccuracy of a nondifferential global positioning system commonly used for movement tracking is so significant that it can hinder the selection of adequate thresholds. In this article, we propose an exploratory statistical approach to detect patterns of movement suspension using a local indicator of spatial association (LISA) in a vector space representation. Two different positioning data sets are used to evaluate our approach in terms of exploring movement suspension patterns that can be related to different landscapes: players of an urban outdoor mobile game and visitors of a natural park. The results of both experiments show that patterns of movement suspension were located at places such as checkpoints in the game and different attractions and facilities in the park. Based on these results, we conclude that using LISA is a reliable approach for exploring movement suspension patterns that represent the places where the movement of pedestrians is temporally suspended by physical restrictions (e.g., checkpoints of a mobile game and the route choosing points of a park).
Vibration of the human tympanic membrane measured with OCT in a range between 0.4 kHz and 6.4 kHz on an ex vivo sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhardt, Anke; Kirsten, Lars; Bornitz, Matthias; Zahnert, Thomas; Koch, Edmund

2013-06-01

Vibrations of the tympanic membrane (TM) play a key role for the transmission of sound to the inner ear. Today, there exist still problems in measuring the movement of the TM and there are unresolved issues in understanding the TM and its behavior. A non-invasive and contact-free in vivo investigation of the structure and the functional behavior of the TM would be a big step forward. In the presented study, the suitability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for measuring the oscillation patterns of the TM in the frequency range covering the range of the human speech perception should be tested. For functional imaging a sound chirp was generated in the frequency range between 0.4 kHz - 6.4 kHz. To obtain the movement within a sufficient resolution, a grid of 25 x 25 measurement points was generated over the whole TM. The information of the oscillatory movement was encoded in the Doppler signal, provided by M-scans at several points of the TM. The frequency response functions of each frequency showed different oscillation patterns on the TM. The acquisition time of one single M-scan was only 8.5 ms and of the entire TM 5.3 s, emphasizing the potential of the method for future in vivo applications. Furthermore, the morphology was acquired with the same OCT-system, showing the feasibility for structural imaging and differentiation between typical regions of the TM. Thus, OCT was shown as a suitable method for the simultaneous measurement of the functional and structural behavior of the TM.
Losing dexterity: patterns of impaired coordination of finger movements in musician’s dystonia

PubMed Central

Furuya, Shinichi; Tominaga, Kenta; Miyazaki, Fumio; Altenmüller, Eckart

2015-01-01

Extensive training can bring about highly-skilled action, but may also impair motor dexterity by producing involuntary movements and muscular cramping, as seen in focal dystonia (FD) and tremor. To elucidate the underlying neuroplastic mechanisms of FD, the present study addressed the organization of finger movements during piano performance in pianists suffering from the condition. Principal component (PC) analysis identified three patterns of fundamental joint coordination constituting finger movements in both patients and controls. The first two coordination patterns described less individuated movements between the “dystonic” finger and key-striking fingers for patients compared to controls. The third coordination pattern, representing the individuation of movements between the middle and ring fingers, was evident during a sequence of strikes with these fingers in controls, which was absent in the patients. Consequently, rhythmic variability of keystrokes was more pronounced during this sequence of strikes for the patients. A stepwise multiple-regression analysis further identified greater variability of keystrokes for individuals displaying less individuated movements between the affected and striking fingers. The findings suggest that FD alters dexterous joint coordination so as to lower independent control of finger movements, and thereby degrades fine motor control. PMID:26289433
What is The Role of Land Value in The Urban Corridor?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakhmatulloh, A. R.; Buchori, I.; Pradoto, W.; Riyanto, B.; Winarendri, J.

2018-02-01

The high movement causes traffic congestion and indicates high movement intensity along the corridor. The higher attraction of the land use will encourage the higher attraction of movement and economic values in the location. This attraction is also affected by the high mobility in the corridor supported by available transport infrastructure. Thus this causes land values become increase significantly. Land use along the corridor can be seen as commercial function because this activity is able to survive in the premium location. The purpose of this research is to identify the effect of land use change toward land values in the commercial corridor. This research used positivistic method with descriptive analysis. The result shows that the land values change in commercial use in the corridor has different pattern of land use change pattern according to physical condition and land use which causes highly economic attraction. The new commercial land is influenced by the distance to city centre or CBD (Central Business District). Land use and public facilities that have local and city scope services do not give the significant impact to land values change.
Differential Prefrontal and Frontotemporal Oxygenation Patterns during Phonemic and Semantic Verbal Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tupak, Sara V.; Badewien, Meike; Dresler, Thomas; Hahn, Tim; Ernst, Lena H.; Herrmann, Martin J.; Fallgatter, Andreas J.; Ehlis, Ann-Christine

2012-01-01

Movement artifacts are still considered a problematic issue for imaging research on overt language production. This motion-sensitivity can be overcome by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In the present study, 50 healthy subjects performed a combined phonemic and semantic overt verbal fluency task while frontal and temporal cortex…
Differential modulation of global and local neural oscillations in REM sleep by homeostatic sleep regulation

PubMed Central

Kim, Bowon; Kocsis, Bernat; Hwang, Eunjin; Kim, Youngsoo; Strecker, Robert E.; McCarley, Robert W.; Choi, Jee Hyun

2017-01-01

Homeostatic rebound in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep normally occurs after acute sleep deprivation, but REM sleep rebound settles on a persistently elevated level despite continued accumulation of REM sleep debt during chronic sleep restriction (CSR). Using high-density EEG in mice, we studied how this pattern of global regulation is implemented in cortical regions with different functions and network architectures. We found that across all areas, slow oscillations repeated the behavioral pattern of persistent enhancement during CSR, whereas high-frequency oscillations showed progressive increases. This pattern followed a common rule despite marked topographic differences. The findings suggest that REM sleep slow oscillations may translate top-down homeostatic control to widely separated brain regions whereas fast oscillations synchronizing local neuronal ensembles escape this global command. These patterns of EEG oscillation changes are interpreted to reconcile two prevailing theories of the function of sleep, synaptic homeostasis and sleep dependent memory consolidation. PMID:28193862
Differential modulation of global and local neural oscillations in REM sleep by homeostatic sleep regulation.

PubMed

Kim, Bowon; Kocsis, Bernat; Hwang, Eunjin; Kim, Youngsoo; Strecker, Robert E; McCarley, Robert W; Choi, Jee Hyun

2017-02-28

Homeostatic rebound in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep normally occurs after acute sleep deprivation, but REM sleep rebound settles on a persistently elevated level despite continued accumulation of REM sleep debt during chronic sleep restriction (CSR). Using high-density EEG in mice, we studied how this pattern of global regulation is implemented in cortical regions with different functions and network architectures. We found that across all areas, slow oscillations repeated the behavioral pattern of persistent enhancement during CSR, whereas high-frequency oscillations showed progressive increases. This pattern followed a common rule despite marked topographic differences. The findings suggest that REM sleep slow oscillations may translate top-down homeostatic control to widely separated brain regions whereas fast oscillations synchronizing local neuronal ensembles escape this global command. These patterns of EEG oscillation changes are interpreted to reconcile two prevailing theories of the function of sleep, synaptic homeostasis and sleep dependent memory consolidation.
A new algorithm and system for the characterization of handwriting strokes with delta-lognormal parameters.

PubMed

Djioua, Moussa; Plamondon, Réjean

2009-11-01

In this paper, we present a new analytical method for estimating the parameters of Delta-Lognormal functions and characterizing handwriting strokes. According to the Kinematic Theory of rapid human movements, these parameters contain information on both the motor commands and the timing properties of a neuromuscular system. The new algorithm, called XZERO, exploits relationships between the zero crossings of the first and second time derivatives of a lognormal function and its four basic parameters. The methodology is described and then evaluated under various testing conditions. The new tool allows a greater variety of stroke patterns to be processed automatically. Furthermore, for the first time, the extraction accuracy is quantified empirically, taking advantage of the exponential relationships that link the dispersion of the extraction errors with its signal-to-noise ratio. A new extraction system which combines this algorithm with two other previously published methods is also described and evaluated. This system provides researchers involved in various domains of pattern analysis and artificial intelligence with new tools for the basic study of single strokes as primitives for understanding rapid human movements.
Cognitive context determines dorsal premotor cortical activity during hand movement in patients after stroke.

PubMed

Dennis, Andrea; Bosnell, Rose; Dawes, Helen; Howells, Ken; Cockburn, Janet; Kischka, Udo; Matthews, Paul; Johansen-Berg, Heidi

2011-04-01

Stroke patients often have difficulties in simultaneously performing a motor and cognitive task. Functional imaging studies have shown that movement of an affected hand after stroke is associated with increased activity in multiple cortical areas, particularly in the contralesional hemisphere. We hypothesized patients for whom executing simple movements demands greater selective attention will show greater brain activity during movement. Eight chronic stroke patients performed a behavioral interference test using a visuo-motor tracking with and without a simultaneous cognitive task. The magnitude of behavioral task decrement under cognitive motor interference (CMI) conditions was calculated for each subject. Functional MRI was used to assess brain activity in the same patients during performance of a visuo-motor tracking task alone; correlations between CMI score and movement-related brain activation were then explored. Movement-related activation in the dorsal precentral gyrus of the contralesional hemisphere correlated strongly and positively with CMI score (r(2) at peak voxel=0.92; P<0.05). Similar but weaker relationships were observed in the ventral precentral and middle frontal gyrus. There was no independent relationship between hand motor impairment and CMI. Results suggest that variations in the degree to which a cognitive task interferes with performance of a concurrent motor task explains a substantial proportion of the variations in movement-related brain activity in patients after stroke. The results emphasize the importance of considering cognitive context when interpreting brain activity patterns and provide a rationale for further evaluation of integrated cognitive and movement interventions for rehabilitation in stroke.
Non-equilibrium thermodynamical description of rhythmic motion patterns of active systems: a canonical-dissipative approach.

PubMed

Dotov, D G; Kim, S; Frank, T D

2015-02-01

We derive explicit expressions for the non-equilibrium thermodynamical variables of a canonical-dissipative limit cycle oscillator describing rhythmic motion patterns of active systems. These variables are statistical entropy, non-equilibrium internal energy, and non-equilibrium free energy. In particular, the expression for the non-equilibrium free energy is derived as a function of a suitable control parameter. The control parameter determines the Hopf bifurcation point of the deterministic active system and describes the effective pumping of the oscillator. In analogy to the equilibrium free energy of the Landau theory, it is shown that the non-equilibrium free energy decays as a function of the control parameter. In doing so, a similarity between certain equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase transitions is pointed out. Data from an experiment on human rhythmic movements is presented. Estimates for pumping intensity as well as the thermodynamical variables are reported. It is shown that in the experiment the non-equilibrium free energy decayed when pumping intensity was increased, which is consistent with the theory. Moreover, pumping intensities close to zero could be observed at relatively slow intended rhythmic movements. In view of the Hopf bifurcation underlying the limit cycle oscillator model, this observation suggests that the intended limit cycle movements were actually more similar to trajectories of a randomly perturbed stable focus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
The usefulness of GPS telemetry to study wolf circadian and social activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, S.B.; David, Mech L.

2003-01-01

This study describes circadian and social movement patterns of 9 wolves and illustrates capabilities and limitations of Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry for analysis of animal activity patterns. Wolves were studied at the Camp Ripley National Guard Training Site in Little Falls, Minnesota, and were captured via helicopter net-gunning. All study wolves showed nocturnal movement patterns regardless of time of year. One wolf's movement pattern switched to diurnal when he conducted an extraterritorial foray from his natal territory. All data sets with GPS intervals ???1 hour (n = 4) showed crepuscular movement peaks. We identified patterns of den visitation and attendance, estimated minimum distances traveled and minimum rates of movement, and observed that GPS location intervals may affect perceived rates of wolf travel. Global Positioning System telemetry was useful in determining when pack members were traveling together or apart and how long a breeding female wolf spent near her pups (e.g., 10-month-old pups were left unattended by their mother for as long as 17 days).

Passive Transport Disrupts Grid Signals in the Parahippocampal Cortex.

PubMed

Winter, Shawn S; Mehlman, Max L; Clark, Benjamin J; Taube, Jeffrey S

2015-10-05

Navigation is usually thought of relative to landmarks, but neural signals representing space also use information generated by an animal's movements. These signals include grid cells, which fire at multiple locations, forming a repeating grid pattern. Grid cell generation depends upon theta rhythm, a 6-10 Hz electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillation that is modulated by the animals' movement velocity. We passively moved rats in a clear cart to eliminate motor related self-movement cues that drive moment-to-moment changes in theta rhythmicity. We found that passive movement maintained theta power and frequency at levels equivalent to low active movement velocity, spared overall head-direction (HD) cell characteristics, but abolished both velocity modulation of theta rhythmicity and grid cell firing patterns. These results indicate that self-movement motor cues are necessary for generating grid-specific firing patterns, possibly by driving velocity modulation of theta rhythmicity, which may be used as a speed signal to generate the repeating pattern of grid cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Passive Transport Disrupts Grid Signals in the Parahippocampal Cortex

PubMed Central

Winter, Shawn S.; Mehlman, Max L.; Clark, Benjamin J.; Taube, Jeffrey S.

2015-01-01

Summary Navigation is usually thought of relative to landmarks, but neural signals representing space also use information generated by an animal’s movements. These signals include grid cells, which fire at multiple locations forming a repeating grid pattern. Grid cell generation depends upon theta rhythm, a 6-10 Hz EEG oscillation that is modulated by the animals’ movement velocity. We passively moved rats in a clear cart to eliminate motor related self-movement cues that drive moment-to-moment changes in theta rhythmicity. We found that passive movement maintained theta power and frequency at levels equivalent to low active movement velocity, spared overall HD cell characteristics, and abolished velocity modulation of theta rhythmicity and grid cell firing patterns. These results indicate that self-movement motor cues are necessary for generating grid-specific firing patterns, possibly by driving velocity modulation of theta rhythmicity. Velocity modulation of theta may be used as a speed signal to generate the repeating pattern of grid cells. PMID:26387719
Time series association learning

DOEpatents

Papcun, George J.

1995-01-01

An acoustic input is recognized from inferred articulatory movements output by a learned relationship between training acoustic waveforms and articulatory movements. The inferred movements are compared with template patterns prepared from training movements when the relationship was learned to regenerate an acoustic recognition. In a preferred embodiment, the acoustic articulatory relationships are learned by a neural network. Subsequent input acoustic patterns then generate the inferred articulatory movements for use with the templates. Articulatory movement data may be supplemented with characteristic acoustic information, e.g. relative power and high frequency data, to improve template recognition.
Prey field switching based on preferential behaviour can induce Lévy flights

PubMed Central

Lundy, Mathieu G.; Harrison, Alan; Buckley, Daniel J.; Boston, Emma S.; Scott, David D.; Teeling, Emma C.; Montgomery, W. Ian; Houghton, Jonathan D. R.

2013-01-01

Using the foraging movements of an insectivorous bat, Myotis mystacinus, we describe temporal switching of foraging behaviour in response to resource availability. These observations conform to predictions of optimized search under the Lévy flight paradigm. However, we suggest that this occurs as a result of a preference behaviour and knowledge of resource distribution. Preferential behaviour and knowledge of a familiar area generate distinct movement patterns as resource availability changes on short temporal scales. The behavioural response of predators to changes in prey fields can elicit different functional responses, which are considered to be central in the development of stable predator–prey communities. Recognizing how the foraging movements of an animal relate to environmental conditions also elucidates the evolution of optimized search and the prevalence of discrete strategies in natural systems. Applying techniques that use changes in the frequency distribution of movements facilitates exploration of the processes that underpin behavioural changes. PMID:23054951
Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders in a naturalistic schizophrenia population: diagnostic value of actometric movement patterns.

PubMed

Janno, Sven; Holi, Matti M; Tuisku, Katinka; Wahlbeck, Kristian

2008-04-18

Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders (NIMDs) have overlapping co-morbidity. Earlier studies have described typical clinical movement patterns for individual NIMDs. This study aimed to identify specific movement patterns for each individual NIMD using actometry. A naturalistic population of 99 schizophrenia inpatients using conventional antipsychotics and clozapine was evaluated. Subjects with NIMDs were categorized using the criteria for NIMD found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).Two blinded raters evaluated the actometric-controlled rest activity data for activity periods, rhythmical activity, frequencies, and highest acceleration peaks. A simple subjective question was formulated to test patient-based evaluation of NIMD. The patterns of neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) and pseudoakathisia (PsA) were identifiable in actometry with excellent inter-rater reliability. The answers to the subjective question about troubles with movements distinguished NIA patients from other patients rather well. Also actometry had rather good screening performances in distinguishing akathisia from other NIMD. Actometry was not able to reliably detect patterns of neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia. The present study showed that pooled NIA and PsA patients had a different pattern in lower limb descriptive actometry than other patients in a non-selected sample. Careful questioning of patients is a useful method of diagnosing NIA in a clinical setting.
Visualizing the spinal neuronal dynamics of locomotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramanian, Kalpathi R.; Bashor, D. P.; Miller, M. T.; Foster, J. A.

2004-06-01

Modern imaging and simulation techniques have enhanced system-level understanding of neural function. In this article, we present an application of interactive visualization to understanding neuronal dynamics causing locomotion of a single hip joint, based on pattern generator output of the spinal cord. Our earlier work visualized cell-level responses of multiple neuronal populations. However, the spatial relationships were abstract, making communication with colleagues difficult. We propose two approaches to overcome this: (1) building a 3D anatomical model of the spinal cord with neurons distributed inside, animated by the simulation and (2) adding limb movements predicted by neuronal activity. The new system was tested using a cat walking central pattern generator driving a pair of opposed spinal motoneuron pools. Output of opposing motoneuron pools was combined into a single metric, called "Net Neural Drive", which generated angular limb movement in proportion to its magnitude. Net neural drive constitutes a new description of limb movement control. The combination of spatial and temporal information in the visualizations elegantly conveys the neural activity of the output elements (motoneurons), as well as the resulting movement. The new system encompasses five biological levels of organization from ion channels to observed behavior. The system is easily scalable, and provides an efficient interactive platform for rapid hypothesis testing.
The short-term effects of a routine poisoning campaign on the movements and detectability of a social top-predator.

PubMed

Allen, Benjamin L; Engeman, Richard M; Leung, Luke K-P

2014-02-01

Top-predators can be important components of resilient ecosystems, but they are still controlled in many places to mitigate a variety of economic, environmental and/or social impacts. Lethal control is often achieved through the broad-scale application of poisoned baits. Understanding the direct and indirect effects of such lethal control on subsequent movements and behaviour of survivors is an important pre-requisite for interpreting the efficacy and ecological outcomes of top-predator control. In this study, we use GPS tracking collars to investigate the fine-scale and short-term movements of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo and other wild dogs) in response to a routine poison-baiting program as an example of how a common, social top-predator can respond (behaviourally) to moderate levels of population reduction. We found no consistent control-induced differences in home range size or location, daily distance travelled, speed of travel, temporal activity patterns or road/trail usage for the seven surviving dingoes we monitored immediately before and after a typical lethal control event. These data suggest that the spatial behaviour of surviving dingoes was not altered in ways likely to affect their detectability, and if control-induced changes in dingoes' ecological function did occur, these may not be related to altered spatial behaviour or movement patterns.
The movements made by performers in a skilled quartet: a distinctive pattern, and the function that it serves

PubMed Central

Glowinski, Donald; Mancini, Maurizio; Cowie, Roddy; Camurri, Antonio; Chiorri, Carlo; Doherty, Cian

2013-01-01

When people perform a task as part of a joint action, their behavior is not the same as it would be if they were performing the same task alone, since it has to be adapted to facilitate shared understanding (or sometimes to prevent it). Joint performance of music offers a test bed for ecologically valid investigations of the way non-verbal behavior facilitates joint action. Here we compare the expressive movement of violinists when playing in solo and ensemble conditions. The first violinists of two string quartets (SQs), professional and student, were asked to play the same musical fragments in a solo condition and with the quartet. Synchronized multimodal recordings were created from the performances, using a specially developed software platform. Different patterns of head movement were observed. By quantifying them using an appropriate measure of entropy, we showed that head movements are more predictable in the quartet scenario. Rater evaluations showed that the change does not, as might be assumed, entail markedly reduced expression. They showed some ability to discriminate between solo and ensemble performances, but did not distinguish them in terms of emotional content or expressiveness. The data raise provocative questions about joint action in realistically complex scenarios. PMID:24312065
Kinematic Modeling of Normal Voluntary Mandibular Opening and Closing Velocity-Initial Study.

PubMed

Gawriołek, Krzysztof; Gawriołek, Maria; Komosa, Marek; Piotrowski, Paweł R; Azer, Shereen S

2015-06-01

Determination and quantification of voluntary mandibular velocity movement has not been a thoroughly studied parameter of masticatory movement. This study attempted to objectively define kinematics of mandibular movement based on numerical (digital) analysis of the relations and interactions of velocity diagram records in healthy female individuals. Using a computerized mandibular scanner (K7 Evaluation Software), 72 diagrams of voluntary mandibular velocity movements (36 for opening, 36 for closing) for women with clinically normal motor and functional activities of the masticatory system were recorded. Multiple measurements were analyzed focusing on the curve for maximum velocity records. For each movement, the loop of temporary velocities was determined. The diagram was then entered into AutoCad calculation software where movement analysis was performed. The real maximum velocity values on opening (Vmax ), closing (V0 ), and average velocity values (Vav ) as well as movement accelerations (a) were recorded. Additionally, functional (A1-A2) and geometric (P1-P4) analysis of loop constituent phases were performed, and the relations between the obtained areas were defined. Velocity means and correlation coefficient values for various velocity phases were calculated. The Wilcoxon test produced the following maximum and average velocity results: Vmax = 394 ± 102, Vav = 222 ± 61 for opening, and Vmax = 409 ± 94, Vav = 225 ± 55 mm/s for closing. Both mandibular movement range and velocity change showed significant variability achieving the highest velocity in P2 phase. Voluntary mandibular velocity presents significant variations between healthy individuals. Maximum velocity is obtained when incisal separation is between 12.8 and 13.5 mm. An improved understanding of the patterns of normal mandibular movements may provide an invaluable diagnostic aid to pathological changes within the masticatory system. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.
Submovement control processes in discrete aiming as a function of space-time constraints.

PubMed

Hsieh, Tsung-Yu; Liu, Yeou-Teh; Newell, Karl M

2017-01-01

There is preliminary evidence that there are several types of submovements in movement aiming that reflect different processes of control and can result from particular task constraints. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of movement space and time task criteria on the prevalence of different submovement control characteristics in discrete aiming. Twelve participants completed 3 distance x 5 time conditions each with 100 trials in a target-aiming movement task. The kinematic structure of the trajectory determined the prevalence of 5 submovement types (none; pre-peak, post-peak movement velocity; undershoot, overshoot). The findings showed that the overall number of submovements increased in the slower space-time conditions and was predominantly characterized by post-peak trajectory submovements rather than discrete overshoot submovements. Overshoot submovements were more frequent in the high average movement velocity and short time duration conditions. We concluded that there are qualitatively different distributional patterns of submovement types in discrete aiming tasks that are organized by the quantitative scaling of the average movement velocity arising from multiple control processes to meet the specific space-time task constraints.
Fractal analysis of narwhal space use patterns.

PubMed

Laidre, Kristin L; Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P; Logsdon, Miles L; Hobbs, Roderick C; Dietz, Rune; VanBlaricom, Glenn R

2004-01-01

Quantifying animal movement in response to a spatially and temporally heterogeneous environment is critical to understanding the structural and functional landscape influences on population viability. Generalities of landscape structure can easily be extended to the marine environment, as marine predators inhabit a patchy, dynamic system, which influences animal choice and behavior. An innovative use of the fractal measure of complexity, indexing the linearity of movement paths over replicate temporal scales, was applied to satellite tracking data collected from narwhals (Monodon monoceros) (n = 20) in West Greenland and the eastern Canadian high Arctic. Daily movements of individuals were obtained using polar orbiting satellites via the ARGOS data location and collection system. Geographic positions were filtered to obtain a daily good quality position for each whale. The length of total pathway was measured over seven different temporal length scales (step lengths), ranging from one day to one week, and a seasonal mean was calculated. Fractal dimension (D) was significantly different between seasons, highest during summer (D = 1.61, SE 0.04) and winter (D = 1.69, SE 0.06) when whales made convoluted movements in focal areas. Fractal dimension was lowest during fall (D = 1.34, SE 0.03) when whales were migrating south ahead of the forming sea ice. There were no significant effects of size category or sex on fractal dimension by season. The greater linearity of movement during the migration period suggests individuals do not intensively forage on patchy resources until they arrive at summer or winter sites. The highly convoluted movements observed during summer and winter suggest foraging or searching efforts in localized areas. Significant differences between the fractal dimensions on two separate wintering grounds in Baffin Bay suggest differential movement patterns in response to the dynamics of sea ice.
Movement characteristics of persons with prader-willi syndrome rising from supine.

PubMed

Belt, A B; Hertel, T A; Mante, J R; Marks, T; Rockett, V L; Wade, C; Clayton-Krasinski, D

2001-01-01

The purposes of this study were to: 1) determine if previously published descriptors of the supine to stand rising task in healthy individuals could be applied to the movements of persons with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS); and 2) assess upper extremity (UE), axial region (AX), and lower extremity (LE) movements among subjects with PWS compared with controls. Nine subjects with PWS (seven-36 years of age) and matched controls were videotaped performing 10 rising trials. The UE, AX, and LE movements were classified using published descriptors. Occurrence frequencies of movement patterns, duration of movement, and the relationships among body region movement score, BMI, and age were determined. Subjects with PWS utilized developmentally less advanced asymmetrical rising patterns, took longer to rise, and demonstrated less within subject variability than controls. Categorical descriptors, with minor modifications, can be used to describe rising movements in persons with PWS. Knowledge of successful rising patterns may assist PTs when examining or planning intervention strategies for teaching the rising task.
Cattle movement patterns in Australia: an analysis of the NLIS database 2008-2012.

PubMed

Iglesias, R M; East, I J

2015-11-01

To identify patterns of cattle movement that could influence disease spread in the Australian cattle population. Records from the National Livestock Identification System database for the period January 2008 to December 2012 were accessed and analysed. Postcodes were used to allocate each individual property to one of 12 livestock production regions. National movement patterns and the characteristics of each livestock production region were quantified in terms of the number of consignments and animals moved, and seasonality of movements. The majority of cattle movements remained within a single livestock production region, while those that did not, usually remained within the same state or territory. Producers were the most common source of cattle, and abattoirs and other producers the most common destinations, with approximately 40% of animals moving via a saleyard. The northern regions generally moved larger consignments than the southern regions and were less connected to other regions. The eastern and south-eastern regions were very well connected by cattle movements. Seasonal patterns were seen for some regions, particularly the northern regions where weather patterns strongly influence the ability of producers to muster and transport stock. The movement patterns observed provide quantitative support for previous information based on surveys and expert opinion, and capture more of the variability in Australian cattle production. This information may assist with management of animal disease risks, in particular exotic diseases, and in planning surveillance programs. © 2015 2015 Commonwealth of Australia Australian Veterinary Journal © 2015 Australian Veterinary Association.
Integration of posture and movement: contributions of Sherrington, Hess, and Bernstein.

PubMed

Stuart, Douglas G

2005-01-01

Neural mechanisms that integrate posture with movement are widespread throughout the central nervous system (CNS), and they are recruited in patterns that are both task- and context-dependent. Scientists from several countries who were born in the 19th century provided essential groundwork for these modern-day concepts. Here, the focus is on three of this group with each selected for a somewhat different reason. Charles Sherrington (1857-1952) had innumerable contributions that were certainly needed in the subsequent study of posture and movement: inhibition as an active coordinative mechanism, the functional anatomy of spinal cord-muscle connectivity, and helping set the stage for modern work on the sensorimotor cortex and the corticospinal tract. Sadly, however, by not championing the work of his trainee and collaborator, Thomas Graham Brown (1882-1965), he delayed progress on two key motor control mechanisms: central programming and pattern generation. Walter Hess (1881-1973), a self-taught experimentalist, is now best known for his work on CNS coordination of autonomic (visceral) and emotional behavior. His contributions to posture and movement, however, were also far-reaching: the coordination of eye movements and integration of goal-directed and "framework" (anticipatory set) motor behavior. Nikolai Bernstein (1896-1966), the quintessence of an interdisciplinary, self-taught movement neuroscientist, made far-reaching contributions that were barely recognized by Western workers prior to the 1960s. Today, he is widely praised for showing that the CNS's hierarchy of control mechanisms for posture and movement is organized hand-in-hand with distributed and parallel processing, with all three subject to evolutionary pressures. He also made important observations, like those of several previous workers, on the goal focus of voluntary movements. The contributions of Sherrington, Hess, and Bernstein are enduring. They prompt thought on the philosophical axioms that appear to have driven their research, and the continual need for emphasis on interdisciplinary, comparative, and transnational approaches to advance movement neuroscience.
Movement preparation and execution: differential functional activation patterns after traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Gooijers, Jolien; Beets, Iseult A M; Albouy, Genevieve; Beeckmans, Kurt; Michiels, Karla; Sunaert, Stefan; Swinnen, Stephan P

2016-09-01

Years following the insult, patients with traumatic brain injury often experience persistent motor control problems, including bimanual coordination deficits. Previous studies revealed that such deficits are related to brain structural white and grey matter abnormalities. Here, we assessed, for the first time, cerebral functional activation patterns during bimanual movement preparation and performance in patients with traumatic brain injury, using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Eighteen patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (10 females; aged 26.3 years, standard deviation = 5.2; age range: 18.4-34.6 years) and 26 healthy young adults (15 females; aged 23.6 years, standard deviation = 3.8; age range: 19.5-33 years) performed a complex bimanual tracking task, divided into a preparation (2 s) and execution (9 s) phase, and executed either in the presence or absence of augmented visual feedback. Performance on the bimanual tracking task, expressed as the average target error, was impaired for patients as compared to controls (P < 0.001) and for trials in the absence as compared to the presence of augmented visual feedback (P < 0.001). At the cerebral level, movement preparation was characterized by reduced neural activation in the patient group relative to the control group in frontal (bilateral superior frontal gyrus, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), parietal (left inferior parietal lobe) and occipital (right striate and extrastriate visual cortex) areas (P's < 0.05). During the execution phase, however, the opposite pattern emerged, i.e. traumatic brain injury patients showed enhanced activations compared with controls in frontal (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left lateral anterior prefrontal cortex, and left orbitofrontal cortex), parietal (bilateral inferior parietal lobe, bilateral superior parietal lobe, right precuneus, right primary somatosensory cortex), occipital (right striate and extrastriate visual cortices), and subcortical (left cerebellum crus II) areas (P's < 0.05). Moreover, a significant interaction effect between Feedback Condition and Group in the primary motor area (bilaterally) (P < 0.001), the cerebellum (left) (P < 0.001) and caudate (left) (P < 0.05), revealed that controls showed less overlap of activation patterns accompanying the two feedback conditions than patients with traumatic brain injury (i.e. decreased neural differentiation). In sum, our findings point towards poorer predictive control in traumatic brain injury patients in comparison to controls. Moreover, irrespective of the feedback condition, overactivations were observed in traumatically brain injured patients during movement execution, pointing to more controlled processing of motor task performance. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Visual cues that are effective for contextual saccade adaptation.

PubMed

Azadi, Reza; Harwood, Mark R

2014-06-01

The accuracy of saccades, as maintained by saccade adaptation, has been shown to be context dependent: able to have different amplitude movements to the same retinal displacement dependent on motor contexts such as orbital starting location. There is conflicting evidence as to whether purely visual cues also effect contextual saccade adaptation and, if so, what function this might serve. We tested what visual cues might evoke contextual adaptation. Over 5 experiments, 78 naive subjects made saccades to circularly moving targets, which stepped outward or inward during the saccade depending on target movement direction, speed, or color and shape. To test if the movement or context postsaccade were critical, we stopped the postsaccade target motion (experiment 4) or neutralized the contexts by equating postsaccade target speed to an intermediate value (experiment 5). We found contextual adaptation in all conditions except those defined by color and shape. We conclude that some, but not all, visual cues before the saccade are sufficient for contextual adaptation. We conjecture that this visual contextuality functions to allow for different motor states for different coordinated movement patterns, such as coordinated saccade and pursuit motor planning. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.
Loss of laterality in chronic cocaine users: an fMRI investigation of sensorimotor control.

PubMed

Hanlon, Colleen A; Wesley, Michael J; Roth, Alicia J; Miller, Mack D; Porrino, Linda J

2010-01-30

Movement disturbances are often overlooked consequences of chronic cocaine abuse. The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate sensorimotor performance in chronic cocaine users and characterize changes in brain activity among movement-related regions of interest (ROIs) in these users. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 14 chronic cocaine users and 15 age- and gender-matched controls. All participants performed a sequential finger-tapping task with their dominant, right hand interleaved with blocks of rest. For each participant, percent signal change from rest was calculated for seven movement-related ROIs in both the left and right hemisphere. Cocaine users had significantly longer reaction times and higher error rates than controls. Whereas the controls used a left-sided network of motor-related brain areas to perform the task, cocaine users activated a less lateralized pattern of brain activity. Users had significantly more activity in the ipsilateral (right) motor and premotor cortical areas, anterior cingulate cortex and the putamen than controls. These data demonstrate that, in addition to the cognitive and affective consequences of chronic cocaine abuse, there are also pronounced alterations in sensorimotor control in these individuals, which are associated with functional alterations throughout movement-related neural networks.
Analogical Reasoning in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence From an Eye-Tracking Approach

PubMed Central

Tan, Enda; Wu, Xueyuan; Nishida, Tracy; Huang, Dan; Chen, Zhe; Yi, Li

2018-01-01

The present study examined analogical reasoning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its relationship with cognitive and executive functioning and processing strategies. Our findings showed that although children with ASD were less competent in solving analogical problems than typically developing children, this inferior performance was attributable to general cognitive impairments. Eye-movement analyses revealed that children with ASD paid less attention to relational items and showed fewer gaze shifts between relational locations. Nevertheless, these eye-movement patterns did not predict autistic children’s behavioral performance. Together, our findings suggest that ASD per se does not entail impairments in analogical reasoning. The inferior performance of autistic children on analogical reasoning tasks is attributable to deficits in general cognitive and executive functioning. PMID:29899718
The functional anatomy of suggested limb paralysis.

PubMed

Deeley, Quinton; Oakley, David A; Toone, Brian; Bell, Vaughan; Walsh, Eamonn; Marquand, Andre F; Giampietro, Vincent; Brammer, Michael J; Williams, Steven C R; Mehta, Mitul A; Halligan, Peter W

2013-02-01

Suggestions of limb paralysis in highly hypnotically suggestible subjects have been employed to successfully model conversion disorders, revealing similar patterns of brain activation associated with attempted movement of the affected limb. However, previous studies differ with regard to the executive regions involved during involuntary inhibition of the affected limb. This difference may have arisen as previous studies did not control for differences in hypnosis depth between conditions and/or include subjective measures to explore the experience of suggested paralysis. In the current study we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the functional anatomy of left and right upper limb movements in eight healthy subjects selected for high hypnotic suggestibility during (i) hypnosis (NORMAL) and (ii) attempted movement following additional left upper limb paralysis suggestions (PARALYSIS). Contrast of left upper limb motor function during NORMAL relative to PARALYSIS conditions revealed greater activation of contralateral M1/S1 and ipsilateral cerebellum, consistent with the engagement of these regions in the completion of movements. By contrast, two significant observations were noted in PARALYSIS relative to NORMAL conditions. In conjunction with reports of attempts to move the paralysed limb, greater supplementary motor area (SMA) activation was observed, a finding consistent with the role of SMA in motor intention and planning. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, BA 24) was also significantly more active in PARALYSIS relative to NORMAL conditions - suggesting that ACC (BA 24) may be implicated in involuntary, as well as voluntary inhibition of prepotent motor responses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
From single steps to mass migration: the problem of scale in the movement ecology of the Serengeti wildebeest.

PubMed

Torney, Colin J; Hopcraft, J Grant C; Morrison, Thomas A; Couzin, Iain D; Levin, Simon A

2018-05-19

A central question in ecology is how to link processes that occur over different scales. The daily interactions of individual organisms ultimately determine community dynamics, population fluctuations and the functioning of entire ecosystems. Observations of these multiscale ecological processes are constrained by various technological, biological or logistical issues, and there are often vast discrepancies between the scale at which observation is possible and the scale of the question of interest. Animal movement is characterized by processes that act over multiple spatial and temporal scales. Second-by-second decisions accumulate to produce annual movement patterns. Individuals influence, and are influenced by, collective movement decisions, which then govern the spatial distribution of populations and the connectivity of meta-populations. While the field of movement ecology is experiencing unprecedented growth in the availability of movement data, there remain challenges in integrating observations with questions of ecological interest. In this article, we present the major challenges of addressing these issues within the context of the Serengeti wildebeest migration, a keystone ecological phenomena that crosses multiple scales of space, time and biological complexity.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'. © 2018 The Author(s).

How landscape dynamics link individual- to population-level movement patterns: A multispecies comparison of ungulate relocation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Thomas; Olson, K.A.; Dressler, G.; Leimgruber, Peter; Fuller, Todd K.; Nicholson, Craig; Novaro, A.J.; Bolgeri, M.J.; Wattles, David W.; DeStefano, Stephen; Calabrese, J.M.; Fagan, William F.

2011-01-01

Aim To demonstrate how the interrelations of individual movements form large-scale population-level movement patterns and how these patterns are associated with the underlying landscape dynamics by comparing ungulate movements across species.Locations Arctic tundra in Alaska and Canada, temperate forests in Massachusetts, Patagonian Steppes in Argentina, Eastern Steppes in Mongolia.Methods We used relocation data from four ungulate species (barren-ground caribou, Mongolian gazelle, guanaco and moose) to examine individual movements and the interrelation of movements among individuals. We applied and developed a suite of spatial metrics that measure variation in movement among individuals as population dispersion, movement coordination and realized mobility. Taken together, these metrics allowed us to quantify and distinguish among different large-scale population-level movement patterns such as migration, range residency and nomadism. We then related the population-level movement patterns to the underlying landscape vegetation dynamics via long-term remote sensing measurements of the temporal variability, spatial variability and unpredictability of vegetation productivity.Results Moose, which remained in sedentary home ranges, and guanacos, which were partially migratory, exhibited relatively short annual movements associated with landscapes having very little broad-scale variability in vegetation. Caribou and gazelle performed extreme long-distance movements that were associated with broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity during the peak of the growing season. Caribou exhibited regular seasonal migration in which individuals were clustered for most of the year and exhibited coordinated movements. In contrast, gazelle were nomadic, as individuals were independently distributed and moved in an uncoordinated manner that relates to the comparatively unpredictable (yet broad-scale) vegetation dynamics of their landscape.Main conclusions We show how broad-scale landscape unpredictability may lead to nomadism, an understudied type of long-distance movement. In contrast to classical migration where landscapes may vary at broad scales but in a predictable manner, long-distance movements of nomadic individuals are uncoordinated and independent from other such individuals. Landscapes with little broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity feature smaller-scale movements and allow for range residency. Nomadism requires distinct integrative conservation strategies that facilitate long-distance movements across the entire landscape and are not limited to certain migration corridors.
How landscape dynamics link individual- to population-level movement patterns: A multispecies comparison of ungulate relocation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, T.; Olson, K.A.; Dressler, G.; Leimgruber, P.; Fuller, T.K.; Nicolson, C.; Novaro, A.J.; Bolgeri, M.J.; Wattles, David W.; DeStefano, S.; Calabrese, J.M.; Fagan, W.F.

2011-01-01

Aim To demonstrate how the interrelations of individual movements form large-scale population-level movement patterns and how these patterns are associated with the underlying landscape dynamics by comparing ungulate movements across species. Locations Arctic tundra in Alaska and Canada, temperate forests in Massachusetts, Patagonian Steppes in Argentina, Eastern Steppes in Mongolia. Methods We used relocation data from four ungulate species (barren-ground caribou, Mongolian gazelle, guanaco and moose) to examine individual movements and the interrelation of movements among individuals. We applied and developed a suite of spatial metrics that measure variation in movement among individuals as population dispersion, movement coordination and realized mobility. Taken together, these metrics allowed us to quantify and distinguish among different large-scale population-level movement patterns such as migration, range residency and nomadism. We then related the population-level movement patterns to the underlying landscape vegetation dynamics via long-term remote sensing measurements of the temporal variability, spatial variability and unpredictability of vegetation productivity. Results Moose, which remained in sedentary home ranges, and guanacos, which were partially migratory, exhibited relatively short annual movements associated with landscapes having very little broad-scale variability in vegetation. Caribou and gazelle performed extreme long-distance movements that were associated with broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity during the peak of the growing season. Caribou exhibited regular seasonal migration in which individuals were clustered for most of the year and exhibited coordinated movements. In contrast, gazelle were nomadic, as individuals were independently distributed and moved in an uncoordinated manner that relates to the comparatively unpredictable (yet broad-scale) vegetation dynamics of their landscape. Main conclusions We show how broad-scale landscape unpredictability may lead to nomadism, an understudied type of long-distance movement. In contrast to classical migration where landscapes may vary at broad scales but in a predictable manner, long-distance movements of nomadic individuals are uncoordinated and independent from other such individuals. Landscapes with little broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity feature smaller-scale movements and allow for range residency. Nomadism requires distinct integrative conservation strategies that facilitate long-distance movements across the entire landscape and are not limited to certain migration corridors. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
How superdiffusion gets arrested: ecological encounters explain shift from Lévy to Brownian movement

PubMed Central

de Jager, Monique; Bartumeus, Frederic; Kölzsch, Andrea; Weissing, Franz J.; Hengeveld, Geerten M.; Nolet, Bart A.; Herman, Peter M. J.; van de Koppel, Johan

2014-01-01

Ecological theory uses Brownian motion as a default template for describing ecological movement, despite limited mechanistic underpinning. The generality of Brownian motion has recently been challenged by empirical studies that highlight alternative movement patterns of animals, especially when foraging in resource-poor environments. Yet, empirical studies reveal animals moving in a Brownian fashion when resources are abundant. We demonstrate that Einstein's original theory of collision-induced Brownian motion in physics provides a parsimonious, mechanistic explanation for these observations. Here, Brownian motion results from frequent encounters between organisms in dense environments. In density-controlled experiments, movement patterns of mussels shifted from Lévy towards Brownian motion with increasing density. When the analysis was restricted to moves not truncated by encounters, this shift did not occur. Using a theoretical argument, we explain that any movement pattern approximates Brownian motion at high-resource densities, provided that movement is interrupted upon encounters. Hence, the observed shift to Brownian motion does not indicate a density-dependent change in movement strategy but rather results from frequent collisions. Our results emphasize the need for a more mechanistic use of Brownian motion in ecology, highlighting that especially in rich environments, Brownian motion emerges from ecological interactions, rather than being a default movement pattern. PMID:24225464
How superdiffusion gets arrested: ecological encounters explain shift from Lévy to Brownian movement.

PubMed

de Jager, Monique; Bartumeus, Frederic; Kölzsch, Andrea; Weissing, Franz J; Hengeveld, Geerten M; Nolet, Bart A; Herman, Peter M J; van de Koppel, Johan

2014-01-07

Ecological theory uses Brownian motion as a default template for describing ecological movement, despite limited mechanistic underpinning. The generality of Brownian motion has recently been challenged by empirical studies that highlight alternative movement patterns of animals, especially when foraging in resource-poor environments. Yet, empirical studies reveal animals moving in a Brownian fashion when resources are abundant. We demonstrate that Einstein's original theory of collision-induced Brownian motion in physics provides a parsimonious, mechanistic explanation for these observations. Here, Brownian motion results from frequent encounters between organisms in dense environments. In density-controlled experiments, movement patterns of mussels shifted from Lévy towards Brownian motion with increasing density. When the analysis was restricted to moves not truncated by encounters, this shift did not occur. Using a theoretical argument, we explain that any movement pattern approximates Brownian motion at high-resource densities, provided that movement is interrupted upon encounters. Hence, the observed shift to Brownian motion does not indicate a density-dependent change in movement strategy but rather results from frequent collisions. Our results emphasize the need for a more mechanistic use of Brownian motion in ecology, highlighting that especially in rich environments, Brownian motion emerges from ecological interactions, rather than being a default movement pattern.
Idiosyncratic characteristics of saccadic eye movements when viewing different visual environments.

PubMed

Andrews, T J; Coppola, D M

1999-08-01

Eye position was recorded in different viewing conditions to assess whether the temporal and spatial characteristics of saccadic eye movements in different individuals are idiosyncratic. Our aim was to determine the degree to which oculomotor control is based on endogenous factors. A total of 15 naive subjects viewed five visual environments: (1) The absence of visual stimulation (i.e. a dark room); (2) a repetitive visual environment (i.e. simple textured patterns); (3) a complex natural scene; (4) a visual search task; and (5) reading text. Although differences in visual environment had significant effects on eye movements, idiosyncrasies were also apparent. For example, the mean fixation duration and size of an individual's saccadic eye movements when passively viewing a complex natural scene covaried significantly with those same parameters in the absence of visual stimulation and in a repetitive visual environment. In contrast, an individual's spatio-temporal characteristics of eye movements during active tasks such as reading text or visual search covaried together, but did not correlate with the pattern of eye movements detected when viewing a natural scene, simple patterns or in the dark. These idiosyncratic patterns of eye movements in normal viewing reveal an endogenous influence on oculomotor control. The independent covariance of eye movements during different visual tasks shows that saccadic eye movements during active tasks like reading or visual search differ from those engaged during the passive inspection of visual scenes.
Examining the Relationship Between the Functional Movement Screen and the Landing Error Scoring System in an Active, Male Collegiate Population.

PubMed

Everard, Eoin M; Harrison, Andrew J; Lyons, Mark

2017-05-01

Everard, EM, Harrison, AJ, and Lyons, M. Examining the relationship between the functional movement screen and the landing error scoring system in an active, male collegiate population. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1265-1272, 2017-In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on movement screening as the principal aspect of preparticipation testing. Two of the most common movement screening tools are the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Several studies have examined the reliability and validity of these tools, but so far, there have been no studies comparing the results of these 2 screening tools against each other. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between FMS scores and LESS scores. Ninety-eight male college athletes actively competing in sport (Gaelic games, soccer, athletics, boxing/mixed martial arts, Olympic weightlifting) participated in the study and performed the FMS and LESS screens. Both the 21-point and 100-point scoring systems were used to score the FMS. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between the 2 screening scores. The results showed a significant moderate correlation between FMS and LESS scores (rho 100 and 21 point = -0.528; -0.487; p < 0.001). In addition, r values of 0.26 and 0.23 indicate a poor shared variance between the 2 screens. The results indicate that performing well in one of the screens does not necessarily equate to performing well in the other. This has practical implications as it highlights that both screens may assess different movement patterns and should not be used as a substitute for each other.
FMS Scores Change With Performers' Knowledge of the Grading Criteria-Are General Whole-Body Movement Screens Capturing "Dysfunction"?

PubMed

Frost, David M; Beach, Tyson A C; Callaghan, Jack P; McGill, Stuart M

2015-11-01

Deficits in joint mobility and stability could certainly impact individuals' Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores; however, it is also plausible that the movement patterns observed are influenced by the performers' knowledge of the grading criteria. Twenty-one firefighters volunteered to participate, and their FMS scores were graded before and immediately after receiving knowledge of the movement patterns required to achieve a perfect score on the FMS. Standardized verbal instructions were used to administer both screens, and the participants were not provided with any coaching or feedback. Time-synchronized sagittal and frontal plane videos were used to grade the FMS. The firefighters significantly (p < 0.001) improved their FMS scores from 14.1 (1.8) to 16.7 (1.9) when provided with knowledge pertaining to the specific grading criteria. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were also noted in the deep squat (1.4 [0.7]-2.0 [0.6]), hurdle step (2.1 [0.4]-2.4 [0.5]), in-line lunge (2.1 [0.4]-2.7 [0.5]), and shoulder mobility (1.8 [0.8]-2.4 [0.7]) tests. Because a knowledge of a task's grading criteria can alter a general whole-body movement screen score, FMS or otherwise, observed changes may not solely reflect "dysfunction." The instant that individuals are provided with coaching and feedback regarding their performance on a particular task, the task may lose its utility to evaluate the transfer of training or predict musculoskeletal injury risk.
Dada Typography: Patterns of Experimentation with Graphic Design 1912-1930.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McComb, Don

Dada was a collective movement among avant-garde artists who rejected the existing culture of post-World War I Europe on the grounds that it belonged to the same society that had produced the war. This paper discusses Dada typography in relation to typography's role and function in the history of printing, the changes resulting from the…
A study on the natural history of scanning behaviour in patients with visual field defects after stroke.

PubMed

Loetscher, Tobias; Chen, Celia; Wignall, Sophie; Bulling, Andreas; Hoppe, Sabrina; Churches, Owen; Thomas, Nicole A; Nicholls, Michael E R; Lee, Andrew

2015-04-24

A visual field defect (VFD) is a common consequence of stroke with a detrimental effect upon the survivors' functional ability and quality of life. The identification of effective treatments for VFD is a key priority relating to life post-stroke. Understanding the natural evolution of scanning compensation over time may have important ramifications for the development of efficacious therapies. The study aims to unravel the natural history of visual scanning behaviour in patients with VFD. The assessment of scanning patterns in the acute to chronic stages of stroke will reveal who does and does not learn to compensate for vision loss. Eye-tracking glasses are used to delineate eye movements in a cohort of 100 stroke patients immediately after stroke, and additionally at 6 and 12 months post-stroke. The longitudinal study will assess eye movements in static (sitting) and dynamic (walking) conditions. The primary outcome constitutes the change of lateral eye movements from the acute to chronic stages of stroke. Secondary outcomes include changes of lateral eye movements over time as a function of subgroup characteristics, such as side of VFD, stroke location, stroke severity and cognitive functioning. The longitudinal comparison of patients who do and do not learn compensatory scanning techniques may reveal important prognostic markers of natural recovery. Importantly, it may also help to determine the most effective treatment window for visual rehabilitation.
Movement reveals scale dependence in habitat selection of a large ungulate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Northrup, Joseph; Anderson, Charles R.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Wittemyer, George

2016-01-01

Ecological processes operate across temporal and spatial scales. Anthropogenic disturbances impact these processes, but examinations of scale dependence in impacts are infrequent. Such examinations can provide important insight to wildlife–human interactions and guide management efforts to reduce impacts. We assessed spatiotemporal scale dependence in habitat selection of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Piceance Basin of Colorado, USA, an area of ongoing natural gas development. We employed a newly developed animal movement method to assess habitat selection across scales defined using animal-centric spatiotemporal definitions ranging from the local (defined from five hour movements) to the broad (defined from weekly movements). We extended our analysis to examine variation in scale dependence between night and day and assess functional responses in habitat selection patterns relative to the density of anthropogenic features. Mule deer displayed scale invariance in the direction of their response to energy development features, avoiding well pads and the areas closest to roads at all scales, though with increasing strength of avoidance at coarser scales. Deer displayed scale-dependent responses to most other habitat features, including land cover type and habitat edges. Selection differed between night and day at the finest scales, but homogenized as scale increased. Deer displayed functional responses to development, with deer inhabiting the least developed ranges more strongly avoiding development relative to those with more development in their ranges. Energy development was a primary driver of habitat selection patterns in mule deer, structuring their behaviors across all scales examined. Stronger avoidance at coarser scales suggests that deer behaviorally mediated their interaction with development, but only to a degree. At higher development densities than seen in this area, such mediation may not be possible and thus maintenance of sufficient habitat with lower development densities will be a critical best management practice as development expands globally.
Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders in a naturalistic schizophrenia population: diagnostic value of actometric movement patterns

PubMed Central

Janno, Sven; Holi, Matti M; Tuisku, Katinka; Wahlbeck, Kristian

2008-01-01

Background Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders (NIMDs) have overlapping co-morbidity. Earlier studies have described typical clinical movement patterns for individual NIMDs. This study aimed to identify specific movement patterns for each individual NIMD using actometry. Methods A naturalistic population of 99 schizophrenia inpatients using conventional antipsychotics and clozapine was evaluated. Subjects with NIMDs were categorized using the criteria for NIMD found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Two blinded raters evaluated the actometric-controlled rest activity data for activity periods, rhythmical activity, frequencies, and highest acceleration peaks. A simple subjective question was formulated to test patient-based evaluation of NIMD. Results The patterns of neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) and pseudoakathisia (PsA) were identifiable in actometry with excellent inter-rater reliability. The answers to the subjective question about troubles with movements distinguished NIA patients from other patients rather well. Also actometry had rather good screening performances in distinguishing akathisia from other NIMD. Actometry was not able to reliably detect patterns of neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia. Conclusion The present study showed that pooled NIA and PsA patients had a different pattern in lower limb descriptive actometry than other patients in a non-selected sample. Careful questioning of patients is a useful method of diagnosing NIA in a clinical setting. PMID:18419829
Dispersal Ecology Informs Design of Large-Scale Wildlife Corridors.

PubMed

Benz, Robin A; Boyce, Mark S; Thurfjell, Henrik; Paton, Dale G; Musiani, Marco; Dormann, Carsten F; Ciuti, Simone

Landscape connectivity describes how the movement of animals relates to landscape structure. The way in which movement among populations is affected by environmental conditions is important for predicting the effects of habitat fragmentation, and for defining conservation corridors. One approach has been to map resistance surfaces to characterize how environmental variables affect animal movement, and to use these surfaces to model connectivity. However, current connectivity modelling typically uses information on species location or habitat preference rather than movement, which unfortunately may not capture dispersal limitations. Here we emphasize the importance of implementing dispersal ecology into landscape connectivity, i.e., observing patterns of habitat selection by dispersers during different phases of new areas' colonization to infer habitat connectivity. Disperser animals undertake a complex sequence of movements concatenated over time and strictly dependent on species ecology. Using satellite telemetry, we investigated the movement ecology of 54 young male elk Cervus elaphus, which commonly disperse, to design a corridor network across the Northern Rocky Mountains. Winter residency period is often followed by a spring-summer movement phase, when young elk migrate with mothers' groups to summering areas, and by a further dispersal bout performed alone to a novel summer area. After another summer residency phase, dispersers usually undertake a final autumnal movement to reach novel wintering areas. We used resource selection functions to identify winter and summer habitats selected by elk during residency phases. We then extracted movements undertaken during spring to move from winter to summer areas, and during autumn to move from summer to winter areas, and modelled them using step selection functions. We built friction surfaces, merged the different movement phases, and eventually mapped least-cost corridors. We showed an application of this tool by creating a scenario with movement predicted as there were no roads, and mapping highways' segments impeding elk connectivity.
Dispersal Ecology Informs Design of Large-Scale Wildlife Corridors

PubMed Central

Benz, Robin A.; Boyce, Mark S.; Thurfjell, Henrik; Paton, Dale G.; Musiani, Marco; Dormann, Carsten F.; Ciuti, Simone

2016-01-01

Landscape connectivity describes how the movement of animals relates to landscape structure. The way in which movement among populations is affected by environmental conditions is important for predicting the effects of habitat fragmentation, and for defining conservation corridors. One approach has been to map resistance surfaces to characterize how environmental variables affect animal movement, and to use these surfaces to model connectivity. However, current connectivity modelling typically uses information on species location or habitat preference rather than movement, which unfortunately may not capture dispersal limitations. Here we emphasize the importance of implementing dispersal ecology into landscape connectivity, i.e., observing patterns of habitat selection by dispersers during different phases of new areas’ colonization to infer habitat connectivity. Disperser animals undertake a complex sequence of movements concatenated over time and strictly dependent on species ecology. Using satellite telemetry, we investigated the movement ecology of 54 young male elk Cervus elaphus, which commonly disperse, to design a corridor network across the Northern Rocky Mountains. Winter residency period is often followed by a spring-summer movement phase, when young elk migrate with mothers’ groups to summering areas, and by a further dispersal bout performed alone to a novel summer area. After another summer residency phase, dispersers usually undertake a final autumnal movement to reach novel wintering areas. We used resource selection functions to identify winter and summer habitats selected by elk during residency phases. We then extracted movements undertaken during spring to move from winter to summer areas, and during autumn to move from summer to winter areas, and modelled them using step selection functions. We built friction surfaces, merged the different movement phases, and eventually mapped least-cost corridors. We showed an application of this tool by creating a scenario with movement predicted as there were no roads, and mapping highways’ segments impeding elk connectivity. PMID:27657496
Characterization of iris pattern stretches and application to the measurement of roll axis eye movements.

PubMed

Nishiyama, Junpei; Hashimoto, Tsutomu; Sakashita, Yusuke; Fujiyoshi, Hironobu; Hirata, Yutaka

2008-01-01

Eye movements are utilized in many scientific studies as a probe that reflects the neural representation of 3 dimensional extrapersonal space. This study proposes a method to accurately measure the roll component of eye movements under the conditions in which the pupil diameter changes. Generally, the iris pattern matching between a reference and a test iris image is performed to estimate roll angle of the test image. However, iris patterns are subject to change when the pupil size changes, thus resulting in less accurate roll angle estimation if the pupil sizes in the test and reference images are different. We characterized non-uniform iris pattern contraction/expansion caused by pupil dilation/constriction, and developed an algorithm to convert an iris pattern with an arbitrary pupil size into that with the same pupil size as the reference iris pattern. It was demonstrated that the proposed method improved the accuracy of the measurement of roll eye movement by up to 76.9%.
Restoration of movement patterns of the Hawaiian Goose

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, Steven C.; Leopold, Christina R.; Misajon, Kathleen; Hu, Darcy; Jeffrey, John J.

2012-01-01

We used visual observations of banded individuals and satellite telemetry from 2007 to 2011 on Hawai′i Island to document movement patterns of the Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis), commonly known as Nene. Visual observations of numbered leg bands identified >19% and ≤10% of 323 geese at one of two breeding sites and one of two distant non-breeding areas during 2007-2011. We used satellite telemetry to document movement patterns of 10 male Nene from 2009 to 2011, and log-linear models to quantify the magnitude and individual differences in altitudinal migration. Two subpopulations of Nene moved 974.4 m (95% CI ± 22.0) and 226.4 m (95% CI ± 40.7) in elevation between seasons on average, from high-elevation shrublands during the non-breeding season of May-August, to lower-elevation breeding and molting areas in September-April. Traditional movement patterns were thought to be lost until recently, but the movement pattern we documented with satellite telemetry was similar to altitudinal migration described by early naturalists in Hawai′i prior to the severe population decline of Nene in the 20th century.
Human sperm pattern of movement during chemotactic re-orientation towards a progesterone source

PubMed Central

Blengini, Cecilia Soledad; Teves, Maria Eugenia; Uñates, Diego Rafael; Guidobaldi, Héctor Alejandro; Gatica, Laura Virginia; Giojalas, Laura Cecilia

2011-01-01

Human spermatozoa may chemotactically find out the egg by following an increasing gradient of attractant molecules. Although human spermatozoa have been observed to show several of the physiological characteristics of chemotaxis, the chemotactic pattern of movement has not been easy to describe. However, it is apparent that chemotactic cells may be identified while returning to the attractant source. This study characterizes the pattern of movement of human spermatozoa during chemotactic re-orientation towards a progesterone source, which is a physiological attractant candidate. By means of videomicroscopy and image analysis, a chemotactic pattern of movement was identified as the spermatozoon returned towards the source of a chemotactic concentration of progesterone (10 pmol l−1). First, as a continuation of its original path, the spermatozoon swims away from the progesterone source with linear movement and then turns back with a transitional movement that can be characterized by an increased velocity and decreased linearity. This sperm behaviour may help the spermatozoon to re-orient itself towards a progesterone source and may be used to identify the few cells that are undergoing chemotaxis at a given time. PMID:21765441
The relationship between control, kinematic and electromyographic variables in fast single-joint movements in humans.

PubMed

Feldman, A G; Adamovich, S V; Levin, M F

1995-01-01

Two versions of the hypothesis that discrete movements are produced by shifts in the system's equilibrium point are considered. The first suggests that shifts are monotonic and end near the peak velocity of movement, and the second presumes that they are nonmonotonic ("N-shaped") and proceed until the end of movement. The first version, in contrast to the second, predicts that movement time may be significantly reduced by opposing loads without changes in the control pattern. The purpose of the present study was to test the two hypotheses about the duration and shape of the shift in the equilibrium point based on their respective predictions concerning the effects of perturbations on kinematic and EMG patterns in fast elbow flexor movements. Subjects performed unopposed flexions of about 55-70 degrees (control trials) and, in random test trials, movements were opposed by spring-like loads generated by a torque motor. Subjects had no visual feedback and were instructed not to correct arm deflections in case of perturbations. After the end of the movement, the load was removed leading to a secondary movement to the same final position as that in control trials (equifinality). When the load was varied, the static arm positions before unloading and associated joint torques (ranging from 0 to 80-90% of maximum voluntary contraction) had a monotonic relationship. Test movements opposed by a high load (80-90% of maximal voluntary contraction) ended near the peak velocity of control movements. Phasic and tonic electromyographic patterns were load-dependent. In movements opposed by high loads, the first agonist burst was significantly prolonged and displayed a high level of tonic activity for as long as the load was maintained. In the same load conditions, the antagonist burst was suppressed during the dynamic and static phases of movement. The findings of suppression of the antagonist burst does not support the hypothesis of an N-shaped control signal. Equally, the substantial reduction in movement time by the introduction of an opposing load cannot be reconciled in this model. Instead, our data indicate that the shifts in the equilibrium point underlying fast flexor movements are of short duration, ending near the peak velocity of unopposed movement. This suggests that kinematic and electromyographic patterns represent a long-lasting oscillatory response of the system to the short-duration monotonic control pattern, external forces and proprioceptive feedback.
Do people with recurrent back pain constrain spinal motion during seated horizontal and downward reaching?

PubMed

Crosbie, Jack; Nascimento, Dafne Port; Filho, Ruben de Faria Negrão; Ferreira, Paulo

2013-10-01

Although the effect of symptomatic back pain on functional movement has been investigated, changes to spinal movement patterns in essentially pain-free people with a history of recurrent back pain are largely unreported. Reaching activities, important for everyday and occupational function, often present problems to such people, but have not been considered in this population. The purpose of this study was to compare the amplitude and timing of spinal and hip motions during two, seated reaching activities in people with and without a history of recurrent low back pain (RLBP). Spinal and hip motions during reaching downward and across the body, in both directions, were tracked using electromagnetic sensors. Analyses were conducted to explore the amplitudes, velocities and timings of 3D segmental movements and to compare controls with subjects with recurrent, but asymptomatic lumbar or lumbosacral pain. We detected significant differences in the amplitude and timing of movement in the lower thoracic region, with the RLBP group restricting movement and demonstrating compensatory increased motion at the hip. The lumbar region displayed no significant between-group differences. The order in which the spinal segments achieved peak velocity in cross-reaching was reversed in RLBP compared to controls, with lumbar motion leading in controls and lagging in RLBP. Subjects with a history of RLBP show a number of altered kinematic features during reaching activities which are not related to the presence or intensity of pain, but which suggest adaptive changes to movement control. © 2013.
Physiological Motion and Registration of Abnormalities in Liver During Focused Ultrasound Surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, Sunita; Rh, Abhilash

Continuous deformation and dislocation of soft tissues in the abdominal and thoracic region presents a major issue for effective targeting of all non-invasive ablative modalities such as radiotherapy/surgery and Focused Ultrasound Surgery. Most significant among these is the movement of the target organs due to physiological processes such as respiration. The movement is found to be most significant for liver and kidneys. We studied movement and compensation strategies with the aim to implement them during ultrasound ablation using our robotic system for targeted FUS dose delivery. The motion pattern of the liver can be assumed to be in a single plane as it closely follows the movement of the diaphragm. However, the movement of kidneys is three dimensional and follows complicated patterns. Kidney motion is highly subject specific and has poor repeatability. In our research, we quantify the relation of liver movement and the breathing pattern so as to achieve real-time movement compensation using a prediction-correlation approach.
Investigation into the Effect of Acoustic Radiation Force and Acoustic Streaming on Particle Patterning in Acoustic Standing Wave Fields

PubMed Central

Yang, Yanye; Ni, Zhengyang; Guo, Xiasheng; Luo, Linjiao; Tu, Juan; Zhang, Dong

2017-01-01

Acoustic standing waves have been widely used in trapping, patterning, and manipulating particles, whereas one barrier remains: the lack of understanding of force conditions on particles which mainly include acoustic radiation force (ARF) and acoustic streaming (AS). In this paper, force conditions on micrometer size polystyrene microspheres in acoustic standing wave fields were investigated. The COMSOL® Mutiphysics particle tracing module was used to numerically simulate force conditions on various particles as a function of time. The velocity of particle movement was experimentally measured using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV). Through experimental and numerical simulation, the functions of ARF and AS in trapping and patterning were analyzed. It is shown that ARF is dominant in trapping and patterning large particles while the impact of AS increases rapidly with decreasing particle size. The combination of using both ARF and AS for medium size particles can obtain different patterns with only using ARF. Findings of the present study will aid the design of acoustic-driven microfluidic devices to increase the diversity of particle patterning. PMID:28753955

Active tactile sampling by an insect in a step-climbing paradigm

PubMed Central

Krause, André F.; Dürr, Volker

2012-01-01

Many insects actively explore their near-range environment with their antennae. Stick insects (Carausius morosus) rhythmically move their antennae during walking and respond to antennal touch by repetitive tactile sampling of the object. Despite its relevance for spatial orientation, neither the spatial sampling patterns nor the kinematics of antennation behavior in insects are understood. Here we investigate unrestrained bilateral sampling movements during climbing of steps. The main objectives are: (1) How does the antennal contact pattern relate to particular object features? (2) How are the antennal joints coordinated during bilateral tactile sampling? We conducted motion capture experiments on freely climbing insects, using steps of different height. Tactile sampling was analyzed at the level of antennal joint angles. Moreover, we analyzed contact patterns on the surfaces of both the obstacle and the antenna itself. Before the first contact, both antennae move in a broad, mostly elliptical exploratory pattern. After touching the obstacle, the pattern switches to a narrower and faster movement, caused by higher cycle frequencies and lower cycle amplitudes in all joints. Contact events were divided into wall- and edge-contacts. Wall contacts occurred mostly with the distal third of the flagellum, which is flexible, whereas edge contacts often occurred proximally, where the flagellum is stiff. The movement of both antennae was found to be coordinated, exhibiting bilateral coupling of functionally analogous joints [e.g., left head-scape (HS) joint with right scape-pedicel (SP) joint] throughout tactile sampling. In comparison, bilateral coupling between homologous joints (e.g., both HS joints) was significantly weaker. Moreover, inter-joint coupling was significantly weaker during the contact episode than before. In summary, stick insects show contact-induced changes in frequency, amplitude and inter-joint coordination during tactile sampling of climbed obstacles. PMID:22754513
Movements of wintering surf scoters: Predator responses to different prey landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirk, M.; Esler, Daniel N.; Iverson, S.A.; Boyd, W.S.

2008-01-01

The distribution of predators is widely recognized to be intimately linked to the distribution of their prey. Foraging theory suggests that predators will modify their behaviors, including movements, to optimize net energy intake when faced with variation in prey attributes or abundance. While many studies have documented changes in movement patterns of animals in response to temporal changes in food, very few have contrasted movements of a single predator species naturally occurring in dramatically different prey landscapes. We documented variation in the winter movements, foraging range size, site fidelity, and distribution patterns of a molluscivorous sea duck, the surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), in two areas of coastal British Columbia with very different shellfish prey features. Baynes Sound has extensive tidal flats with abundant clams, which are high-quality and temporally stable prey for scoters. Malaspina Inlet is a rocky fjord-like inlet where scoters consume mussels that are superabundant and easily accessible in some patches but are heavily depleted over the course of winter. We used radio telemetry to track surf scoter movements in both areas and found that in the clam habitats of Baynes Sound, surf scoters exhibited limited movement, small winter ranges, strong foraging site fidelity, and very consistent distribution patterns. By contrast, in mussel habitats in the Malaspina Inlet, surf scoters displayed more movement, larger ranges, little fidelity to specific foraging sites, and more variable distribution patterns. We conclude that features associated with the different prey types, particularly the higher depletion rates of mussels, strongly influenced seasonal space use patterns. These findings are consistent with foraging theory and confirm that predator behavior, specifically movements, is environmentally mediated. ?? 2008 Springer-Verlag.
Measuring Memory and Attention to Preview in Motion.

PubMed

Jagacinski, Richard J; Hammond, Gordon M; Rizzi, Emanuele

2017-08-01

Objective Use perceptual-motor responses to perturbations to reveal the spatio-temporal detail of memory for the recent past and attention to preview when participants track a winding roadway. Background Memory of the recently passed roadway can be inferred from feedback control models of the participants' manual movement patterns. Similarly, attention to preview of the upcoming roadway can be inferred from feedforward control models of manual movement patterns. Method Perturbation techniques were used to measure these memory and attention functions. Results In a laboratory tracking task, the bandwidth of lateral roadway deviations was found to primarily influence memory for the past roadway rather than attention to preview. A secondary auditory/verbal/vocal memory task resulted in higher velocity error and acceleration error in the tracking task but did not affect attention to preview. Attention to preview was affected by the frequency pattern of sinusoidal perturbations of the roadway. Conclusion Perturbation techniques permit measurement of the spatio-temporal span of memory and attention to preview that affect tracking a winding roadway. They also provide new ways to explore goal-directed forgetting and spatially distributed attention in the context of movement. More generally, these techniques provide sensitive measures of individual differences in cognitive aspects of action. Application Models of driving behavior and assessment of driving skill may benefit from more detailed spatio-temporal measurement of attention to preview.
Bridging the gulf between correlated random walks and Lévy walks: autocorrelation as a source of Lévy walk movement patterns.

PubMed

Reynolds, Andy M

2010-12-06

For many years, the dominant conceptual framework for describing non-oriented animal movement patterns has been the correlated random walk (CRW) model in which an individual's trajectory through space is represented by a sequence of distinct, independent randomly oriented 'moves'. It has long been recognized that the transformation of an animal's continuous movement path into a broken line is necessarily arbitrary and that probability distributions of move lengths and turning angles are model artefacts. Continuous-time analogues of CRWs that overcome this inherent shortcoming have appeared in the literature and are gaining prominence. In these models, velocities evolve as a Markovian process and have exponential autocorrelation. Integration of the velocity process gives the position process. Here, through a simple scaling argument and through an exact analytical analysis, it is shown that autocorrelation inevitably leads to Lévy walk (LW) movement patterns on timescales less than the autocorrelation timescale. This is significant because over recent years there has been an accumulation of evidence from a variety of experimental and theoretical studies that many organisms have movement patterns that can be approximated by LWs, and there is now intense debate about the relative merits of CRWs and LWs as representations of non-orientated animal movement patterns.
Semi-analytical model of the axial movements of an oil-well drillstring in vertical wellbores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hovda, Sigve

2018-03-01

A lumped element model for the axial movement of an oil-well drillstring is presented. In this paper, the model is restricted to vertical holes, where damping is due to skin friction from time dependent Newtonian annular Couette-Poiseuille flow. The drillstring is constructed of pipes with different diameters and the diameter of the hole varies as a function of depth. Under these assumptions, the axial movement anywhere in the drillstring is basically a convolution between the axial movement on the top and a semi-analytical function that is derived in this paper. Expressions are given for transfer functions for downhole movements and pressures (surge and swab). In a vertical drilling situation, the motion is clearly underdamped, even when the hole is tight. The semi-analytical model illuminates various factors that are shown to be important for describing downhole pressure and motion. In particular the effect of added mass, the steady state viscous forces, the Basset viscous forces and the distribution of pipe sizes in the hole. The latter have non-neglectable impacts on where the resonant frequencies are located, how much they are amplified and what happens to the downhole pressure. Together with statistical power spectra of ocean wave patterns and the response amplitude operators for a floating structure, this model illustrates design concerns related to heave motion and how fast one can run the drillstring into the hole. Moreover, because of the computational simplicity of computing the convolution, the model is well suited for a real-time implementation.
Preclinical evidence supporting the clinical development of central pattern generator-modulating therapies for chronic spinal cord-injured patients

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Ambulation or walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion. In terrestrial animals, it may be defined as a series of rhythmic and bilaterally coordinated movement of the limbs which creates a forward movement of the body. This applies regardless of the number of limbs—from arthropods with six or more limbs to bipedal primates. These fundamental similarities among species may explain why comparable neural systems and cellular properties have been found, thus far, to control in similar ways locomotor rhythm generation in most animal models. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the known structural and functional features associated with central nervous system (CNS) networks that are involved in the control of ambulation and other stereotyped motor patterns—specifically Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) that produce basic rhythmic patterned outputs for locomotion, micturition, ejaculation, and defecation. Although there is compelling evidence of their existence in humans, CPGs have been most studied in reduced models including in vitro isolated preparations, genetically-engineered mice and spinal cord-transected animals. Compared with other structures of the CNS, the spinal cord is generally considered as being well-preserved phylogenetically. As such, most animal models of spinal cord-injured (SCI) should be considered as valuable tools for the development of novel pharmacological strategies aimed at modulating spinal activity and restoring corresponding functions in chronic SCI patients. PMID:24910602
Movement patterns of nilgai antelope in South Texas: Implications for cattle fever tick management.

PubMed

Foley, Aaron M; Goolsby, John A; Ortega-S, Alfonso; Ortega-S, J Alfonso; Pérez de León, A; Singh, Nirbhay K; Schwartz, Andy; Ellis, Dee; Hewitt, David G; Campbell, Tyler A

2017-10-01

Wildlife, both native and introduced, can harbor and spread diseases of importance to the livestock industry. Describing movement patterns of such wildlife is essential to formulate effective disease management strategies. Nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) are a free-ranging, introduced ungulate in southern Texas known to carry cattle fever ticks (CFT, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, R. (B.) annulatus). CFT are the vector for the etiological agent of bovine babesiosis, a lethal disease causing high mortality in susceptible Bos taurus populations and severely affecting the beef cattle industry. Efforts to eradicate CFT from the United States have been successful. However, a permanent quarantine area is maintained between Texas and Mexico to check its entry from infested areas of neighboring Mexico states on wildlife and stray cattle. In recent years, there has been an increase in CFT infestations outside of the permanent quarantine area in Texas. Nilgai are of interest in understanding how CFT may be spread through the landscape. Thirty nilgai of both sexes were captured and fitted with satellite radio collars in South Texas to gain information about movement patterns, response to disturbances, and movement barriers. Median annual home range sizes were highly variable in males (4665ha, range=571-20,809) and females (1606ha, range=848-29,909). Female movement patterns appeared to be seasonal with peaks during June-August; these peaks appeared to be a function of break-ups in female social groups rather than environmental conditions. Nilgai, which reportedly are sensitive to disturbance, were more likely to relocate into new areas immediately after being captured versus four other types of helicopter activities. Nilgai did not cross 1.25m high cattle fences parallel to paved highways but did cross other fence types. Results indicate that females have a higher chance of spreading CFT through the landscape than males, but spread of CFT may be mitigated via maintenance of cattle fences running parallel with paved highways. Our results highlight the importance of documenting species-specific behavior in wildlife-livestock interfaces that can be used to develop effective disease management strategies in the United States and worldwide. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Segregation or aggregation? Sex-specific patterns in the seasonal occurrence of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias at the Neptune Islands, South Australia.

PubMed

Bruce, B; Bradford, R

2015-12-01

The seasonal patterns of occurrence of male and female white sharks Carcharodon carcharias at the Neptune Islands in South Australia were reviewed. Analyses of a 14 year data series indicate that females seasonally aggregate in late autumn and winter coinciding with the maximum in-water availability of lactating female long-nose fur seals and seal pups. During this period, observed male:female sex ratios were similar; whereas during late spring and summer, males continued to visit, but females were rarely recorded. There was no evidence for segregation by sex or size at the Neptunes, but the highly focused seasonal pattern of occurrence of females compared with the year-round records of males suggests that there are likely to be differences between the sexes in overall distribution and movement patterns across southern Australia. It is suggested that foraging strategies and prey selection differ between sexes in C. carcharias across the life-history stages represented and that sex-specific foraging strategies may play an important role in structuring movement patterns and the sex ratios observed at such aggregation sites. Differences between sexes in distribution, movement patterns and foraging strategies are likely to have implications for modelling the consequences of fisheries by-catch between regions or jurisdictions and other spatially or temporally discrete anthropogenic effects on C. carcharias populations. Such differences urge for caution when estimating the size of C. carcharias populations based on observations at pinniped colonies due to the likelihood of sex-specific differences in movements and patterns of residency. These differences also suggest a need to account for sex-specific movement patterns and distribution in population and movement models as well as under conservation actions. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
Identifying Movement Patterns and Severity of Associated Pain in Sign Language Interpreters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Julie K.; Rogers, Janet L.

2010-01-01

Our research sought to identify the most common movement patterns and postures performed by sign language interpreters and the frequency and severity of any pain that may be associated with the movements. A survey was developed and mailed to registered sign language interpreters throughout the state of Illinois. For each specific upper extremity…
Winter movements of Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) in Texas and Louisiana

Treesearch

Josh B. Pierce; D. Craig Rudolph; Shirley J. Burgdorf; Richard R. Schaefer; Richard N. Conner; John G. Himes; C. Mike Duran; Laurence M. Hardy; Robert R. Fleet

2014-01-01

Despite concerns that the Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni) has been extirpated from large portions of its historic range, only a limited number of studies on their movement patterns have been published. Winter movement patterns are of particular interest since it has been hypothesized that impacts of management practices would be reduced during the winter....
Hand Movements and Braille Reading Efficiency: Data from the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Tessa; Wormsley, Diane P.; Kamei-Hannan, Cheryl

2009-01-01

Using a subset of data from the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study, researchers analyzed the patterns and characteristics of hand movements as predictors of reading performance. Statistically significant differences were found between one- and two-handed readers and between patterns of hand movements and reading rates. (Contains 6…
Attention Switching during Scene Perception: How Goals Influence the Time Course of Eye Movements across Advertisements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedel, Michel; Pieters, Rik; Liechty, John

2008-01-01

Eye movements across advertisements express a temporal pattern of bursts of respectively relatively short and long saccades, and this pattern is systematically influenced by activated scene perception goals. This was revealed by a continuous-time hidden Markov model applied to eye movements of 220 participants exposed to 17 ads under a…
The Use of Census Migration Data to Approximate Human Movement Patterns across Temporal Scales

PubMed Central

Wesolowski, Amy; Buckee, Caroline O.; Pindolia, Deepa K.; Eagle, Nathan; Smith, David L.; Garcia, Andres J.; Tatem, Andrew J.

2013-01-01

Human movement plays a key role in economies and development, the delivery of services, and the spread of infectious diseases. However, it remains poorly quantified partly because reliable data are often lacking, particularly for low-income countries. The most widely available are migration data from human population censuses, which provide valuable information on relatively long timescale relocations across countries, but do not capture the shorter-scale patterns, trips less than a year, that make up the bulk of human movement. Census-derived migration data may provide valuable proxies for shorter-term movements however, as substantial migration between regions can be indicative of well connected places exhibiting high levels of movement at finer time scales, but this has never been examined in detail. Here, an extensive mobile phone usage data set for Kenya was processed to extract movements between counties in 2009 on weekly, monthly, and annual time scales and compared to data on change in residence from the national census conducted during the same time period. We find that the relative ordering across Kenyan counties for incoming, outgoing and between-county movements shows strong correlations. Moreover, the distributions of trip durations from both sources of data are similar, and a spatial interaction model fit to the data reveals the relationships of different parameters over a range of movement time scales. Significant relationships between census migration data and fine temporal scale movement patterns exist, and results suggest that census data can be used to approximate certain features of movement patterns across multiple temporal scales, extending the utility of census-derived migration data. PMID:23326367
Self-reported empathy and neural activity during action imitation and observation in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Horan, William P.; Iacoboni, Marco; Cross, Katy A.; Korb, Alex; Lee, Junghee; Nori, Poorang; Quintana, Javier; Wynn, Jonathan K.; Green, Michael F.

2014-01-01

Introduction Although social cognitive impairments are key determinants of functional outcome in schizophrenia their neural bases are poorly understood. This study investigated neural activity during imitation and observation of finger movements and facial expressions in schizophrenia, and their correlates with self-reported empathy. Methods 23 schizophrenia outpatients and 23 healthy controls were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they imitated, executed, or simply observed finger movements and facial emotional expressions. Between-group activation differences, as well as relationships between activation and self-reported empathy, were evaluated. Results Both patients and controls similarly activated neural systems previously associated with these tasks. We found no significant between-group differences in task-related activations. There were, however, between-group differences in the correlation between self-reported empathy and right inferior frontal (pars opercularis) activity during observation of facial emotional expressions. As in previous studies, controls demonstrated a positive association between brain activity and empathy scores. In contrast, the pattern in the patient group reflected a negative association between brain activity and empathy. Conclusions Although patients with schizophrenia demonstrated largely normal patterns of neural activation across the finger movement and facial expression tasks, they reported decreased self perceived empathy and failed to show the typical relationship between neural activity and self-reported empathy seen in controls. These findings suggest that patients show a disjunction between automatic neural responses to low level social cues and higher level, integrative social cognitive processes involved in self-perceived empathy. PMID:25009771
Self-reported empathy and neural activity during action imitation and observation in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Horan, William P; Iacoboni, Marco; Cross, Katy A; Korb, Alex; Lee, Junghee; Nori, Poorang; Quintana, Javier; Wynn, Jonathan K; Green, Michael F

2014-01-01

Although social cognitive impairments are key determinants of functional outcome in schizophrenia their neural bases are poorly understood. This study investigated neural activity during imitation and observation of finger movements and facial expressions in schizophrenia, and their correlates with self-reported empathy. 23 schizophrenia outpatients and 23 healthy controls were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they imitated, executed, or simply observed finger movements and facial emotional expressions. Between-group activation differences, as well as relationships between activation and self-reported empathy, were evaluated. Both patients and controls similarly activated neural systems previously associated with these tasks. We found no significant between-group differences in task-related activations. There were, however, between-group differences in the correlation between self-reported empathy and right inferior frontal (pars opercularis) activity during observation of facial emotional expressions. As in previous studies, controls demonstrated a positive association between brain activity and empathy scores. In contrast, the pattern in the patient group reflected a negative association between brain activity and empathy. Although patients with schizophrenia demonstrated largely normal patterns of neural activation across the finger movement and facial expression tasks, they reported decreased self perceived empathy and failed to show the typical relationship between neural activity and self-reported empathy seen in controls. These findings suggest that patients show a disjunction between automatic neural responses to low level social cues and higher level, integrative social cognitive processes involved in self-perceived empathy.
Integration of the functional movement screen into the National Hockey League Combine.

PubMed

Rowan, Chip P; Kuropkat, Christiane; Gumieniak, Robert J; Gledhill, Norman; Jamnik, Veronica K

2015-05-01

The sport of ice hockey requires coordination of complex skills involving musculoskeletal and physiological abilities while simultaneously exposing players to a high risk for injury. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) was developed to assess fundamental movement patterns that underlie both sport performance and injury risk. The top 111 elite junior hockey players from around the world took part in the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft Combine (NHL Combine). The FMS was integrated into the comprehensive medical and physiological fitness evaluations at the request of strength and conditioning coaches with affiliations to NHL teams. The inclusion of the FMS aimed to help develop strategies that could maximize its utility among elite hockey players and to encourage or inform further research in this field. This study evaluated the outcomes of integrating the FMS into the NHL Combine and identified any links to other medical plus physical and physiological fitness assessment outcomes. These potential associations may provide valuable information to identify elements of future training programs that are individualized to athletes' specific needs. The results of the FMS (total score and number of asymmetries identified) were significantly correlated to various body composition measures, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, leg power, timing of recent workouts, and the presence of lingering injury at the time of the NHL Combine. Although statistically significant correlations were observed, the implications of the FMS assessment outcomes remain difficult to quantify until ongoing assessment of FMS patterns, tracking of injuries, and hockey performance are available.
Sedation of Patients With Disorders of Consciousness During Neuroimaging: Effects on Resting State Functional Brain Connectivity.

PubMed

Kirsch, Muriëlle; Guldenmund, Pieter; Ali Bahri, Mohamed; Demertzi, Athena; Baquero, Katherine; Heine, Lizette; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Vanhaudenhuyse, Audrey; Bruno, Marie-Aurélie; Gosseries, Olivia; Di Perri, Carol; Ziegler, Erik; Brichant, Jean-François; Soddu, Andrea; Bonhomme, Vincent; Laureys, Steven

2017-02-01

To reduce head movement during resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, post-coma patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) are frequently sedated with propofol. However, little is known about the effects of this sedation on the brain connectivity patterns in the damaged brain essential for differential diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to assess these effects. Using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging 3T data obtained over several years of scanning patients for diagnostic and research purposes, we employed a seed-based approach to examine resting state connectivity in higher-order (default mode, bilateral external control, and salience) and lower-order (auditory, sensorimotor, and visual) resting state networks and connectivity with the thalamus, in 20 healthy unsedated controls, 8 unsedated patients with DOC, and 8 patients with DOC sedated with propofol. The DOC groups were matched for age at onset, etiology, time spent in DOC, diagnosis, standardized behavioral assessment scores, movement intensities, and pattern of structural brain injury (as assessed with T1-based voxel-based morphometry). DOC were associated with severely impaired resting state network connectivity in all but the visual network. Thalamic connectivity to higher-order network regions was also reduced. Propofol administration to patients was associated with minor further decreases in thalamic and insular connectivity. Our findings indicate that connectivity decreases associated with propofol sedation, involving the thalamus and insula, are relatively small compared with those already caused by DOC-associated structural brain injury. Nonetheless, given the known importance of the thalamus in brain arousal, its disruption could well reflect the diminished movement obtained in these patients. However, more research is needed on this topic to fully address the research question.
A unifying model of concurrent spatial and temporal modularity in muscle activity.

PubMed

Delis, Ioannis; Panzeri, Stefano; Pozzo, Thierry; Berret, Bastien

2014-02-01

Modularity in the central nervous system (CNS), i.e., the brain capability to generate a wide repertoire of movements by combining a small number of building blocks ("modules"), is thought to underlie the control of movement. Numerous studies reported evidence for such a modular organization by identifying invariant muscle activation patterns across various tasks. However, previous studies relied on decompositions differing in both the nature and dimensionality of the identified modules. Here, we derive a single framework that encompasses all influential models of muscle activation modularity. We introduce a new model (named space-by-time decomposition) that factorizes muscle activations into concurrent spatial and temporal modules. To infer these modules, we develop an algorithm, referred to as sample-based nonnegative matrix trifactorization (sNM3F). We test the space-by-time decomposition on a comprehensive electromyographic dataset recorded during execution of arm pointing movements and show that it provides a low-dimensional yet accurate, highly flexible and task-relevant representation of muscle patterns. The extracted modules have a well characterized functional meaning and implement an efficient trade-off between replication of the original muscle patterns and task discriminability. Furthermore, they are compatible with the modules extracted from existing models, such as synchronous synergies and temporal primitives, and generalize time-varying synergies. Our results indicate the effectiveness of a simultaneous but separate condensation of spatial and temporal dimensions of muscle patterns. The space-by-time decomposition accommodates a unified view of the hierarchical mapping from task parameters to coordinated muscle activations, which could be employed as a reference framework for studying compositional motor control.
Movement patterns of peak-dose levodopa-induced dyskinesias in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Gour, Jackie; Edwards, Roderick; Lemieux, Sarah; Ghassemi, Mehrdad; Jog, Mandar; Duval, Christian

2007-09-14

The present study characterized involuntary movements associated with levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) in patients with Parkinson's disease. We used amplitude, proportional energy, frequency dispersion and sample entropy to determine whether LID movement patterns are truly random, as clinical description seems to suggest, or possess some underlying pattern that is not visible to the naked eye. LID was captured using a magnetic tracker system, which provided 3D rendering of whole-body LID. Patients were instructed to maintain a standing position, with arms extended in front of them. We compared the measurements of the dyskinetic PD group (DPD) with 10 patients without dyskinesias (NDPD) and 10 control subjects. In comparison to the other two groups, movement patterns from the DPD group had significantly higher amplitude, confirming the presence of dyskinesias. In addition, higher frequency components in the power spectrum of velocity were detected, suggestive of higher velocity in LID movement. Furthermore, there was a concentration in narrow frequency bands, which suggested stable oscillatory activity. Finally, sample entropy revealed more regularity in the DPD group. Although not statistically significant, we found that the amplitude from the NDPD group had a tendency to be smaller than those of controls. As well, the spectra were often more dispersed for the NDPD group. In conclusion, the present results suggest that LID cannot be considered as purely random movement since they possess some deterministic pattern of motion. This may provide a way for patients to adapt to these involuntary movements while performing voluntary motor acts.
Influence of adequate pelvic floor muscle contraction on the movement of the coccyx during pelvic floor muscle training.

PubMed

Fujisaki, Akiko; Shigeta, Miwa; Shimoinaba, Misa; Yoshimura, Yasukuni

2018-04-01

[Purpose] Pelvic floor muscle training is a first-line therapy for female stress urinary incontinence. Previous studies have suggested that the coccyx tip moves ventrally and cranially during pelvic floor muscle contraction. The study aimed to elucidate the influence of adequate pelvic floor muscle contraction on coccyx movement. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty-three females (57 patients with stress urinary incontinence and additional 6 healthy volunteers) were enrolled. Using magnetic resonance imaging, coccyx movement was evaluated during pelvic floor muscle contraction and strain. An adequate contraction was defined as a contraction with good Oxford grading scale [≥3] and without inadequate muscle substitution patterns. [Results] Inadequate muscle substitution patterns were observed in 33 participants (52.4%). No significant difference was observed in the movement of the coccyx tip in the ventrodorsal direction between females with and without inadequate muscle substitution patterns. However, a significant increase in the movement of the coccyx tip in the cranial direction was detected in the group without inadequate muscle substitution patterns. Compared to participants with inadequate pelvic floor muscle contraction, those who had adequate pelvic floor muscle contraction exhibited significantly increased cranial movement of the coccyx. [Conclusion] Adequate pelvic floor muscle contraction can produce cranial movement of the coccyx tip.

Activity patterns of extrinsic finger flexors and extensors during movements of instructed and non-instructed fingers.

PubMed

van Beek, Nathalie; Stegeman, Dick F; van den Noort, Josien C; H E J Veeger, DirkJan; Maas, Huub

2018-02-01

The fingers of the human hand cannot be controlled fully independently. This phenomenon may have a neurological as well as a mechanical basis. Despite previous studies, the neuromechanics of finger movements are not fully understood. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the activation and coactivation patterns of finger specific flexor and extensor muscle regions during instructed single finger flexion and (2) to determine the relationship between enslaved finger movements and respective finger muscle activation. In 9 healthy subjects (age 22-29), muscle activation was assessed during single finger flexion using a 90 surface electromyography electrode grid placed over the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and the extensor digitorum (ED). We found (1) no significant differences in muscle activation timing between fingers, (2) considerable muscle activity in flexor and extensor regions associated with the non-instructed fingers and (3) no correlation between the muscle activations and corresponding movement of non-instructed fingers. A clear disparity was found between the movement pattern of the non-instructed fingers and the activity pattern of the corresponding muscle regions. This suggests that mechanical factors, such as intertendinous and myofascial connections, may also affect finger movement independency and need to be taken into consideration when studying finger movement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Correlation of Blood Glucose Concentration and the Movement of Laser Secondary Speckle Pattern of the Artery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saputra, M. A.; Prajitno, P.

2018-04-01

Blood glucose is the molecule needed for human life, it usually measured invasively (by taking blood). but that measurement is still very vulnerable. The alternative method namely the non-invasive method is very interesting. In addition, the article [1] explains the relationship between the movement of the arterial pulse with glucose concentration, therefore the research study to investigate the correlation between the blood glucose and the movement of laser speckle pattern resulted from the arterial movement will be promising as the non-invasive method for measuring the blood glucose concentration. In this study, the laser speckle pattern imaging method, where the microscopically movement of the object is illuminated by a laser beam and recorded by the high-speed camera in a certain interval time, are used to identify the movement patterns of the artery. From the image processing, the graphs such as electrocardiograph (ECG) can be extracted. The average of the maximum peaks of the graph can be correlated with the blood glucose concentration in the blood, as the same as shown in the article [2]. From the data that has been obtained in this research, the movement of the speckle tends to increase in accordance with the rise of blood glucose concentration.
Non-conventional protrusions: the diversity of cell interactions at short and long distance.

PubMed

Caviglia, Sara; Ober, Elke A

2018-06-08

Cells use different means to communicate within and between tissues and thereby coordinate their behaviours. Following the initial observations of enigmatic long filopodia unrelated to cell movement, it became clear that the roles of cellular protrusions are not restricted to sensing functions or motility and are much more diverse than previously appreciated. Advances in live-imaging and genetic tools revealed several types of non-conventional cell protrusions and their functions, ranging from tissue patterning, proliferation and differentiation control, tissue matching and cell spacing to more unexpected roles such as priming of cell adhesion as well as bidirectional coordination of tissue movements. Here, we will highlight exciting new insights into highly diverse cell behaviours elicited by protrusions and contact-dependent cell communication, essential for embryonic development across species. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
CrossFit athletes exhibit high symmetry of fundamental movement patterns. A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Tafuri, Silvio; Notarnicola, Angela; Monno, Antonello; Ferretti, Francesco; Moretti, Biagio

2016-01-01

Summary Background even if CrossFit training programs accounted actually more than 7500 gyms affiliated in the USA and more than 2000 in Europe and involved today more than 1 million of people, actually there were not several studies about the effect of the CrossFit on the health and sport performance. The aim of these research was to evaluate the performance in 7 fundamental movement patterns using a standardized methods, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). Methods we enrolled three groups of athletes (age 17–40 years; >6 months of training programs): CrossFitters, body builders and professional weightlifters. FMS test was performed to all people enrolled. Scores of FMS test was examined comparing three groups. Results no differences in the three groups were showed in the mean score values of each test and in total score, except for shoulder mobility test (higher among CrossFitters) and trunk stability push-up test (higher among weightlifter). Agreement between the test performed on the two sides was higher in CrossFit groups for hurdle step (93.2%), in line lung (86%), rotary stability test (95.3%) and shoulder mobility (90.7%; p<0.001). Conclusions CrossFitters seem to have a high level of concordance in the scores achieved in bilateral test. CrossFit seems to produce marked symmetry in some fundamental movements compared to weightlifting and bodybuilding. PMID:27331045
CrossFit athletes exhibit high symmetry of fundamental movement patterns. A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Tafuri, Silvio; Notarnicola, Angela; Monno, Antonello; Ferretti, Francesco; Moretti, Biagio

2016-01-01

even if CrossFit training programs accounted actually more than 7500 gyms affiliated in the USA and more than 2000 in Europe and involved today more than 1 million of people, actually there were not several studies about the effect of the CrossFit on the health and sport performance. The aim of these research was to evaluate the performance in 7 fundamental movement patterns using a standardized methods, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). we enrolled three groups of athletes (age 17-40 years; >6 months of training programs): CrossFitters, body builders and professional weightlifters. FMS test was performed to all people enrolled. Scores of FMS test was examined comparing three groups. no differences in the three groups were showed in the mean score values of each test and in total score, except for shoulder mobility test (higher among CrossFitters) and trunk stability push-up test (higher among weightlifter). Agreement between the test performed on the two sides was higher in CrossFit groups for hurdle step (93.2%), in line lung (86%), rotary stability test (95.3%) and shoulder mobility (90.7%; p<0.001). CrossFitters seem to have a high level of concordance in the scores achieved in bilateral test. CrossFit seems to produce marked symmetry in some fundamental movements compared to weightlifting and bodybuilding.
Environmental context explains Lévy and Brownian movement patterns of marine predators.

PubMed

Humphries, Nicolas E; Queiroz, Nuno; Dyer, Jennifer R M; Pade, Nicolas G; Musyl, Michael K; Schaefer, Kurt M; Fuller, Daniel W; Brunnschweiler, Juerg M; Doyle, Thomas K; Houghton, Jonathan D R; Hays, Graeme C; Jones, Catherine S; Noble, Leslie R; Wearmouth, Victoria J; Southall, Emily J; Sims, David W

2010-06-24

An optimal search theory, the so-called Lévy-flight foraging hypothesis, predicts that predators should adopt search strategies known as Lévy flights where prey is sparse and distributed unpredictably, but that Brownian movement is sufficiently efficient for locating abundant prey. Empirical studies have generated controversy because the accuracy of statistical methods that have been used to identify Lévy behaviour has recently been questioned. Consequently, whether foragers exhibit Lévy flights in the wild remains unclear. Crucially, moreover, it has not been tested whether observed movement patterns across natural landscapes having different expected resource distributions conform to the theory's central predictions. Here we use maximum-likelihood methods to test for Lévy patterns in relation to environmental gradients in the largest animal movement data set assembled for this purpose. Strong support was found for Lévy search patterns across 14 species of open-ocean predatory fish (sharks, tuna, billfish and ocean sunfish), with some individuals switching between Lévy and Brownian movement as they traversed different habitat types. We tested the spatial occurrence of these two principal patterns and found Lévy behaviour to be associated with less productive waters (sparser prey) and Brownian movements to be associated with productive shelf or convergence-front habitats (abundant prey). These results are consistent with the Lévy-flight foraging hypothesis, supporting the contention that organism search strategies naturally evolved in such a way that they exploit optimal Lévy patterns.
Masticatory path pattern during mastication of chewing gum with regard to gender difference.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Yoshinori; Shiga, Hiroshi; Arakawa, Ichiro; Yokoyama, Masaoki; Nakajima, Kunihisa

2009-01-01

To clarify the masticatory path patterns of the mandibular incisal point during mastication of softened chewing gum with regard to gender difference. One hundred healthy subjects (50 males and 50 females) were asked to chew softened chewing gum on one side at a time (right side and left side) and the movement of the mandibular incisal point was recorded using MKG K6I. After a catalog of path patterns was made, the movement path was classified into one of the pattern groups, and then the frequency of each pattern was investigated. A catalog of path patterns consisting of the three types of opening path (op1, linear or concave path; op2, path toward the chewing side after toward the non-working side; op3, convex path) and two types of closing path (cl1, convex path; cl2, concave path) was made. The movement path was classified into one of seven patterns, with six patterns being from the catalog and a final extra pattern in which the opening and closing paths crossed. The most common pattern among the subjects was Pattern I, followed by Patterns III, II, IV, V, VII, and VI, in that order. The majority of cases, 149 (74.5%) of 200 cases, showed either Pattern I (op1 and cl1) or Pattern III (op2 and cl1). There was no significant difference between the two genders in the frequency of each pattern. The movement path could be classified into seven patterns and no gender-related difference was found in the frequency of each pattern.
The punctum fixum-punctum mobile model: a neuromuscular principle for efficient movement generation?

PubMed

von Laßberg, Christoph; Rapp, Walter

2015-01-01

According to the "punctum fixum-punctum mobile model" that was introduced in prior studies, for generation of the most effective intentional acceleration of a body part the intersegmental neuromuscular onset succession has to spread successively from the rotation axis (punctum fixum) toward the body part that shall be accelerated (punctum mobile). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether this principle is, indeed, fundamental for any kind of efficient rotational accelerations in general, independent of the kind of movements, type of rotational axis, the current body position, or movement direction. Neuromuscular onset succession was captured by surface electromyography of relevant muscles of the anterior and posterior muscle chain in 16 high-level gymnasts during intentional accelerating movement phases while performing 18 different gymnastics elements (in various body positions to forward and backward, performed on high bar, parallel bars, rings and trampoline), as well as during non-sport specific pivot movements around the longitudinal axis. The succession patterns to generate the acceleration phases during these movements were described and statistically evaluated based on the onset time difference between the muscles of the corresponding muscle chain. In all the analyzed movement phases, the results clearly support the hypothesized succession pattern from punctum fixum to punctum mobile. This principle was further underlined by the finding that the succession patterns do change their direction running through the body when the rotational axis (punctum fixum) has been changed (e.g., high bar or rings [hands] vs. floor or trampoline [feet]). The findings improve our understanding of intersegmental neuromuscular coordination patterns to generate intentional movements most efficiently. This could help to develop more specific methods to facilitate such patterns in particular contexts, thus allowing for shorter motor learning procedures of context-specific key movement sequences in different disciplines of sports, as well as during non-sport specific movements.
The Punctum Fixum-Punctum Mobile Model: A Neuromuscular Principle for Efficient Movement Generation?

PubMed Central

von Laßberg, Christoph; Rapp, Walter

2015-01-01

According to the “punctum fixum–punctum mobile model” that was introduced in prior studies, for generation of the most effective intentional acceleration of a body part the intersegmental neuromuscular onset succession has to spread successively from the rotation axis (punctum fixum) toward the body part that shall be accelerated (punctum mobile). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether this principle is, indeed, fundamental for any kind of efficient rotational accelerations in general, independent of the kind of movements, type of rotational axis, the current body position, or movement direction. Neuromuscular onset succession was captured by surface electromyography of relevant muscles of the anterior and posterior muscle chain in 16 high-level gymnasts during intentional accelerating movement phases while performing 18 different gymnastics elements (in various body positions to forward and backward, performed on high bar, parallel bars, rings and trampoline), as well as during non-sport specific pivot movements around the longitudinal axis. The succession patterns to generate the acceleration phases during these movements were described and statistically evaluated based on the onset time difference between the muscles of the corresponding muscle chain. In all the analyzed movement phases, the results clearly support the hypothesized succession pattern from punctum fixum to punctum mobile. This principle was further underlined by the finding that the succession patterns do change their direction running through the body when the rotational axis (punctum fixum) has been changed (e.g., high bar or rings [hands] vs. floor or trampoline [feet]). The findings improve our understanding of intersegmental neuromuscular coordination patterns to generate intentional movements most efficiently. This could help to develop more specific methods to facilitate such patterns in particular contexts, thus allowing for shorter motor learning procedures of context-specific key movement sequences in different disciplines of sports, as well as during non-sport specific movements. PMID:25822498
Evaluating spawning migration patterns and predicting spawning success of shovelnose sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wildhaber, M.L.; Holan, S.H.; Davis, G.M.; Gladish, D.W.; DeLonay, A.J.; Papoulias, D.M.; Sommerhauser, D.K.

2011-01-01

Approaches using telemetry, precise reproductive assessments, and surgically implanted data storage tags (DSTs) were used in combination with novel applications of analytical techniques for fish movement studies to describe patterns in migratory behavior and predict spawning success of gravid shovelnose sturgeon. From 2004 to 2007, over 300 gravid female shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) from the Lower Missouri River, that were expected to spawn in the year they were collected, were surgically implanted with transmitters and archival DSTs. Functional cluster modeling of telemetry data from the spawning season suggested two common migration patterns of gravid female shovelnose sturgeon. Fish implanted from 958 to 1181 river kilometer (rkm) from the mouth of the Missouri River (or northern portion of the Lower Missouri River within 354rkm of the lowest Missouri River dam at rkm 1305) had one migration pattern. Of fish implanted from 209 to 402rkm from the mouth of the Missouri River (or southern portion of the Lower Missouri River), half demonstrated a movement pattern similar to the northern fish while the other half demonstrated a migration pattern that covered more of the river. There was no apparent difference in migration patterns between successful and unsuccessful spawners. Multiple hypotheses exist to explain differences in migratory patterns among fish from different river reaches. Additional work is required to determine if observed differences are due to multiple adapted strategies, environmental alteration, and/or initial tagging date. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling of DST data indicated that variation in depth usage patterns was consistently different between successful and unsuccessful spawners, as indicated by differences in likelihood of switching between high and low variability states. Analyses of DST data, and data collected at capture, were sufficient to predict 8 of 10 non-spawners/incomplete spawners and all 30 spawners in the absence of telemetry location data. Together, the results of these two separate analyses suggest that caution is necessary in extrapolating spawning success from broad-scale movement data alone. More direct measures of spawning success may be necessary to precisely determine spawning success and to evaluate the effects of management actions. ?? 2011 Blackwell Verlag, Berlin.
Evaluating spawning migration patterns and predicting spawning success of shovelnose sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wildhaber, M.L.; Holan, S.H.; Davis, G.M.; Gladish, D.W.; DeLonay, A.J.; Papoulias, D.M.; Sommerhauser, D.K.

2011-01-01

Approaches using telemetry, precise reproductive assessments, and surgically implanted data storage tags (DSTs) were used in combination with novel applications of analytical techniques for fish movement studies to describe patterns in migratory behavior and predict spawning success of gravid shovelnose sturgeon. From 2004 to 2007, over 300 gravid female shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) from the Lower Missouri River, that were expected to spawn in the year they were collected, were surgically implanted with transmitters and archival DSTs. Functional cluster modeling of telemetry data from the spawning season suggested two common migration patterns of gravid female shovelnose sturgeon. Fish implanted from 958 to 1181 river kilometer (rkm) from the mouth of the Missouri River (or northern portion of the Lower Missouri River within 354 rkm of the lowest Missouri River dam at rkm 1305) had one migration pattern. Of fish implanted from 209 to 402 rkm from the mouth of the Missouri River (or southern portion of the Lower Missouri River), half demonstrated a movement pattern similar to the northern fish while the other half demonstrated a migration pattern that covered more of the river. There was no apparent difference in migration patterns between successful and unsuccessful spawners. Multiple hypotheses exist to explain differences in migratory patterns among fish from different river reaches. Additional work is required to determine if observed differences are due to multiple adapted strategies, environmental alteration, and/or initial tagging date. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling of DST data indicated that variation in depth usage patterns was consistently different between successful and unsuccessful spawners, as indicated by differences in likelihood of switching between high and low variability states. Analyses of DST data, and data collected at capture, were sufficient to predict 8 of 10 non-spawners/incomplete spawners and all 30 spawners in the absence of telemetry location data. Together, the results of these two separate analyses suggest that caution is necessary in extrapolating spawning success from broad-scale movement data alone. More direct measures of spawning success may be necessary to precisely determine spawning success and to evaluate the effects of management actions.
Neural basis for hand muscle synergies in the primate spinal cord.

PubMed

Takei, Tomohiko; Confais, Joachim; Tomatsu, Saeka; Oya, Tomomichi; Seki, Kazuhiko

2017-08-08

Grasping is a highly complex movement that requires the coordination of multiple hand joints and muscles. Muscle synergies have been proposed to be the functional building blocks that coordinate such complex motor behaviors, but little is known about how they are implemented in the central nervous system. Here we demonstrate that premotor interneurons (PreM-INs) in the primate cervical spinal cord underlie the spatiotemporal patterns of hand muscle synergies during a voluntary grasping task. Using spike-triggered averaging of hand muscle activity, we found that the muscle fields of PreM-INs were not uniformly distributed across hand muscles but rather distributed as clusters corresponding to muscle synergies. Moreover, although individual PreM-INs have divergent activation patterns, the population activity of PreM-INs reflects the temporal activation of muscle synergies. These findings demonstrate that spinal PreM-INs underlie the muscle coordination required for voluntary hand movements in primates. Given the evolution of neural control of primate hand functions, we suggest that spinal premotor circuits provide the fundamental coordination of multiple joints and muscles upon which more fractionated control is achieved by superimposed, phylogenetically newer, pathways.
EEG Oscillations Are Modulated in Different Behavior-Related Networks during Rhythmic Finger Movements.

PubMed

Seeber, Martin; Scherer, Reinhold; Müller-Putz, Gernot R

2016-11-16

Sequencing and timing of body movements are essential to perform motoric tasks. In this study, we investigate the temporal relation between cortical oscillations and human motor behavior (i.e., rhythmic finger movements). High-density EEG recordings were used for source imaging based on individual anatomy. We separated sustained and movement phase-related EEG source amplitudes based on the actual finger movements recorded by a data glove. Sustained amplitude modulations in the contralateral hand area show decrease for α (10-12 Hz) and β (18-24 Hz), but increase for high γ (60-80 Hz) frequencies during the entire movement period. Additionally, we found movement phase-related amplitudes, which resembled the flexion and extension sequence of the fingers. Especially for faster movement cadences, movement phase-related amplitudes included high β (24-30 Hz) frequencies in prefrontal areas. Interestingly, the spectral profiles and source patterns of movement phase-related amplitudes differed from sustained activities, suggesting that they represent different frequency-specific large-scale networks. First, networks were signified by the sustained element, which statically modulate their synchrony levels during continuous movements. These networks may upregulate neuronal excitability in brain regions specific to the limb, in this study the right hand area. Second, movement phase-related networks, which modulate their synchrony in relation to the movement sequence. We suggest that these frequency-specific networks are associated with distinct functions, including top-down control, sensorimotor prediction, and integration. The separation of different large-scale networks, we applied in this work, improves the interpretation of EEG sources in relation to human motor behavior. EEG recordings provide high temporal resolution suitable to relate cortical oscillations to actual movements. Investigating EEG sources during rhythmic finger movements, we distinguish sustained from movement phase-related amplitude modulations. We separate these two EEG source elements motivated by our previous findings in gait. Here, we found two types of large-scale networks, representing the right fingers in distinction from the time sequence of the movements. These findings suggest that EEG source amplitudes reconstructed in a cortical patch are the superposition of these simultaneously present network activities. Separating these frequency-specific networks is relevant for studying function and possible dysfunction of the cortical sensorimotor system in humans as well as to provide more advanced features for brain-computer interfaces. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3611671-11$15.00/0.
The neurobiological basis of orientation in insects: insights from the silkmoth mating dance.

PubMed

Namiki, Shigehiro; Kanzaki, Ryohei

2016-06-01

Counterturning is a common movement pattern during orientation behavior in insects. Once male moths sense sex pheromones and then lose the input, they demonstrate zigzag movements, alternating between left and right turns, to increase the probability to contact with the pheromone plume. We summarize the anatomy and function of the neural circuit involved in pheromone orientation in the silkmoth. A neural circuit, the lateral accessory lobe (LAL), serves a role as the circuit module for zigzag movements and controls this operation using a flip-flop neural switch. Circuit design of the LAL is well conserved across species. We hypothesize that this zigzag module is utilized in a wide range of insect behavior. We introduce two examples of the potential use: orientation flight and the waggle dance in bees. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gender and rapid alterations of hemispheric dominance during planning.

PubMed

Schuepbach, Daniel; Skotchko, Tatjana; Duschek, Stefan; Theodoridou, Anastasia; Grimm, Simone; Boeker, Heinz; Seifritz, Erich

2012-01-01

Mental planning and carrying out a plan provoke specific cerebral hemodynamic responses. Gender aspects of hemispheric laterality using rapid cerebral hemodynamics have not been reported. Here, we applied functional transcranial Doppler sonography to examine lateralization of cerebral hemodynamics of the middle cerebral arteries of 28 subjects (14 women and 14 men) performing a standard planning task. There were easy and difficult problems, and mental planning without motor activity was separated from movement execution. Difficult mental planning elicited lateralization to the right hemisphere after 2 or more seconds, a feature that was not observed during movement execution. In females, there was a dominance to the left hemisphere during movement execution. Optimized problem solving yielded an increased laterality change to the right during mental planning. Gender-related hemispheric dominance appears to be condition-dependent, and change of laterality to the right may play a role in optimized performance. Results are of relevance when considering laterality from a perspective of performance enhancement of higher cognitive functions, and also of psychiatric disorders with cognitive dysfunctions and abnormal lateralization patterns such as schizophrenia. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Locomotion of inchworm-inspired robot made of smart soft composite (SSC).

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Lee, Jang-Yeob; Rodrigue, Hugo; Song, Sung-Hyuk; Chu, Won-Shik; Ahn, Sung-Hoon

2014-10-07

A soft-bodied robot made of smart soft composite with inchworm-inspired locomotion capable of both two-way linear and turning movement has been proposed, developed, and tested. The robot was divided into three functional parts based on the different functions of the inchworm: the body, the back foot, and the front foot. Shape memory alloy wires were embedded longitudinally in a soft polymer to imitate the longitudinal muscle fibers that control the abdominal contractions of the inchworm during locomotion. Each foot of the robot has three segments with different friction coefficients to implement the anchor and sliding movement. Then, utilizing actuation patterns between the body and feet based on the looping gait, the robot achieves a biomimetic inchworm gait. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the robot's locomotive performance for both linear locomotion and turning movement. Results show that the proposed robot's stride length was nearly one third of its body length, with a maximum linear speed of 3.6 mm s(-1), a linear locomotion efficiency of 96.4%, a maximum turning capability of 4.3 degrees per stride, and a turning locomotion efficiency of 39.7%.
Winter movement dynamics of Black Brant

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindberg, Mark S.; Ward, David H.; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Roser, John

2007-01-01

Although North American geese are managed based on their breeding distributions, the dynamics of those breeding populations may be affected by events that occur during the winter. Birth rates of capital breeding geese may be influenced by wintering conditions, mortality may be influenced by timing of migration and wintering distribution, and immigration and emigration among breeding populations may depend on winter movement and timing of pair formation. We examined factors affecting movements of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) among their primary wintering sites in Mexico and southern California, USA, (Mar 1998-Mar 2000) using capture-recapture models. Although brant exhibited high probability (>0.85) of monthly and annual fidelity to the wintering sites we sampled, we observed movements among all wintering sites. Movement probabilities both within and among winters were negatively related to distance between sites. We observed a higher probability both of southward movement between winters (Mar to Dec) and northward movement between months within winters. Between-winter movements were probably most strongly affected by spatial and temporal variation in habitat quality as we saw movement patterns consistent with contrasting environmental conditions (e.g., La Niña and El Niño southern oscillation cycles). Month-to-month movements were related to migration patterns and may also have been affected by differences in habitat conditions among sites. Patterns of winter movements indicate that a network of wintering sites may be necessary for effective conservation of brant.
Winter movement dynamics of black brant

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindberg, Mark S.; Ward, David H.; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Roser, John

2007-01-01

Although North American geese are managed based on their breeding distributions, the dynamics of those breeding populations may be affected by events that occur during the winter. Birth rates of capital breeding geese may be influenced by wintering conditions, mortality may be influenced by timing of migration and wintering distribution, and immigration and emigration among breeding populations may depend on winter movement and timing of pair formation. We examined factors affecting movements of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) among their primary wintering sites in Mexico and southern California, USA, (Mar 1998–Mar 2000) using capture–recapture models. Although brant exhibited high probability (>0.85) of monthly and annual fidelity to the wintering sites we sampled, we observed movements among all wintering sites. Movement probabilities both within and among winters were negatively related to distance between sites. We observed a higher probability both of southward movement between winters (Mar to Dec) and northward movement between months within winters. Between-winter movements were probably most strongly affected by spatial and temporal variation in habitat quality as we saw movement patterns consistent with contrasting environmental conditions (e.g., La Niña and El Niño southern oscillation cycles). Month-to-month movements were related to migration patterns and may also have been affected by differences in habitat conditions among sites. Patterns of winter movements indicate that a network of wintering sites may be necessary for effective conservation of brant.
Application of Optical Measurement Techniques During Stages of Pregnancy: Use of Phantom High Speed Cameras for Digital Image Correlation (D.I.C.) During Baby Kicking and Abdomen Movements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradl, Paul

2016-01-01

Paired images were collected using a projected pattern instead of standard painting of the speckle pattern on her abdomen. High Speed cameras were post triggered after movements felt. Data was collected at 120 fps -limited due to 60hz frequency of projector. To ensure that kicks and movement data was real a background test was conducted with no baby movement (to correct for breathing and body motion).
Physiotherapy based on the Bobath concept in stroke rehabilitation: a survey within the UK.

PubMed

Lennon, S; Baxter, D; Ashburn, A

2001-04-15

The Bobath concept is one of the most widely used approaches in stroke rehabilitation within Europe. This survey aimed to provide an expert consensus view of the theoretical beliefs underlying current Bobath practise in the UK. Questionnaires (with sections related to: therapist background, physiotherapy management, theoretical beliefs and gait re-education strategies used) were posted to all senior level physiotherapists working in stroke care (n = 1,022). The majority of respondents had more than 10 year's experience overall and at least 5 years experience in stroke care. The Bobath concept was the preferred approach (n = 67%) followed by an 'eclectic' approach (n = 31%). Despite a high level of consensus between groups, there were 13 significant differences highlighted between Bobath and 'eclectic' groups related to recovery, control of tone, the analysis and facilitation of normal movement and function. In summary. Bobath therapists considered that patients needed to have normal tone and use normal movement patterns in order to perform functional tasks. They would delay patients from performing tasks independently if abnormal tone and movement would be reinforced by task practice. They were not opposed to the use of walking aids and orthotics. This survey has raised several issues for debate within physiotherapy such as the automatic translation of movement into function, carry over outside therapy, and the way in which tasks should be practiced. The dominance of the Bobath concept needs to be justified by establishing that it is both effective and efficient at achieving its treatment aims of: normalizing tone, improving intrinsic recovery of the affected side and function within everyday tasks.

Simulation of facial expressions using person-specific sEMG signals controlling a biomechanical face model.

PubMed

Eskes, Merijn; Balm, Alfons J M; van Alphen, Maarten J A; Smeele, Ludi E; Stavness, Ian; van der Heijden, Ferdinand

2018-01-01

Functional inoperability in advanced oral cancer is difficult to assess preoperatively. To assess functions of lips and tongue, biomechanical models are required. Apart from adjusting generic models to individual anatomy, muscle activation patterns (MAPs) driving patient-specific functional movements are necessary to predict remaining functional outcome. We aim to evaluate how volunteer-specific MAPs derived from surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals control a biomechanical face model. Muscle activity of seven facial muscles in six volunteers was measured bilaterally with sEMG. A triple camera set-up recorded 3D lip movement. The generic face model in ArtiSynth was adapted to our needs. We controlled the model using the volunteer-specific MAPs. Three activation strategies were tested: activating all muscles [Formula: see text], selecting the three muscles showing highest muscle activity bilaterally [Formula: see text]-this was calculated by taking the mean of left and right muscles and then selecting the three with highest variance-and activating the muscles considered most relevant per instruction [Formula: see text], bilaterally. The model's lip movement was compared to the actual lip movement performed by the volunteers, using 3D correlation coefficients [Formula: see text]. The correlation coefficient between simulations and measurements with [Formula: see text] resulted in a median [Formula: see text] of 0.77. [Formula: see text] had a median [Formula: see text] of 0.78, whereas with [Formula: see text] the median [Formula: see text] decreased to 0.45. We demonstrated that MAPs derived from noninvasive sEMG measurements can control movement of the lips in a generic finite element face model with a median [Formula: see text] of 0.78. Ultimately, this is important to show the patient-specific residual movement using the patient's own MAPs. When the required treatment tools and personalisation techniques for geometry and anatomy become available, this may enable surgeons to test the functional results of wedge excisions for lip cancer in a virtual environment and to weigh surgery versus organ-sparing radiotherapy or photodynamic therapy.
Finite element analysis of the effect of force directions on tooth movement in extraction space closure with miniscrew sliding mechanics.

PubMed

Kojima, Yukio; Kawamura, Jun; Fukui, Hisao

2012-10-01

Miniscrews placed in bone have been used as orthodontic anchorage in extraction space closure with sliding mechanics. The movement patterns of the teeth depend on the force directions. To move the teeth in a desired pattern, the appropriate direction of force must be selected. The purpose of this article is to clarify the relationship between force directions and movement patterns. By using the finite element method, orthodontic movements were simulated based on the remodeling law of the alveolar bone. The power arm length and the miniscrew position were varied to change the force directions. When the power arm was lengthened, rotation of the entire maxillary dentition decreased. The posterior teeth were effective for preventing rotation of the anterior teeth through an archwire. In cases of a high position of a miniscrew, bodily tooth movement was almost achieved. The vertical component of the force produced intrusion or extrusion of the entire dentition. Within the limits of the method, the mechanical simulations demonstrated the effect of force direction on movement patterns. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rhythm Pattern of Sole through Electrification of the Human Body When Walking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiguchi, Kiyoaki; Wada, Takayuki; Tohyama, Shigeki

The rhythm of automatic cyclic movements such as walking is known to be generated by a rhythm generator called CPG in the spinal cord. The measurement of rhythm characteristics in walking is considered to be important for analyzing human bipedal walking and adaptive walking on irregular terrain. In particular, the soles that contact the terrain surface perform flexible movements similar to the movement of the fins of a lungfish, which is considered to be the predecessor of land animals. The sole movements are believed to be a basic movement acquired during prehistoric times. The detailed rhythm pattern of sole motion is considered to be important. We developed a method for measuring electrification without installing device on a subject's body and footwear for stabilizing the electrification of the human body. We measured the rhythm pattern of 20 subjects including 4 infants when walking by using this system and the corresponding equipment. Therefore, we confirmed the commonality of the correlative rhythm patterns of 20 subjects. Further, with regard to an individual subject, the reproducibility of a rhythm pattern with strong correlation coefficient > 0.93 ± 0.5 (mean ± SD) concerning rhythms of trials that are differently conducted on adult subjects could be confirmed.
Movement and spatial proximity patterns of rangeland-raised Raramuri Criollo cow-calf pairs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to compare movement patterns of nursing vs. nonnursing mature cows and to characterize cow-calf proximity patterns in two herds of Raramuri Criollo cattle. Herds grazed rangeland pastures in southern New Mexico (4355 ha) and west-central Chihuahua, Mexico (633 ha)'' A...
Lower limb joint motion during a cross cutting movement differs in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability.

PubMed

Koshino, Yuta; Yamanaka, Masanori; Ezawa, Yuya; Ishida, Tomoya; Kobayashi, Takumi; Samukawa, Mina; Saito, Hiroshi; Takeda, Naoki

2014-11-01

To compare the kinematics of lower limb joints between individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI) during cross-turn and -cutting movements. Cross-sectional study. Motion analysis laboratory. Twelve subjects with CAI and twelve healthy controls. Hip flexion, adduction, and internal rotation, knee flexion, and ankle dorsiflexion and inversion angles were calculated in the 200 ms before initial ground contact and from initial ground contact to toe-off (stance phase) in a cross-turn movement during gait and a cross-cutting movement from a forward jump, and compared across the two groups. In the cross-cutting movement, the CAI group exhibited greater hip and knee flexion than the control group during the stance phase, and more hip abduction during the period before initial contact and the stance phase. In the cross-turn movement the joint kinematics were similar in the two groups. CAI subjects exhibited an altered pattern of the proximal joint kinematics during a cross-cutting movement. It is important for clinicians to assess the function of the hip and knee as well as the ankle, and to incorporate coordination training for the entire lower limb into rehabilitation after lateral ankle sprains. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Two Dimensional Movement Patterns of Juvenile Winter Run and Late Fall Run Chinook Salmon at the Fremont Weir, Sacramento River, CA

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

ER D C/ EL T R- 17 -1 0 Two-Dimensional Movement Patterns of Juvenile Winter- Run and Late-Fall- Run Chinook Salmon at the Fremont Weir...default. ERDC/EL TR-17-10 July 2017 Two-Dimensional Movement Patterns of Juvenile Winter- Run and Late-Fall- Run Chinook Salmon at the Fremont Weir...Sacramento River, smaller winter- run Chinook and larger late-fall- run Chinook salmon were tagged and released into a 2D telemetry array dur- ing the
Detection of EEG-patterns associated with real and imaginary movements using detrended fluctuation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlov, Alexey N.; Runnova, Anastasiya E.; Maksimenko, Vladimir A.; Grishina, Daria S.; Hramov, Alexander E.

2018-02-01

Authentic recognition of specific patterns of electroencephalograms (EEGs) associated with real and imagi- nary movements is an important stage for the development of brain-computer interfaces. In experiments with untrained participants, the ability to detect the motor-related brain activity based on the multichannel EEG processing is demonstrated. Using the detrended fluctuation analysis, changes in the EEG patterns during the imagination of hand movements are reported. It is discussed how the ability to recognize brain activity related to motor executions depends on the electrode position.
PRINCIPLES AND PATTERNS OF BAT MOVEMENTS: FROM AERODYNAMICS TO ECOLOGY

PubMed Central

Voigt, Christian C.; Frick, Winifred F.; Holderied, Marc W.; Holland, Richard; Kerth, Gerald; Mello, Marco A. R.; Plowright, Raina K.; Swartz, Sharon; Yovel, Yossi

2018-01-01

Movement ecology as an integrative discipline has advanced associated fields because it presents not only a conceptual framework for understanding movement principles but also helps formulate predictions about the consequences of movements for animals and their environments. Here, we synthesize recent studies on principles and patterns of bat movements in context of the movement ecology paradigm. The motion capacity of bats is defined by their highly articulated, flexible wings. Power production during flight follows a U-shaped curve in relation to speed in bats yet, in contrast to birds, bats use mostly exogenous nutrients for sustained flight. The navigation capacity of most bats is dominated by the echolocation system, yet other sensory modalities, including an iron-based magnetic sense, may contribute to navigation depending on a bat’s familiarity with the terrain. Patterns derived from these capacities relate to antagonistic and mutualistic interactions with food items. The navigation capacity of bats may influence their sociality, in particular, the extent of group foraging based on eavesdropping on conspecifics’ echolocation calls. We infer that understanding the movement ecology of bats within the framework of the movement ecology paradigm provides new insights into ecological processes mediated by bats, from ecosystem services to diseases. PMID:29861509
Habitat use and movement of the endangered Arroyo Toad (Anaxyrus californicus) in coastal southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mitrovich, M.J.; Gallegos, E.A.; Lyren, L.M.; Lovich, R.E.; Fisher, R.N.

2011-01-01

Information on the habitat use and movement patterns of Arroyo Toads (Anaxyrus californicus) is limited. The temporal and spatial characteristics of terrestrial habitat use, especially as it relates to upland use in coastal areas of the species' range, are poorly understood. We present analyses of radiotelemetry data from 40 individual adult toads tracked at a single site in coastal southern California from March through November of 2004. We quantify adult Arroyo Toad habitat use and movements and interpret results in the context of their life history. We show concentrated activity by both male and female toads along stream terraces during and after breeding, and, although our fall sample size is low, the continued presence of adult toads in the floodplain through the late fall. Adult toads used open sandy flats with sparse vegetation. Home-range size and movement frequency varied as a function of body mass. Observed spatial patterns of movement and habitat use both during and outside of the breeding period as well as available climatological data suggest that overwintering of toads in floodplain habitats of near-coastal areas of southern California may be more common than previously considered. If adult toads are not migrating out of the floodplain at the close of the breeding season but instead overwinter on stream terraces in near-coastal areas, then current management practices that assume toad absence from floodplain habitats may be leaving adult toads over-wintering on stream terraces vulnerable to human disturbance during a time of year when Arroyo Toad mortality is potentially highest. ?? 2011 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
Habitat use and movement of the endangered Arroyo Toad (Anaxyrus californicus) in coastal southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gallegos, Elizabeth; Lyren, Lisa M.; Lovich, Robert E.; Mitrovich, Milan J.; Fisher, Robert N.

2011-01-01

Information on the habitat use and movement patterns of Arroyo Toads (Anaxyrus californicus) is limited. The temporal and spatial characteristics of terrestrial habitat use, especially as it relates to upland use in coastal areas of the species' range, are poorly understood. We present analyses of radiotelemetry data from 40 individual adult toads tracked at a single site in coastal southern California from March through November of 2004. We quantify adult Arroyo Toad habitat use and movements and interpret results in the context of their life history. We show concentrated activity by both male and female toads along stream terraces during and after breeding, and, although our fall sample size is low, the continued presence of adult toads in the floodplain through the late fall. Adult toads used open sandy flats with sparse vegetation. Home-range size and movement frequency varied as a function of body mass. Observed spatial patterns of movement and habitat use both during and outside of the breeding period as well as available climatological data suggest that overwintering of toads in floodplain habitats of near-coastal areas of southern California may be more common than previously considered. If adult toads are not migrating out of the floodplain at the close of the breeding season but instead overwinter on stream terraces in near-coastal areas, then current management practices that assume toad absence from floodplain habitats may be leaving adult toads over-wintering on stream terraces vulnerable to human disturbance during a time of year when Arroyo Toad mortality is potentially highest.
Modeling interpopulation dispersal by banner-tailed kangaroo rats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skvarla, J.L.; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.; Waser, P.M.

2004-01-01

Many metapopulation models assume rules of population connectivity that are implicitly based on what we know about within-population dispersal, but especially for vertebrates, few data exist to assess whether interpopulation dispersal is just within-population dispersal "scaled up." We extended existing multi-stratum mark-release-recapture models to incorporate the robust design, allowing us to compare patterns of within- and between-population movement in the banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). Movement was rare among eight populations separated by only a few hundred meters: seven years of twice-annual sampling captured >1200 individuals but only 26 interpopulation dispersers. We developed a program that implemented models with parameters for capture, survival, and interpopulation movement probability and that evaluated competing hypotheses in a model selection framework. We evaluated variants of the island, stepping-stone, and isolation-by-distance models of interpopulation movement, incorporating effects of age, season, and habitat (short or tall grass). For both sexes, QAICc values clearly favored isolation-by-distance models, or models combining the effects of isolation by distance and habitat. Models with probability of dispersal expressed as linear-logistic functions of distance and as negative exponentials of distance fit the data equally well. Interpopulation movement probabilities were similar among sexes (perhaps slightly biased toward females), greater for juveniles than adults (especially for females), and greater before than during the breeding season (especially for females). These patterns resemble those previously described for within-population dispersal in this species, which we interpret as indicating that the same processes initiate both within- and between-population dispersal.
Where one hand meets the other: limb-specific and action-dependent movement plans decoded from preparatory signals in single human frontoparietal brain areas.

PubMed

Gallivan, Jason P; McLean, D Adam; Flanagan, J Randall; Culham, Jody C

2013-01-30

Planning object-directed hand actions requires successful integration of the movement goal with the acting limb. Exactly where and how this sensorimotor integration occurs in the brain has been studied extensively with neurophysiological recordings in nonhuman primates, yet to date, because of limitations of non-invasive methodologies, the ability to examine the same types of planning-related signals in humans has been challenging. Here we show, using a multivoxel pattern analysis of functional MRI (fMRI) data, that the preparatory activity patterns in several frontoparietal brain regions can be used to predict both the limb used and hand action performed in an upcoming movement. Participants performed an event-related delayed movement task whereby they planned and executed grasp or reach actions with either their left or right hand toward a single target object. We found that, although the majority of frontoparietal areas represented hand actions (grasping vs reaching) for the contralateral limb, several areas additionally coded hand actions for the ipsilateral limb. Notable among these were subregions within the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), ventral premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, presupplementary motor area, and motor cortex, a region more traditionally implicated in contralateral movement generation. Additional analyses suggest that hand actions are represented independently of the intended limb in PPC and PMd. In addition to providing a unique mapping of limb-specific and action-dependent intention-related signals across the human cortical motor system, these findings uncover a much stronger representation of the ipsilateral limb than expected from previous fMRI findings.
Chronic Organic Solvent Exposure Changes Visual Tracking in Men and Women.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Ana R; Campos Neto, Armindo de Arruda; Bezerra de Medeiros, Paloma C; de Andrade, Michael J O; Dos Santos, Natanael A

2017-01-01

Organic solvents can change CNS sensory and motor function. Eye-movement analyses can be important tools when investigating the neurotoxic changes that result from chronic organic solvent exposure. The current research measured the eye-movement patterns of men and women with and without histories of chronic organic solvent exposure. A total of 44 volunteers between 18 and 41 years old participated in this study; 22 were men (11 exposed and 11 controls), and 22 were women (11 exposed and 11 controls). Eye movement was evaluated using a 250-Hz High-Speed Video Eye Tracker Toolbox (Cambridge Research Systems) via an image of a maze. Specific body indices of exposed and non-exposed men and women were measured with an Inbody 720 to determine whether the differences in eye-movement patterns were associated with body composition. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.0.0. The results indicated that exposed adults showed significantly more fixations ( t = 3.82; p = 0.001; r = 0.51) and longer fixations ( t = 4.27; p = 0.001, r = 0.54) than their non-exposed counterparts. Comparisons within men (e.g., exposed and non-exposed) showed significant differences in the number of fixations ( t = 2.21; p = 0.04; r = 0.20) and duration of fixations ( t = 3.29; p = 0.001; r = 0.35). The same was true for exposed vs. non-exposed women, who showed significant differences in the number of fixations ( t = 3.10; p = 0.001; r = 0.32) and fixation durations ( t = 2.76; p = 0.01; r = 0.28). However, the results did not show significant differences between exposed women and men in the number and duration of fixations. No correlations were found between eye-movement pattern and body composition measures ( p > 0.05). These results suggest that chronic organic solvent exposure affects eye movements, regardless of sex and body composition, and that eye tracking contributes to the investigation of the visual information processing disorders acquired by workers exposed to organic solvents.
Seasonal movement, residency, and migratory patterns of Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cline, Brittany B.; Haig, Susan M.

2011-01-01

Cross-seasonal studies of avian movement establish links between geographically distinct wintering, breeding, and migratory stopover locations, or assess site fidelity and movement between distinct phases of the annual cycle. Far fewer studies have investigated individual movement patterns within and among seasons over an annual cycle. Within western Oregon's Willamette Valley throughout 2007, we quantified intra- and interseasonal movement patterns, fidelity (regional and local), and migratory patterns of 37 radiomarked Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) to elucidate residency in a region of breeding- and wintering-range overlap. Telemetry revealed complex regional population structure, including winter residents (74%), winter transients (14%), summer residents (9%), and one year-round resident breeder (3%). Results indicated a lack of connectivity between winter and summer capture populations, some evidence of partial migration, and between-season fidelity to the region (winter-resident return; subsequent fall). Across seasons, the extent of movements and use of multiple wetland sites suggested that Wilson's Snipe were capable of exploratory movements but more regularly perceived local and fine-scale segments of the landscape as connected. Movements differed significantly by season and residency; individuals exhibited contracted movements during late winter and more expansive movements during precipitation-limited periods (late spring, summer, fall). Mean home-range size was 3.5 ± 0.93 km2 (100% minimum convex polygon [MCP]) and 1.6 ± 0.42 km2 (95% fixed kernel) and did not vary by sex; however, home range varied markedly by season (range of 100% MCPs: 1.04–7.56 km2). The results highlight the need to consider seasonal and interspecific differences in shorebird life histories and space-use requirements when developing regional wetland conservation plans.
Light-fuelled transport of large dendrimers and proteins.

PubMed

Koskela, Jenni E; Liljeström, Ville; Lim, Jongdoo; Simanek, Eric E; Ras, Robin H A; Priimagi, Arri; Kostiainen, Mauri A

2014-05-14

This work presents a facile water-based supramolecular approach for light-induced surface patterning. The method is based upon azobenzene-functionalized high-molecular weight triazine dendrimers up to generation 9, demonstrating that even very large globular supramolecular complexes can be made to move in response to light. We also demonstrate light-fuelled macroscopic movements in native biomolecules, showing that complexes of apoferritin protein and azobenzene can effectively form light-induced surface patterns. Fundamentally, the results establish that thin films comprising both flexible and rigid globular particles of large diameter can be moved with light, whereas the presented material concepts offer new possibilities for the yet marginally explored biological applications of azobenzene surface patterning.
The effect of aborting ongoing movements on end point position estimation.

PubMed

Itaguchi, Yoshihiro; Fukuzawa, Kazuyoshi

2013-11-01

The present study investigated the impact of motor commands to abort ongoing movement on position estimation. Participants carried out visually guided reaching movements on a horizontal plane with their eyes open. By setting a mirror above their arm, however, they could not see the arm, only the start and target points. They estimated the position of their fingertip based solely on proprioception after their reaching movement was stopped before reaching the target. The participants stopped reaching as soon as they heard an auditory cue or were mechanically prevented from moving any further by an obstacle in their path. These reaching movements were carried out at two different speeds (fast or slow). It was assumed that additional motor commands to abort ongoing movement were required and that their magnitude was high, low, and zero, in the auditory-fast condition, the auditory-slow condition, and both the obstacle conditions, respectively. There were two main results. (1) When the participants voluntarily stopped a fast movement in response to the auditory cue (the auditory-fast condition), they showed more underestimates than in the other three conditions. This underestimate effect was positively related to movement velocity. (2) An inverted-U-shaped bias pattern as a function of movement distance was observed consistently, except in the auditory-fast condition. These findings indicate that voluntarily stopping fast ongoing movement created a negative bias in the position estimate, supporting the idea that additional motor commands or efforts to abort planned movement are involved with the position estimation system. In addition, spatially probabilistic inference and signal-dependent noise may explain the underestimate effect of aborting ongoing movement.
Geo-Located Tweets. Enhancing Mobility Maps and Capturing Cross-Border Movement.

PubMed

Blanford, Justine I; Huang, Zhuojie; Savelyev, Alexander; MacEachren, Alan M

2015-01-01

Capturing human movement patterns across political borders is difficult and this difficulty highlights the need to investigate alternative data streams. With the advent of smart phones and the ability to attach accurate coordinates to Twitter messages, users leave a geographic digital footprint of their movement when posting tweets. In this study we analyzed 10 months of geo-located tweets for Kenya and were able to capture movement of people at different temporal (daily to periodic) and spatial (local, national to international) scales. We were also able to capture both long and short distances travelled, highlighting regional connections and cross-border movement between Kenya and the surrounding countries. The findings from this study has broad implications for studying movement patterns and mapping inter/intra-region movement dynamics.
Geo-Located Tweets. Enhancing Mobility Maps and Capturing Cross-Border Movement

PubMed Central

Blanford, Justine I.; Huang, Zhuojie; Savelyev, Alexander; MacEachren, Alan M.

2015-01-01

Capturing human movement patterns across political borders is difficult and this difficulty highlights the need to investigate alternative data streams. With the advent of smart phones and the ability to attach accurate coordinates to Twitter messages, users leave a geographic digital footprint of their movement when posting tweets. In this study we analyzed 10 months of geo-located tweets for Kenya and were able to capture movement of people at different temporal (daily to periodic) and spatial (local, national to international) scales. We were also able to capture both long and short distances travelled, highlighting regional connections and cross-border movement between Kenya and the surrounding countries. The findings from this study has broad implications for studying movement patterns and mapping inter/intra-region movement dynamics. PMID:26086772
Regulation of early Xenopus development by ErbB signaling

PubMed Central

Nie, Shuyi; Chang, Chenbei

2008-01-01

ErbB signaling has long been implicated in cancer formation and progression and is shown to regulate cell division, migration and death during tumorigenesis. The functions of the ErbB pathway during early vertebrate embryogenesis, however, are not well understood. Here we report characterization of ErbB activities during early frog development. Gain-of-function analyses show that EGFR, ErbB2 and ErbB4 induce ectopic tumor-like cell mass that contains increased numbers of mitotic cells. Both the muscle and the neural markers are expressed in these ectopic protrusions. ErbBs also induce mesodermal markers in ectodermal explants. Loss-of-function studies using carboxyl terminal-truncated dominant-negative ErbB receptors demonstrate that blocking ErbB signals leads to defective gastrulation movements and malformation of the embryonic axis with a reduction in the head structures in early frog embryos. These data, together with the observation that ErbBs are expressed early during frog embryogenesis, suggest that ErbBs regulate cell proliferation, movements and embryonic patterning during early Xenopus development. PMID:16258939
Learning to juggle: on the assembly of functional subsystems into a task-specific dynamical organization.

PubMed

Huys, R; Daffertshofer, A; Beek, P J

2003-04-01

We examined the development of task-specific couplings among functional subsystems (i.e., ball circulation, respiration, and body sway) when learning to juggle a three-ball cascade, with a focus on learning-induced changes in the coupling between ball movements and respiration and the coupling between ball movements and body sway. Six novices practiced to juggle three balls in cascade fashion for one hour per day for twenty days. On specific days (7 in total), ball movements, center-of-pressure (CoP) trajectories and respiration traces were measured simultaneously. Discrete, time-continuous and spectral analyses revealed that the spatio-temporal variability of the juggling patterns decreased with practice and that the degree to which the task constraints were satisfied increased gradually. No conclusive evidence was found for ball movement-respiration coupling. In contrast, clear-cut evidence was found for the presence of 1:3 and 2:3 frequency locking between the vertical component of the ball trajectories and both the anterior-posterior and the medio-lateral components of the CoP. Incidence and expression of these mode locks varied across individuals and altered in the course of learning. Gradual changes in locking strength, appearances and disappearances of mode locks, as well as abrupt transitions between coupled states were observed. These results indicate that dissimilar learning dynamics may arise in the functional embedding of subsystems into a task-specific organization and that motor equivalence is an inherent property of such emerging task-specific organizations.

Spatial and temporal movement dynamics of brook Salvelinus fontinalis and brown trout Salmo trutta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, L.A.; Wagner, Tyler; Barton, Meredith L.

2015-01-01

Native eastern brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and naturalized brown trout Salmo trutta occur sympatrically in many streams across the brook trout’s native range in the eastern United States. Understanding within- among-species variability in movement, including correlates of movement, has implications for management and conservation. We radio tracked 55 brook trout and 45 brown trout in five streams in a north-central Pennsylvania, USA watershed to quantify the movement of brook trout and brown trout during the fall and early winter to (1) evaluate the late-summer, early winter movement patterns of brook trout and brown trout, (2) determine correlates of movement and if movement patterns varied between brook trout and brown trout, and (3) evaluate genetic diversity of brook trout within and among study streams, and relate findings to telemetry-based observations of movement. Average total movement was greater for brown trout (mean ± SD = 2,924 ± 4,187 m) than for brook trout (mean ± SD = 1,769 ± 2,194 m). Although there was a large amount of among-fish variability in the movement of both species, the majority of movement coincided with the onset of the spawning season, and a threshold effect was detected between stream flow and movement: where movement increased abruptly for both species during positive flow events. Microsatellite analysis of brook trout revealed consistent findings to those found using radio-tracking, indicating a moderate to high degree of gene flow among brook trout populations. Seasonal movement patterns and the potential for relatively large movements of brook and brown trout highlight the importance of considering stream connectivity when restoring and protecting fish populations and their habitats.
Agreement Between Visual Assessment and 2-Dimensional Analysis During Jump Landing Among Healthy Female Athletes.

PubMed

Rabin, Alon; Einstein, Ofira; Kozol, Zvi

2018-04-01

Altered movement patterns, including increased frontal-plane knee movement and decreased sagittal-plane hip and knee movement, have been associated with several knee disorders. Nevertheless, the ability of clinicians to visually detect such altered movement patterns during high-speed athletic tasks is relatively unknown. To explore the association between visual assessment and 2-dimensional (2D) analysis of frontal-plane knee movement and sagittal-plane hip and knee movement during a jump-landing task among healthy female athletes. Cross-sectional study. Gymnasiums of participating volleyball teams. A total of 39 healthy female volleyball players (age = 21.0 ± 5.2 years, height = 172.0 ± 8.6 cm, mass = 64.2 ± 7.2 kg) from Divisions I and II of the Israeli Volleyball Association. Frontal-plane knee movement and sagittal-plane hip and knee movement during jump landing were visually rated as good, moderate, or poor based on previously established criteria. Frontal-plane knee excursion and sagittal-plane hip and knee excursions were measured using free motion-analysis software and compared among athletes with different visual ratings of the corresponding movements. Participants with different visual ratings of frontal-plane knee movement displayed differences in 2D frontal-plane knee excursion ( P < .01), whereas participants with different visual ratings of sagittal-plane hip and knee movement displayed differences in 2D sagittal-plane hip and knee excursions ( P < .01). Visual ratings of frontal-plane knee movement and sagittal-plane hip and knee movement were associated with differences in the corresponding 2D hip and knee excursions. Visual rating of these movements may serve as an initial screening tool for detecting altered movement patterns during jump landings.
The use of surface monitoring data for the interpretation of landslide movement patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petley, D. N.; Mantovani, F.; Bulmer, M. H.; Zannoni, A.

2005-03-01

The Tessina landslide is a large, seasonally active slope failure located on the southern slopes of Mt. Teverone, in the Alpago valley of NE Italy, consisting of a complex system that has developed in Tertiary Flysch deposits. The landslide, which first became active in 1960, threatens two villages and is hence subject to detailed monitoring, with high quality data being collected using piezometers, inclinometers, extensometers, and through the use of a highly innovative, automated Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) system, which surveys the location of a large number of reflector targets once every 6 h. These systems form the basis of a warning system that protects the villages, but they also provide a very valuable insight into the patterns of movement of the landslide. In this paper, analysis is presented of the movement of the landslide, concentrating on the EDM dataset, which provides a remarkable record of surface displacement patterns. It is proposed that four distinct movement patterns can be established, which correspond closely to independently defined morphological assessments of the landslide complex. Any given block of material transitions through the four phases of movement as it progresses down the landslide, with the style of movement being controlled primarily by the groundwater conditions. The analysis is augmented with modelling of the landslide, undertaken using the Itasca FLAC code. The modelling suggests that different landslide patterns are observed for different parts of the landslide, primarily as a result of variations in the groundwater conditions. The model suggests that when a movement event occurs, displacements occur initially at the toe of the landslide, then retrogress upslope.
Movement and Orientation Decision Modeling of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in the Grain Mass.

PubMed

Cordeiro, Erick M G; Campbell, James F; Phillips, Thomas W

2016-04-01

Grain stored in bins is initially a relatively homogenous resource patch for stored-product insects, but over time, spatial pattern in insect distribution can form, due in part to insect movement patterns. However, the factors that influence stored-product insect movement patterns in grain are not well-understood. This research focused on the movement of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), within a simulated wheat grain mass (vertical monolayer of wheat) and the identification of factors that contribute to overall and upward movement (age since adult emergence from an infested kernel [1, 7, and 14 d], sex, strain, and different levels of environment quality). We also used the model selection approach to select the most relevant factors and determine the relationships among them. Three-week-old adults tended to stay closer to the surface compared with 1- or 2-wk-old insects. Also, females tended to be more active and to explore a larger area compared with males. Explored area and daily displacement were also significantly strain-dependent, and increasing grain infestation level decreased daily displacement and explored area. Variation in movement pattern is likely to influence the formation of spatial pattern and affect probability to disperse. Understanding movement behavior within a grain bin is crucial to designing better strategies to implement and interpret monitoring programs and to target control tactics. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.
Movement Patterns, Social Dynamics, and the Evolution of Cooperation

PubMed Central

Smaldino, Paul E.; Schank, Jeffrey C.

2012-01-01

The structure of social interactions influences many aspects of social life, including the spread of information and behavior, and the evolution of social phenotypes. After dispersal, organisms move around throughout their lives, and the patterns of their movement influence their social encounters over the course of their lifespan. Though both space and mobility are known to influence social evolution, there is little analysis of the influence of specific movement patterns on evolutionary dynamics. We explored the effects of random movement strategies on the evolution of cooperation using an agent-based prisoner’s dilemma model with mobile agents. This is the first systematic analysis of a model in which cooperators and defectors can use different random movement strategies, which we chose to fall on a spectrum between highly exploratory and highly restricted in their search tendencies. Because limited dispersal and restrictions to local neighborhood size are known to influence the ability of cooperators to effectively assort, we also assessed the robustness of our findings with respect to dispersal and local capacity constraints. We show that differences in patterns of movement can dramatically influence the likelihood of cooperator success, and that the effects of different movement patterns are sensitive to environmental assumptions about offspring dispersal and local space constraints. Since local interactions implicitly generate dynamic social interaction networks, we also measured the average number of unique and total interactions over a lifetime and considered how these emergent network dynamics helped explain the results. This work extends what is known about mobility and the evolution of cooperation, and also has general implications for social models with randomly moving agents. PMID:22838026
Laban Movement Analysis towards Behavior Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Luís; Dias, Jorge

This work presents a study about the use of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) as a robust tool to describe human basic behavior patterns, to be applied in human-machine interaction. LMA is a language used to describe and annotate dancing movements and is divided in components [1]: Body, Space, Shape and Effort. Despite its general framework is widely used in physical and mental therapy [2], it has found little application in the engineering domain. Rett J. [3] proposed to implement LMA using Bayesian Networks. However LMA component models have not yet been fully implemented. A study on how to approach behavior using LMA is presented. Behavior is a complex feature and movement chain, but we believe that most basic behavior primitives can be discretized in simple features. Correctly identifying Laban parameters and the movements the authors feel that good patterns can be found within a specific set of basic behavior semantics.
24 CFR 570.456 - Ineligible activities and limitations on eligible activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... relocation of a plant or facility from one area to another, if it is demonstrated to HUD's satisfaction that... has been a significant current pattern of movement, to areas reasonably proximate, of jobs of the... significant pattern of job movement and the likelihood of continuation of such a pattern has been from a...
Complete 3D kinematics of upper extremity functional tasks.

PubMed

van Andel, Carolien J; Wolterbeek, Nienke; Doorenbosch, Caroline A M; Veeger, DirkJan H E J; Harlaar, Jaap

2008-01-01

Upper extremity (UX) movement analysis by means of 3D kinematics has the potential to become an important clinical evaluation method. However, no standardized protocol for clinical application has yet been developed, that includes the whole upper limb. Standardization problems include the lack of a single representative function, the wide range of motion of joints and the complexity of the anatomical structures. A useful protocol would focus on the functional status of the arm and particularly the orientation of the hand. The aim of this work was to develop a standardized measurement method for unconstrained movement analysis of the UX that includes hand orientation, for a set of functional tasks for the UX and obtain normative values. Ten healthy subjects performed four representative activities of daily living (ADL). In addition, six standard active range of motion (ROM) tasks were executed. Joint angles of the wrist, elbow, shoulder and scapula were analyzed throughout each ADL task and minimum/maximum angles were determined from the ROM tasks. Characteristic trajectories were found for the ADL tasks, standard deviations were generally small and ROM results were consistent with the literature. The results of this study could form the normative basis for the development of a 'UX analysis report' equivalent to the 'gait analysis report' and would allow for future comparisons with pediatric and/or pathologic movement patterns.
Inter-rater reliability for movement pattern analysis (MPA): measuring patterning of behaviors versus discrete behavior counts as indicators of decision-making style

PubMed Central

Connors, Brenda L.; Rende, Richard; Colton, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

The unique yield of collecting observational data on human movement has received increasing attention in a number of domains, including the study of decision-making style. As such, interest has grown in the nuances of core methodological issues, including the best ways of assessing inter-rater reliability. In this paper we focus on one key topic – the distinction between establishing reliability for the patterning of behaviors as opposed to the computation of raw counts – and suggest that reliability for each be compared empirically rather than determined a priori. We illustrate by assessing inter-rater reliability for key outcome measures derived from movement pattern analysis (MPA), an observational methodology that records body movements as indicators of decision-making style with demonstrated predictive validity. While reliability ranged from moderate to good for raw counts of behaviors reflecting each of two Overall Factors generated within MPA (Assertion and Perspective), inter-rater reliability for patterning (proportional indicators of each factor) was significantly higher and excellent (ICC = 0.89). Furthermore, patterning, as compared to raw counts, provided better prediction of observable decision-making process assessed in the laboratory. These analyses support the utility of using an empirical approach to inform the consideration of measuring patterning versus discrete behavioral counts of behaviors when determining inter-rater reliability of observable behavior. They also speak to the substantial reliability that may be achieved via application of theoretically grounded observational systems such as MPA that reveal thinking and action motivations via visible movement patterns. PMID:24999336
Inter-rater reliability for movement pattern analysis (MPA): measuring patterning of behaviors versus discrete behavior counts as indicators of decision-making style.

PubMed

Connors, Brenda L; Rende, Richard; Colton, Timothy J

2014-01-01

The unique yield of collecting observational data on human movement has received increasing attention in a number of domains, including the study of decision-making style. As such, interest has grown in the nuances of core methodological issues, including the best ways of assessing inter-rater reliability. In this paper we focus on one key topic - the distinction between establishing reliability for the patterning of behaviors as opposed to the computation of raw counts - and suggest that reliability for each be compared empirically rather than determined a priori. We illustrate by assessing inter-rater reliability for key outcome measures derived from movement pattern analysis (MPA), an observational methodology that records body movements as indicators of decision-making style with demonstrated predictive validity. While reliability ranged from moderate to good for raw counts of behaviors reflecting each of two Overall Factors generated within MPA (Assertion and Perspective), inter-rater reliability for patterning (proportional indicators of each factor) was significantly higher and excellent (ICC = 0.89). Furthermore, patterning, as compared to raw counts, provided better prediction of observable decision-making process assessed in the laboratory. These analyses support the utility of using an empirical approach to inform the consideration of measuring patterning versus discrete behavioral counts of behaviors when determining inter-rater reliability of observable behavior. They also speak to the substantial reliability that may be achieved via application of theoretically grounded observational systems such as MPA that reveal thinking and action motivations via visible movement patterns.
Animal perception of seasonal thresholds: changes in elephant movement in relation to rainfall patterns.

PubMed

Birkett, Patricia J; Vanak, Abi T; Muggeo, Vito M R; Ferreira, Salamon M; Slotow, Rob

2012-01-01

The identification of temporal thresholds or shifts in animal movement informs ecologists of changes in an animal's behaviour, which contributes to an understanding of species' responses in different environments. In African savannas, rainfall, temperature and primary productivity influence the movements of large herbivores and drive changes at different scales. Here, we developed a novel approach to define seasonal shifts in movement behaviour by examining the movements of a highly mobile herbivore (elephant; Loxodonta africana), in relation to local and regional rainfall patterns. We used speed to determine movement changes of between 8 and 14 GPS-collared elephant cows, grouped into five spatial clusters, in Kruger National Park, South Africa. To detect broad-scale patterns of movement, we ran a three-year daily time-series model for each individual (2007-2009). Piecewise regression models provided the best fit for elephant movement, which exhibited a segmented, waveform pattern over time. Major breakpoints in speed occurred at the end of the dry and wet seasons of each year. During the dry season, female elephant are constrained by limited forage and thus the distances they cover are shorter and less variable. Despite the inter-annual variability of rainfall, speed breakpoints were strongly correlated with both local and regional rainfall breakpoints across all three years. Thus, at a multi-year scale, rainfall patterns significantly affect the movements of elephant. The variability of both speed and rainfall breakpoints across different years highlights the need for an objective definition of seasonal boundaries. By using objective criteria to determine behavioural shifts, we identified a biologically meaningful indicator of major changes in animal behaviour in different years. We recommend the use of such criteria, from an animal's perspective, for delineating seasons or other extrinsic shifts in ecological studies, rather than arbitrarily fixed definitions based on convention or common practice.
Intentionality and "free-will" from a neurodevelopmental perspective.

PubMed

Leisman, Gerry; Machado, Calixto; Melillo, Robert; Mualem, Raed

2012-01-01

The nature of free-will as a subset of intentionality and probabilistic and deterministic function is explored with the indications being that human behavior is highly predictable which in turn, should compromise the notion of free-will. Data supports the notion that age relates to the ability to progressively effectively establish goals performed by fixed action patterns and that these FAPs produce outcomes that in turn modify choices (free-will) for which FAPs need to be employed. Early goals require behaviors that require greater automation in terms of FAPs that lead to goals being achieved or not; if not, then one can change behavior and that in turn is free-will. Goals change with age based on experience which is similar to the way in which movement functions. We hypothesize that human prefrontal cortex development was a natural expansion of the evolutionarily earlier developed areas of the frontal lobe and that goal-directed movements and behavior, including choice and free-will, provided for an expansion of those areas. The same regions of the human central nervous system that were already employed for better control, coordination, and timing of movements, expanded in parallel with the frontal cortex. The initial focus of the frontal lobes was the control of motor activity, but as the movements became more goal-directed, greater cognitive control over movement was necessitated leading to voluntary control of FAPs or free-will. The paper reviews the neurobiology, neurohistology, and electrophysiology of brain connectivities developmentally, along with the development of those brain functions linked to decision-making from a developmental viewpoint. The paper reviews the neurological development of the frontal lobes and inter-regional brain connectivities in the context of optimization of communication systems within the brain and nervous system and its relation to free-will.
Pain intensity attenuates movement control of the lumbar spine in low back pain.

PubMed

Bauer, C M; Rast, F M; Ernst, M J; Oetiker, S; Meichtry, A; Kool, J; Rissanen, S M; Suni, J H; Kankaanpää, M

2015-12-01

Pain intensity attenuates muscular activity, proprioception, and tactile acuity, with consequent changes of joint kinematics. People suffering from low back pain (LBP) frequently show movement control impairments of the lumbar spine in sagittal plane. This cross-sectional, observational study investigated if the intensity of LBP attenuates lumbar movement control. The hypothesis was that lumbar movement control becomes more limited with increased pain intensity. The effect of LBP intensity, measured with a numeric rating scale (NRS), on lumbar movement control was tested using three movement control tests. The lumbar range of motion (ROM), the ratio of lumbar and hip ROM as indicators of direction specific movement control, and the recurrence and determinism of repetitive lumbar movement patterns were assessed in ninety-four persons suffering from LBP of different intensity and measured with an inertial measurement unit system. Generalized linear models were fitted for each outcome. Lumbar ROM (+ 0.03°, p = 0.24) and ratio of lumbar and hip ROM (0.01, p = 0.84) were unaffected by LBP intensity. Each one point increase on the NRS resulted in a decrease of recurrence and determinism of lumbar movement patterns (-3.11 to -0.06, p ⩽ 0.05). Our results indicate changes in movement control in people suffering from LBP. Whether decreased recurrence and determinism of lumbar movement patterns are intensifiers of LBP intensity or a consequence thereof should be addressed in a future prospective study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Command control for functional electrical stimulation hand grasp systems using miniature accelerometers and gyroscopes.

PubMed

Tong, K Y; Mak, A F T; Ip, W Y

2003-11-01

Recent commercially available miniature sensors have the potential to improve the functions of functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems in terms of control, reliability and robustness. A new control approach using a miniature gyroscope and an accelerometer was studied. These sensors were used to detect the linear acceleration and angular velocity of residual voluntary movements on upper limbs and were small and easy to put on. Five healthy subjects and three cervical spinal cord injured subjects were recruited to evaluate this controller. Sensors were placed on four locations: the shoulder, upper arm, wrist and hand. A quick forward-and-backward movement was employed to produce a distinctive waveform that was different from general movements. A detection algorithm was developed to generate a command signal by identifying this distinctive waveform through the detection of peaks and valleys in the sensor's signals. This command signal was used to control different FES hand grasp patterns. With a specificity of 0.9, the sensors had a success rate of 85-100% on healthy subjects and 82-97% on spinal cord injured subjects. In terms of sensor placement, the gyroscope was better as a control source than the accelerometer for wrist and hand positions, but the reverse was true for the shoulder.
Coordinated development of the limb musculoskeletal system: Tendon and muscle patterning and integration with the skeleton.

PubMed

Huang, Alice H

2017-09-15

Functional movement and stability of the limb depends on an organized and fully integrated musculoskeletal system composed of skeleton, muscle, and tendon. Much of our current understanding of musculoskeletal development is based on studies that focused on the development and differentiation of individual tissues. Likewise, research on patterning events have been largely limited to the primary skeletal elements and the mechanisms that regulate soft tissue patterning, the development of the connections between tissues, and their interdependent development are only beginning to be elucidated. This review will therefore highlight recent exciting discoveries in this field, with an emphasis on tendon and muscle patterning and their integrated development with the skeleton and skeletal attachments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Hunter-gatherer residential mobility and the marginal value of rainforest patches.

PubMed

Venkataraman, Vivek V; Kraft, Thomas S; Dominy, Nathaniel J; Endicott, Kirk M

2017-03-21

The residential mobility patterns of modern hunter-gatherers broadly reflect local resource availability, but the proximate ecological and social forces that determine the timing of camp movements are poorly known. We tested the hypothesis that the timing of such moves maximizes foraging efficiency as hunter-gatherers move across the landscape. The marginal value theorem predicts when a group should depart a camp and its associated foraging area and move to another based on declining marginal return rates. This influential model has yet to be directly applied in a population of hunter-gatherers, primarily because the shape of gain curves (cumulative resource acquisition through time) and travel times between patches have been difficult to estimate in ethnographic settings. We tested the predictions of the marginal value theorem in the context of hunter-gatherer residential mobility using historical foraging data from nomadic, socially egalitarian Batek hunter-gatherers ( n = 93 d across 11 residential camps) living in the tropical rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia. We characterized the gain functions for all resources acquired by the Batek at daily timescales and examined how patterns of individual foraging related to the emergent property of residential movements. Patterns of camp residence times conformed well with the predictions of the marginal value theorem, indicating that communal perceptions of resource depletion are closely linked to collective movement decisions. Despite (and perhaps because of) a protracted process of deliberation and argument about when to depart camps, Batek residential mobility seems to maximize group-level foraging efficiency.
Hunter-gatherer residential mobility and the marginal value of rainforest patches

PubMed Central

Venkataraman, Vivek V.; Kraft, Thomas S.; Endicott, Kirk M.

2017-01-01

The residential mobility patterns of modern hunter-gatherers broadly reflect local resource availability, but the proximate ecological and social forces that determine the timing of camp movements are poorly known. We tested the hypothesis that the timing of such moves maximizes foraging efficiency as hunter-gatherers move across the landscape. The marginal value theorem predicts when a group should depart a camp and its associated foraging area and move to another based on declining marginal return rates. This influential model has yet to be directly applied in a population of hunter-gatherers, primarily because the shape of gain curves (cumulative resource acquisition through time) and travel times between patches have been difficult to estimate in ethnographic settings. We tested the predictions of the marginal value theorem in the context of hunter-gatherer residential mobility using historical foraging data from nomadic, socially egalitarian Batek hunter-gatherers (n = 93 d across 11 residential camps) living in the tropical rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia. We characterized the gain functions for all resources acquired by the Batek at daily timescales and examined how patterns of individual foraging related to the emergent property of residential movements. Patterns of camp residence times conformed well with the predictions of the marginal value theorem, indicating that communal perceptions of resource depletion are closely linked to collective movement decisions. Despite (and perhaps because of) a protracted process of deliberation and argument about when to depart camps, Batek residential mobility seems to maximize group-level foraging efficiency. PMID:28265058
Biomechanical differences between experienced and inexperienced wheelchair users during sport.

PubMed

Starrs, Paul; Chohan, Ambreen; Fewtrell, David; Richards, Jim; Selfe, James

2012-09-01

During functional wheelchair movement there are several types of stroke pattern that a manual wheelchair user (MWCU) can utilize in order to propel. To examine the biomechanical differences between disabled (WCU) and able-bodied (NWCU) children whilst taking part in functional activities at the Cheetahs Wheelchair Sports Club. A multiple measures cohort study. Eleven participants were divided into two groups; WCU (n = 7) and NWCU (n = 4). All subjects were asked to perform three functional tasks; 30-second agility test, 1-minute distance test and a 10-metre sprint test. Upper body kinematics were recoded using a XSens MVN BIOMECH motion capture suit. NWCU outperformed the WCU in all of the tasks, however, no significant differences between the group's results were found. Nevertheless, significant differences were found in the maximum shoulder flexion angle for both right and left with NWCU utilizing more flexion and near significant differences in the NWCU overall shoulder range for right and left. In order to increase function in young MWCU then more specific-based sessions should be implemented targeting the exploitation of large shoulder ranges during propulsion, consequently resulting in more efficient movement.
On the road to a neuroprosthetic hand: a novel hand grasp orthosis based on functional electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Leeb, Robert; Gubler, Miguel; Tavella, Michele; Miller, Heather; Del Millan, Jose R

2010-01-01

To patients who have lost the functionality of their hands as a result of a severe spinal cord injury or brain stroke, the development of new techniques for grasping is indispensable for reintegration and independency in daily life. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of residual muscles can reproduce the most dominant grasping tasks and can be initialized by brain signals. However, due to the very complex hand anatomy and current limitations in FES-technology with surface electrodes, these grasp patterns cannot be smoothly executed. In this paper, we present an adaptable passive hand orthosis which is capable of producing natural and smooth movements when coupled with FES. It evenly synchronizes the grasping movements and applied forces on all fingers, allowing for naturalistic gestures and functional grasps of everyday objects. The orthosis is also equipped with a lock, which allows it to remain in the desired position without the need for long-term stimulation. Furthermore, we quantify improvements offered by the orthosis compare them with natural grasps on healthy subjects.
Velopharyngeal closure and the longus capitis muscle.

PubMed

Yamawaki, Y; Nishimura, Y; Suzuki, Y

1996-09-01

The dynamic mechanism of velopharyngeal function not only in normal individuals but also in patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency, which is mainly related to cleft palate, has been the subject of considerable interest and controversy. Recently, in order to clarify velopharyngeal movement in the valvular action on phonation we examined dynamic MR images of this area taken in the transverse plane in parallel with the muscle sling of levator veli palatini. In cases in whom the closure pattern in that plane is circular, detailed observation revealed a very interesting result; that is, the longus capitis muscle, one of the group of anterior vertebral muscles, is directly involved in velopharyngeal valving function. It has not previously been reported that the longus capitis muscle acts as one of the velopharyngeal closure muscles, in addition to levator veli palatini. The present study demonstrated that contraction of the muscle contributed to velopharyngeal closure by forward movement of the pharyngeal wall.

Developmental change in the function of movement systems: transition of the pectoral fins between respiratory and locomotor roles in zebrafish.

PubMed

Hale, Melina E

2014-07-01

An animal may experience strikingly different functional demands on its body's systems through development. One way of meeting those demands is with temporary, stage-specific adaptations. This strategy requires the animal to develop appropriate morphological states or physiological pathways that address transient functional demands as well as processes that transition morphology, physiology, and function to that of the mature form. Recent research on ray-finned (actinopterygian) fishes is a developmental transition in function of the pectoral fin, thereby providing an opportunity to examine how an organism copes with changes in the roles of its morphology between stages of its life history. As larvae, zebrafish alternate their pectoral fins in coordination with the body axis during slow swimming. The movements of their fins do not appear to contribute to the production of thrust or to stability but instead exchange fluid near the body for cutaneous respiration. The morphology of the larval fin includes a simple stage-specific endoskeletal disc overlaid by fan-shaped adductor and abductor muscles. In contrast, the musculoskeletal system of the mature fin consists of a suite of muscles and bones. Fins are extended laterally during slow swimming of the adult, without the distinct, high-amplitude left-right fin alternation of the larval fin. The morphological and functional transition of the pectoral fin occurs through juvenile development. Early in this period, at about 3 weeks post-fertilization, the gills take over respiratory function, presumably freeing the fins for other roles. Kinematic data suggest that the loss of respiratory function does not lead to a rapid switch in patterns of fin movement but rather that both morphology and movement transition gradually through the juvenile stage of development. Studies relating structure to function often focus on stable systems that are arguably well adapted for the roles they play. Examining how animals navigate transitional periods, when the link of structure to function may be less taut, provides insight both into how animals contend with such change and into the developmental pressures that shape mature form and function. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
Visual Scanning Patterns and Executive Function in Relation to Facial Emotion Recognition in Aging

PubMed Central

Circelli, Karishma S.; Clark, Uraina S.; Cronin-Golomb, Alice

2012-01-01

Objective The ability to perceive facial emotion varies with age. Relative to younger adults (YA), older adults (OA) are less accurate at identifying fear, anger, and sadness, and more accurate at identifying disgust. Because different emotions are conveyed by different parts of the face, changes in visual scanning patterns may account for age-related variability. We investigated the relation between scanning patterns and recognition of facial emotions. Additionally, as frontal-lobe changes with age may affect scanning patterns and emotion recognition, we examined correlations between scanning parameters and performance on executive function tests. Methods We recorded eye movements from 16 OA (mean age 68.9) and 16 YA (mean age 19.2) while they categorized facial expressions and non-face control images (landscapes), and administered standard tests of executive function. Results OA were less accurate than YA at identifying fear (p<.05, r=.44) and more accurate at identifying disgust (p<.05, r=.39). OA fixated less than YA on the top half of the face for disgust, fearful, happy, neutral, and sad faces (p’s<.05, r’s≥.38), whereas there was no group difference for landscapes. For OA, executive function was correlated with recognition of sad expressions and with scanning patterns for fearful, sad, and surprised expressions. Conclusion We report significant age-related differences in visual scanning that are specific to faces. The observed relation between scanning patterns and executive function supports the hypothesis that frontal-lobe changes with age may underlie some changes in emotion recognition. PMID:22616800
Movement patterns and dispersal potential of Pecos bluntnose shiner (Notropis simus pecosensis) revealed using otolith microchemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Nathan M.; Caldwell, Colleen A.; Carleton, Scott A.; Gould, William R.; Hobbs, James A.

2015-01-01

Natal origin and dispersal potential of the federally threatened Pecos bluntnose shiner (Notropis simus pecosensis) were successfully characterized using otolith microchemistry and swimming performance trials. Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr:86Sr) of otoliths within the resident plains killifish (Fundulus zebrinus) were successfully used as a surrogate for strontium isotope ratios in water and revealed three isotopically distinct reaches throughout 297 km of the Pecos River, New Mexico, USA. Two different life history movement patterns were revealed in Pecos bluntnose shiner. Eggs and fry were either retained in upper river reaches or passively dispersed downriver followed by upriver movement during the first year of life, with some fish achieving a minimum movement of 56 km. Swimming ability of Pecos bluntnose shiner confirmed upper critical swimming speeds (Ucrit) as high as 43.8 cm·s−1 and 20.6 body lengths·s−1 in 30 days posthatch fish. Strong swimming ability early in life supports our observations of upriver movement using otolith microchemistry and confirms movement patterns that were previously unknown for the species. Understanding patterns of dispersal of this and other small-bodied fishes using otolith microchemistry may help redirect conservation and management efforts for Great Plains fishes.
Complex movement patterns of greenback flounder (Rhombosolea tapirina) in the Murray River estuary and Coorong, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Earl, Jason; Fowler, Anthony J.; Ye, Qifeng; Dittmann, Sabine

2017-04-01

The greenback flounder Rhombosolea tapirina is a commercially-important flatfish species in southern Australia and New Zealand, whose population dynamics are poorly understood. Acoustic telemetry was used to assess movement patterns and area use for R. tapirina in the Murray River estuary and Coorong, South Australia. Twenty fish (221-313 mm total length) equipped with acoustic transmitters were monitored for up to seven months during a period of high freshwater inflow. Fish were detected over a large part of the system, but showed a strong preference for brackish and near-marine conditions in the inner estuary. Tagged fish exhibited complex movement patterns that differed among individuals, including: (1) within estuary movements; (2) dispersal from the estuary to the sea; and (3) return migrations between the estuary and the sea. A diurnal shift in fine-scale area use was observed in the part of the estuary where residency was highest, with individuals occupying deeper habitats during the day and shallower areas during the night. The results demonstrate the individualistic and often highly transient behaviour of this species and its ability to undertake regular movements over the spatial scale of 10s of km. Understanding such movement patterns can improve effective management of estuarine flatfish populations and ecosystems.
Understanding the spatiotemporal pattern of grazing cattle movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Kun; Jurdak, Raja

2016-08-01

Understanding the drivers of animal movement is significant for ecology and biology. Yet researchers have so far been unable to fully understand these drivers, largely due to low data resolution. In this study, we analyse a high-frequency movement dataset for a group of grazing cattle and investigate their spatiotemporal patterns using a simple two-state ‘stop-and-move’ mobility model. We find that the dispersal kernel in the moving state is best described by a mixture exponential distribution, indicating the hierarchical nature of the movement. On the other hand, the waiting time appears to be scale-invariant below a certain cut-off and is best described by a truncated power-law distribution, suggesting that the non-moving state is governed by time-varying dynamics. We explore possible explanations for the observed phenomena, covering factors that can play a role in the generation of mobility patterns, such as the context of grazing environment, the intrinsic decision-making mechanism or the energy status of different activities. In particular, we propose a new hypothesis that the underlying movement pattern can be attributed to the most probable observable energy status under the maximum entropy configuration. These results are not only valuable for modelling cattle movement but also provide new insights for understanding the underlying biological basis of grazing behaviour.
Effects of practice schedule and task specificity on the adaptive process of motor learning.

PubMed

Barros, João Augusto de Camargo; Tani, Go; Corrêa, Umberto Cesar

2017-10-01

This study investigated the effects of practice schedule and task specificity based on the perspective of adaptive process of motor learning. For this purpose, tasks with temporal and force control learning requirements were manipulated in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Specifically, the task consisted of touching with the dominant hand the three sequential targets with specific movement time or force for each touch. Participants were children (N=120), both boys and girls, with an average age of 11.2years (SD=1.0). The design in both experiments involved four practice groups (constant, random, constant-random, and random-constant) and two phases (stabilisation and adaptation). The dependent variables included measures related to the task goal (accuracy and variability of error of the overall movement and force patterns) and movement pattern (macro- and microstructures). Results revealed a similar error of the overall patterns for all groups in both experiments and that they adapted themselves differently in terms of the macro- and microstructures of movement patterns. The study concludes that the effects of practice schedules on the adaptive process of motor learning were both general and specific to the task. That is, they were general to the task goal performance and specific regarding the movement pattern. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Stomatal movements in laurophyllous plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pautov, A. A.; Bauer, S. M.; Ivanova, O. V.; Sapach, Y. O.; Krylova, E. G.

2018-05-01

Stomata are the structural elements of plant epidermis which control transpiration and gas exchange. Each stoma consists of two guard cells divided by the stomatal aperture. These cells are capable of reversible deformations determining the width of aperture. It is known that these deformations depend on the value of turgor pressure in the guard cells and on the structure of their walls. In this work, the influence of the outer tangential wall geometry of the guard cells on stomatal movements is estimated by means of the finite element method in the ANSYS software. The application of modelling has shown that cuticular outgrowths on the tangential walls influence the degree and pattern of guard cell deformations. The outgrowths prevent wide opening of the stomatal aperture and cause its sinking deep into leaf epidermis. The functional significance of such stomatal movements is discussed. It is deduced that the discovered phenomenon had great importance to the survival of laurophyllous plants in conditions of aridization.
Animal movement in the absence of predation: environmental drivers of movement strategies in a partial migration system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Gibbs, James P.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Frair, Jacqueline L.; Cabrera, Fredy; Rousseau, Louis-Philippe

2016-01-01

Animal movement strategies including migration, dispersal, nomadism, and residency are shaped by broad-scale spatial-temporal structuring of the environment, including factors such as the degrees of spatial variation, seasonality and inter-annual predictability. Animal movement strategies, in turn, interact with the characteristics of individuals and the local distribution of resources to determine local patterns of resource selection with complex and poorly understood implications for animal fitness. Here we present a multi-scale investigation of animal movement strategies and resource selection. We consider the degree to which spatial variation, seasonality, and inter-annual predictability in resources drive migration patterns among different taxa and how movement strategies in turn shape local resource selection patterns. We focus on adult Galapagos giant tortoises Chelonoidis spp. as a model system since they display many movement strategies and evolved in the absence of predators of adults. Specifically, our analysis is based on 63 individuals among four taxa tracked on three islands over six years and almost 106 tortoise re-locations. Tortoises displayed a continuum of movement strategies from migration to sedentarism that were linked to the spatio-temporal scale and predictability of resource distributions. Movement strategies shaped patterns of resource selection. Specifically, migratory individuals displayed stronger selection toward areas where resources were more predictable among years than did non-migratory individuals, which indicates a selective advantage for migrants in seasonally structured, more predictable environments. Our analytical framework combines large-scale predictions for movement strategies, based on environmental structuring, with finer-scale analysis of space-use. Integrating different organizational levels of analysis provides a deeper understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics at play in the emergence and maintenance of migration and the critical role of resource predictability. Our results highlight that assessing the potential benefits of differential behavioral responses first requires an understanding of the interactions among movement strategies, resource selection and individual characteristics.
Frustration in Condensed Matter and Protein Folding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorelli, S.; Cabot, A.; Sundarprasad, N.; Boekema, C.

Using computer modeling we study frustration in condensed matter and protein folding. Frustration is due to random and/or competing interactions. One definition of frustration is the sum of squares of the differences between actual and expected distances between characters. If this sum is non-zero, then the system is said to have frustration. A simulation tracks the movement of characters to lower their frustration. Our research is conducted on frustration as a function of temperature using a logarithmic scale. At absolute zero, the relaxation for frustration is a power function for randomly assigned patterns or an exponential function for regular patterns like Thomson figures. These findings have implications for protein folding; we attempt to apply our frustration modeling to protein folding and dynamics. We use coding in Python to simulate different ways a protein can fold. An algorithm is being developed to find the lowest frustration (and thus energy) states possible. Research supported by SJSU & AFC.
Optimality Principles for Model-Based Prediction of Human Gait

PubMed Central

Ackermann, Marko; van den Bogert, Antonie J.

2010-01-01

Although humans have a large repertoire of potential movements, gait patterns tend to be stereotypical and appear to be selected according to optimality principles such as minimal energy. When applied to dynamic musculoskeletal models such optimality principles might be used to predict how a patient’s gait adapts to mechanical interventions such as prosthetic devices or surgery. In this paper we study the effects of different performance criteria on predicted gait patterns using a 2D musculoskeletal model. The associated optimal control problem for a family of different cost functions was solved utilizing the direct collocation method. It was found that fatigue-like cost functions produced realistic gait, with stance phase knee flexion, as opposed to energy-related cost functions which avoided knee flexion during the stance phase. We conclude that fatigue minimization may be one of the primary optimality principles governing human gait. PMID:20074736
Lévy flight and Brownian search patterns of a free-ranging predator reflect different prey field characteristics.

PubMed

Sims, David W; Humphries, Nicolas E; Bradford, Russell W; Bruce, Barry D

2012-03-01

1. Search processes play an important role in physical, chemical and biological systems. In animal foraging, the search strategy predators should use to search optimally for prey is an enduring question. Some models demonstrate that when prey is sparsely distributed, an optimal search pattern is a specialised random walk known as a Lévy flight, whereas when prey is abundant, simple Brownian motion is sufficiently efficient. These predictions form part of what has been termed the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis (LFF) which states that as Lévy flights optimise random searches, movements approximated by optimal Lévy flights may have naturally evolved in organisms to enhance encounters with targets (e.g. prey) when knowledge of their locations is incomplete. 2. Whether free-ranging predators exhibit the movement patterns predicted in the LFF hypothesis in response to known prey types and distributions, however, has not been determined. We tested this using vertical and horizontal movement data from electronic tagging of an apex predator, the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias, across widely differing habitats reflecting different prey types. 3. Individual white sharks exhibited movement patterns that predicted well the prey types expected under the LFF hypothesis. Shark movements were best approximated by Brownian motion when hunting near abundant, predictable sources of prey (e.g. seal colonies, fish aggregations), whereas movements approximating truncated Lévy flights were present when searching for sparsely distributed or potentially difficult-to-detect prey in oceanic or shelf environments, respectively. 4. That movement patterns approximated by truncated Lévy flights and Brownian behaviour were present in the predicted prey fields indicates search strategies adopted by white sharks appear to be the most efficient ones for encountering prey in the habitats where such patterns are observed. This suggests that C. carcharias appears capable of exhibiting search patterns that are approximated as optimal in response to encountered changes in prey type and abundance, and across diverse marine habitats, from the surf zone to the deep ocean. 5. Our results provide some support for the LFF hypothesis. However, it is possible that the observed Lévy patterns of white sharks may not arise from an adaptive behaviour but could be an emergent property arising from simple, straight-line movements between complex (e.g. fractal) distributions of prey. Experimental studies are needed in vertebrates to test for the presence of Lévy behaviour patterns in the absence of complex prey distributions. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2011 British Ecological Society.
Motor facilitation during real-time movement imitation in Parkinson's disease: a virtual reality study.

PubMed

Robles-García, Verónica; Arias, Pablo; Sanmartín, Gabriel; Espinosa, Nelson; Flores, Julian; Grieve, Kenneth L; Cudeiro, Javier

2013-12-01

Impaired temporal stability and poor motor unit recruitment are key impairments in Parkinsonian motor control during a whole spectrum of rhythmic movements, from simple finger tapping to gait. Therapies based on imitation can be designed for patients with motor impairments and virtual-reality (VR) offers a new perspective. Motor actions are known to depend upon the dopaminergic system, whose involvement in imitation is unknown. We sought to understand this role and the underlying possibilities for motor rehabilitation, by observing the execution of different motor-patterns during imitation in a VR environment in subjects with and without dopaminergic deficits. 10 OFF-dose idiopathic Parkinson's Disease patients (PD), 9 age-matched and 9 young-subjects participated. Subjects performed finger-tapping at their "comfort" and "slow-comfort" rates, while immersed in VR presenting their "avatar" in 1st person perspective. Imitation was evaluated by asking subjects to replicate finger-tapping patterns different to their natural one. The finger-pattern presented matched their comfort and comfort-slow rates, but without a pause on the table (continuously moving). Patients were able to adapt their finger-tapping correctly, showing that in comparison with the control groups, the dopaminergic deficiency of PD did not impair imitation. During imitation the magnitude of EMG increased and the temporal variability of movement decreased. PD-patients have unaltered ability to imitate instructed motor-patterns, suggesting that a fully-functional dopaminergic system is not essential for such imitation. It should be further investigated if imitation training over a period of time induces positive off-line motor adaptations with transfer to non-imitation tasks. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The right look for the job: decoding cognitive processes involved in the task from spatial eye-movement patterns.

PubMed

Król, Magdalena Ewa; Król, Michał

2018-02-20

The aim of the study was not only to demonstrate whether eye-movement-based task decoding was possible but also to investigate whether eye-movement patterns can be used to identify cognitive processes behind the tasks. We compared eye-movement patterns elicited under different task conditions, with tasks differing systematically with regard to the types of cognitive processes involved in solving them. We used four tasks, differing along two dimensions: spatial (global vs. local) processing (Navon, Cognit Psychol, 9(3):353-383 1977) and semantic (deep vs. shallow) processing (Craik and Lockhart, J Verbal Learn Verbal Behav, 11(6):671-684 1972). We used eye-movement patterns obtained from two time periods: fixation cross preceding the target stimulus and the target stimulus. We found significant effects of both spatial and semantic processing, but in case of the latter, the effect might be an artefact of insufficient task control. We found above chance task classification accuracy for both time periods: 51.4% for the period of stimulus presentation and 34.8% for the period of fixation cross presentation. Therefore, we show that task can be to some extent decoded from the preparatory eye-movements before the stimulus is displayed. This suggests that anticipatory eye-movements reflect the visual scanning strategy employed for the task at hand. Finally, this study also demonstrates that decoding is possible even from very scant eye-movement data similar to Coco and Keller, J Vis 14(3):11-11 (2014). This means that task decoding is not limited to tasks that naturally take longer to perform and yield multi-second eye-movement recordings.
Current status and future directions of Lévy walk research

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Lévy walks are a mathematical construction useful for describing random patterns of movement with bizarre fractal properties that seem to have no place in biology. Nonetheless, movement patterns resembling Lévy walks have been observed at scales ranging from the microscopic to the ecological. They have been seen in the molecular machinery operating within cells during intracellular trafficking, in the movement patterns of T cells within the brain, in DNA, in some molluscs, insects, fish, birds and mammals, in the airborne flights of spores and seeds, and in the collective movements of some animal groups. Lévy walks are also evident in trace fossils (ichnofossils) – the preserved form of tracks made by organisms that occupied ancient sea beds about 252-66 million years ago. And they are utilised by algae that originated around two billion years ago, and still exist today. In September of 2017, leading researchers from across the life sciences, along with mathematicians and physicists, got together at a Company of Biologists' Workshop to discuss the origins and biological significance of these movement patterns. In this Review the essence of the technical and sometimes heated discussions is distilled and made accessible for all. In just a few pages, the reader is taken from a gentle introduction to the frontiers of a very active field of scientific enquiry. What emerges is a fascinating story of a truly inter-disciplinary scientific endeavour that is seeking to better understand movement patterns occurring across all biological scales. PMID:29326297
Influence of the Lower Jaw Position on the Running Pattern.

PubMed

Maurer, Christian; Stief, Felix; Jonas, Alexander; Kovac, Andrej; Groneberg, David Alexander; Meurer, Andrea; Ohlendorf, Daniela

2015-01-01

The effects of manipulated dental occlusion on body posture has been investigated quite often and discussed controversially in the literature. Far less attention has been paid to the influence of dental occlusion position on human movement. If human movement was analysed, it was mostly while walking and not while running. This study was therefore designed to identify the effect of lower jaw positions on running behaviour according to different dental occlusion positions. Twenty healthy young recreational runners (mean age = 33.9±5.8 years) participated in this study. Kinematic data were collected using an eight-camera Vicon motion capture system (VICON Motion Systems, Oxford, UK). Subjects were consecutively prepared with four different dental occlusion conditions in random order and performed five running trials per test condition on a level walkway with their preferred running shoes. Vector based pattern recognition methods, in particular cluster analysis and support vector machines (SVM) were used for movement pattern identification. Subjects exhibited unique movement patterns leading to 18 clusters for the 20 subjects. No overall classification of the splint condition could be observed. Within individual subjects different running patterns could be identified for the four splint conditions. The splint conditions lead to a more symmetrical running pattern than the control condition. The influence of an occlusal splint on running pattern can be confirmed in this study. Wearing a splint increases the symmetry of the running pattern. A more symmetrical running pattern might help to reduce the risk of injuries or help in performance. The change of the movement pattern between the neutral condition and any of the three splint conditions was significant within subjects but not across subjects. Therefore the dental splint has a measureable influence on the running pattern of subjects, however subjects individuality has to be considered when choosing the optimal splint condition for a specific subject.
A new real-time visual assessment method for faulty movement patterns during a jump-landing task.

PubMed

Rabin, Alon; Levi, Ran; Abramowitz, Shai; Kozol, Zvi

2016-07-01

Determine the interrater reliability of a new real-time assessment of faulty movement patterns during a jump-landing task. Interrater reliability study. Human movement laboratory. 50 healthy females. Assessment included 6 items which were evaluated from a front and a side view. Two Physical Therapy students used a 9-point scale (0-8) to independently rate the quality of movement as good (0-2), moderate (3-5), or poor (6-8). Interrater reliability was expressed by percent agreement and weighted kappa. One examiner rated the quality of movement of 6 subjects as good, 34 subjects as moderate, and 10 subjects as poor. The second examiner rated the quality of movement of 12 subjects as good, 23 subjects as moderate, and 15 subjects as poor. Percent agreement and weighted kappa (95% confidence interval) were 78% and 0.68 (0.51, 0.85), respectively. A new real-time assessment of faulty movement patterns during jump-landing demonstrated adequate interrater reliability. Further study is warranted to validate this method against a motion analysis system, as well as to establish its predictive validity for injury. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Properties of visual evoked potentials to onset of movement on a television screen.

PubMed

Kubová, Z; Kuba, M; Hubacek, J; Vít, F

1990-08-01

In 80 subjects the dependence of movement-onset visual evoked potentials on some measures of stimulation was examined, and these responses were compared with pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials to verify the effectiveness of pattern movement application for visual evoked potential acquisition. Horizontally moving vertical gratings were generated on a television screen. The typical movement-onset reactions were characterized by one marked negative peak only, with a peak time between 140 and 200 ms. In all subjects the sufficient stimulus duration for acquisition of movement-onset-related visual evoked potentials was 100 ms; in some cases it was only 20 ms. Higher velocity (5.6 degree/s) produced higher amplitudes of movement-onset visual evoked potentials than did the lower velocity (2.8 degrees/s). In 80% of subjects, the more distinct reactions were found in the leads from lateral occipital areas (in 60% from the right hemisphere), with no correlation to handedness of subjects. Unlike pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials, the movement-onset responses tended to be larger to extramacular stimulation (annular target of 5 degrees-9 degrees) than to macular stimulation (circular target of 5 degrees diameter).
Cortical preparatory activity: representation of movement or first cog in a dynamical machine?

PubMed Central

Churchland, MM; Cunningham, JP; Kaufman, MT; Ryu, SI; Shenoy, KV

2010-01-01

Summary The motor cortices are active during both movement and movement preparation. A common assumption is that preparatory activity constitutes a sub-threshold form of movement activity: a neuron active during rightwards movements becomes modestly active during preparation of a rightwards movement. We asked whether this pattern of activity is in fact observed. We found that it was not: at the level of a single neuron, preparatory tuning was weakly correlated with movement-period tuning. Yet somewhat paradoxically, preparatory tuning could be captured by a preferred direction in an abstract ‘space’ that described the population-level pattern of movement activity. In fact, this relationship accounted for preparatory responses better than did traditional tuning models. These results are expected if preparatory activity provides the initial state of a dynamical system whose evolution produces movement activity. Our results thus suggest that preparatory activity may not represent specific factors, and may instead play a more mechanistic role. PMID:21040842
The movement patterns used to rise from a supine position by children with developmental delay and age-related differences in these.

PubMed

Hsue, Bih-Jen; Wang, Yun-Er; Chen, Yung-Jung

2014-09-01

The purposes of this study were to determine (1) movement patterns and strategies of children with mild to moderate developmental delay (DD) used to rise up and how they differ from those used by age-matched children with typical development (TD), (2) whether the movement patterns differ with age in children with DD, and (3) to determine the developmental sequences for the UE, AX and LE in children with DD and whether they are different from those used by children with TD. Sixty six children with TD and 31 children with DD aged two to six years were recruited. Peabody Developmental Motor Scale II (PDMS-2) was used to determine the motor performance level. The participants were recorded during rising for at least five repetitions. Two trained pediatric physical therapists viewed each video recording and classified the movement patterns of the upper extremities (UE), trunk/axial (AX) and lower extremities (LE) regions using descriptive categories developed by previous researchers. The DD and TD groups were further divided into four subgroups each using a one-year interval. The percentage of occurrence of the each UE, AX and LE movement was determined and compared across subgroups, and between each age-matched pair of TD and DD groups. The results demonstrated that the participants in the TD group clearly followed the proposed developmental sequence and the children with DD followed the developmental sequences but with different maturation speeds and greater variability, especially at the age of three to five years. The most common movement patterns used by the children in each of the DD subgroups were at least one developmental categorical pattern behind those used by the age-matched children with TD before five years old, except for the LE region. In the DD group, the movement patterns had moderate to high correlation with the child's motor performance level, indicating that the children with better motor performances used more developmentally advanced patterns in comparison with those with lower scores. However, besides motor maturity, numerous other intrinsic/extrinsic factors may affect the child's performance of this task. The information obtained in this study would assist therapists when working with the children with DD, so that they can provide individualized treatment rather than guiding all such children toward a single, mature pattern. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lip movements affect infants' audiovisual speech perception.

PubMed

Yeung, H Henny; Werker, Janet F

2013-05-01

Speech is robustly audiovisual from early in infancy. Here we show that audiovisual speech perception in 4.5-month-old infants is influenced by sensorimotor information related to the lip movements they make while chewing or sucking. Experiment 1 consisted of a classic audiovisual matching procedure, in which two simultaneously displayed talking faces (visual [i] and [u]) were presented with a synchronous vowel sound (audio /i/ or /u/). Infants' looking patterns were selectively biased away from the audiovisual matching face when the infants were producing lip movements similar to those needed to produce the heard vowel. Infants' looking patterns returned to those of a baseline condition (no lip movements, looking longer at the audiovisual matching face) when they were producing lip movements that did not match the heard vowel. Experiment 2 confirmed that these sensorimotor effects interacted with the heard vowel, as looking patterns differed when infants produced these same lip movements while seeing and hearing a talking face producing an unrelated vowel (audio /a/). These findings suggest that the development of speech perception and speech production may be mutually informative.

Fatigue-Induced Changes in Movement Pattern and Muscle Activity During Ballet Releve on Demi-Pointe.

PubMed

Lin, Cheng-Feng; Lee, Wan-Chin; Chen, Yi-An; Hsue, Bih-Jen

2016-08-01

Fatigue in ballet dancers may lead to injury, particularly in the lower extremities. However, few studies have investigated the effects of fatigue on ballet dancers' performance and movement patterns. Thus, the current study examines the effect of fatigue on the balance, movement pattern, and muscle activities of the lower extremities in ballet dancers. Twenty healthy, female ballet dancers performed releve on demi-pointe before and after fatigue. The trajectory of the whole body movement and the muscle activities of the major lower extremity muscles were recorded continuously during task performance. The results show that fatigue increases the medial-lateral center of mass (COM) displacement and hip and trunk motion, but decreases the COM velocity and ankle motion. Moreover, fatigue reduces the activities of the hamstrings and tibialis anterior, but increases that of the soleus. Finally, greater proximal hip and trunk motions are applied to compensate for the effects of fatigue, leading to a greater COM movement. Overall, the present findings show that fatigue results in impaired movement control and may therefore increase the risk of dance injury.
Recovery of facial expressions using functional electrical stimulation after full-face transplantation.

PubMed

Topçu, Çağdaş; Uysal, Hilmi; Özkan, Ömer; Özkan, Özlenen; Polat, Övünç; Bedeloğlu, Merve; Akgül, Arzu; Döğer, Ela Naz; Sever, Refik; Çolak, Ömer Halil

2018-03-06

We assessed the recovery of 2 face transplantation patients with measures of complexity during neuromuscular rehabilitation. Cognitive rehabilitation methods and functional electrical stimulation were used to improve facial emotional expressions of full-face transplantation patients for 5 months. Rehabilitation and analyses were conducted at approximately 3 years after full facial transplantation in the patient group. We report complexity analysis of surface electromyography signals of these two patients in comparison to the results of 10 healthy individuals. Facial surface electromyography data were collected during 6 basic emotional expressions and 4 primary facial movements from 2 full-face transplantation patients and 10 healthy individuals to determine a strategy of functional electrical stimulation and understand the mechanisms of rehabilitation. A new personalized rehabilitation technique was developed using the wavelet packet method. Rehabilitation sessions were applied twice a month for 5 months. Subsequently, motor and functional progress was assessed by comparing the fuzzy entropy of surface electromyography data against the results obtained from patients before rehabilitation and the mean results obtained from 10 healthy subjects. At the end of personalized rehabilitation, the patient group showed improvements in their facial symmetry and their ability to perform basic facial expressions and primary facial movements. Similarity in the pattern of fuzzy entropy for facial expressions between the patient group and healthy individuals increased. Synkinesis was detected during primary facial movements in the patient group, and one patient showed synkinesis during the happiness expression. Synkinesis in the lower face region of one of the patients was eliminated for the lid tightening movement. The recovery of emotional expressions after personalized rehabilitation was satisfactory to the patients. The assessment with complexity analysis of sEMG data can be used for developing new neurorehabilitation techniques and detecting synkinesis after full-face transplantation.
A Comparison of Spatial and Movement Patterns between Sympatric Predators: Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) and Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)

PubMed Central

Hammerschlag, Neil; Luo, Jiangang; Irschick, Duncan J.; Ault, Jerald S.

2012-01-01

Background Predators can impact ecosystems through trophic cascades such that differential patterns in habitat use can lead to spatiotemporal variation in top down forcing on community dynamics. Thus, improved understanding of predator movements is important for evaluating the potential ecosystem effects of their declines. Methodology/Principal Findings We satellite-tagged an apex predator (bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas) and a sympatric mesopredator (Atlantic tarpon, Megalops atlanticus) in southern Florida waters to describe their habitat use, abundance and movement patterns. We asked four questions: (1) How do the seasonal abundance patterns of bull sharks and tarpon compare? (2) How do the movement patterns of bull sharks and tarpon compare, and what proportion of time do their respective primary ranges overlap? (3) Do tarpon movement patterns (e.g., straight versus convoluted paths) and/or their rates of movement (ROM) differ in areas of low versus high bull shark abundance? and (4) Can any general conclusions be reached concerning whether tarpon may mitigate risk of predation by sharks when they are in areas of high bull shark abundance? Conclusions/Significance Despite similarities in diet, bull sharks and tarpon showed little overlap in habitat use. Bull shark abundance was high year-round, but peaked in winter; while tarpon abundance and fishery catches were highest in late spring. However, presence of the largest sharks (>230 cm) coincided with peak tarpon abundance. When moving over deep open waters (areas of high shark abundance and high food availability) tarpon maintained relatively high ROM in directed lines until reaching shallow structurally-complex areas. At such locations, tarpon exhibited slow tortuous movements over relatively long time periods indicative of foraging. Tarpon periodically concentrated up rivers, where tracked bull sharks were absent. We propose that tarpon trade-off energetic costs of both food assimilation and osmoregulation to reduce predation risk by bull sharks. PMID:23049904
Mastication Evaluation With Unsupervised Learning: Using an Inertial Sensor-Based System.

PubMed

Lucena, Caroline Vieira; Lacerda, Marcelo; Caldas, Rafael; De Lima Neto, Fernando Buarque; Rativa, Diego

2018-01-01

There is a direct relationship between the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the temporomandibular joint and orofacial disorders. A well-elaborated analysis of the jaw movements provides relevant information for healthcare professionals to conclude their diagnosis. Different approaches have been explored to track jaw movements such that the mastication analysis is getting less subjective; however, all methods are still highly subjective, and the quality of the assessments depends much on the experience of the health professional. In this paper, an accurate and non-invasive method based on a commercial low-cost inertial sensor (MPU6050) to measure jaw movements is proposed. The jaw-movement feature values are compared to the obtained with clinical analysis, showing no statistically significant difference between both methods. Moreover, We propose to use unsupervised paradigm approaches to cluster mastication patterns of healthy subjects and simulated patients with facial trauma. Two techniques were used in this paper to instantiate the method: Kohonen's Self-Organizing Maps and K-Means Clustering. Both algorithms have excellent performances to process jaw-movements data, showing encouraging results and potential to bring a full assessment of the masticatory function. The proposed method can be applied in real-time providing relevant dynamic information for health-care professionals.
Movement disorders in a twins pair: a casual expression or genetic determination?

PubMed

Gennaro, Leonarda; Russo, Luigi; Losito, Luciana; Zaccaria, Alessia; De Rinaldis, Marta; Trabacca, Antonio

2010-01-01

A twin study is an excellent means of assessing the contribution of heritability to motor behaviour. We present a movement video-analysis of a monozygotic twins pair with a motor repertoire which is almost totally constituted by persistent and subcontinuous motor stereotypies. The specific aim of this study is to verify the heritable quantum of motor behaviour and to determine which among the motor patterns we analysed are more likely to be conditioned by inheritance. Stereotyped movements were videotaped in two standardized sessions: at rest and in relation to preordained sensory stimulations. We estimated the concordance index (CI) between the observers to evaluate the reliability of the observations. The validity was accepted as being CI>0.80. The results showed a very high concordance rate (>90%) for all the stereotypies analysed. An almost superimposable trend of the stereotyped movements was found both at rest and in relation to the sensory stimulations. Such strong data suggest that genetic factors have a primary influence on all the movement disorders analysed. This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex relationships between genes and functions. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Characterizing the width of amphibian movements during postbreeding migration.

PubMed

Coster, Stephanie S; Veysey Powell, Jessica S; Babbitt, Kimberly J

2014-06-01

Habitat linkages can help maintain connectivity of animal populations in developed landscapes. However, the lack of empirical data on the width of lateral movements (i.e., the zigzagging of individuals as they move from one point to point another) makes determining the width of such linkages challenging. We used radiotracking data from wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in a managed forest in Maine (U.S.A.) to characterize movement patterns of populations and thus inform planning for the width of wildlife corridors. For each individual, we calculated the polar coordinates of all locations, estimated the vector sum of the polar coordinates, and measured the distance from each location to the vector sum. By fitting a Gaussian distribution over a histogram of these distances, we created a population-level probability density function and estimated the 50th and 95th percentiles to determine the width of lateral movement as individuals progressed from the pond to upland habitat. For spotted salamanders 50% of lateral movements were ≤13 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤39 m wide. For wood frogs, 50% of lateral movements were ≤17 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤ 51 m wide. For both species, those individuals that traveled the farthest from the pond also displayed the greatest lateral movement. Our results serve as a foundation for spatially explicit conservation planning for pond-breeding amphibians in areas undergoing development. Our technique can also be applied to movement data from other taxa to aid in designing habitat linkages. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.
Threat perception in the chameleon (Chamaeleo chameleon): evidence for lateralized eye use.

PubMed

Lustig, Avichai; Keter-Katz, Hadas; Katzir, Gadi

2012-07-01

Chameleons are arboreal lizards with highly independent, large amplitude eye movements. In response to an approaching threat, a chameleon on a vertical pole moves so as to keep itself away from the threat. In so doing, it shifts between monocular and binocular scanning of the threat and of the environment. We analyzed eye movements in the Common chameleon, Chamaeleo chameleon, during avoidance response for lateralization, that is, asymmetry at the functional/behavioral levels. The chameleons were exposed to a threat, approaching horizontally from clockwise or anti-clockwise directions, and that could be viewed monocularly or binocularly. Our results show three broad patterns of eye use, as determined by durations spent viewing the threat and by frequency of eye shifts. Under binocular viewing, two of the patterns were found to be both side dependent, that is, lateralized and role dependent ("leading" or "following"). However, under monocular viewing, no such lateralization was detected. We discuss these findings in light of the situation not uncommon in vertebrates, of independent eye movements and a high degree of optic nerve decussation and that lateralization may well occur in organisms that are regularly exposed to critical stimuli from all spatial directions. We point to the need of further investigating lateralization at fine behavioral levels.
Dynamic MRI confirms support of the mid-urethra by TVT and TVT-O surgery for stress incontinence.

PubMed

Rinne, Kirsi; Kainulainen, Sakari; Aukee, Sinikka; Heinonen, Seppo; Nilsson, Carl G

2011-06-01

To study changes in mid-urethral function with dynamic MRI in stress urinary incontinent women undergoing either tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) or TVT-obturator sling operations. Prospective clinical study. University hospital. Forty-two parous women with stress urinary incontinence recruited to dynamic magnetic resonance imaging before and after mid-urethral sling surgery. Control group of 16 healthy women. Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging at rest, during pelvic floor muscle contraction, coughing and voiding with a bladder volume of 200-300 ml. X- and Y- coordinates were used to determine the location of the mid-urethra during these activities. Changes in mid-urethral position after TVT and TVT-obturator operations during the different activities. Postoperatively the women could elevate their mid-urethra by pelvic floor muscle contraction significantly higher than before the operation (p<0.05). Despite a different support angle between the TVT and the TVT-O mid-urethral slings, we could not see any differences in the movement patterns. Mid-urethral slings support the mid-urethra and restrict downward movement during different activities. Movement patterns are similar after TVT and TVT-O operations. © 2011 The Authors Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica© 2011 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
A controlled trial of an intervention to improve urinary and fecal incontinence and constipation.

PubMed

Schnelle, John F; Leung, Felix W; Rao, Satish S C; Beuscher, Linda; Keeler, Emmett; Clift, Jack W; Simmons, Sandra

2010-08-01

To evaluate effects of a multicomponent intervention on fecal incontinence (FI) and urinary incontinence (UI) outcomes. Randomized controlled trial. Six nursing homes (NHs). One hundred twelve NH residents. Intervention subjects were offered toileting assistance, exercise, and choice of food and fluid snacks every 2 hours for 8 hours per day over 3 months. Frequency of UI and FI and rate of appropriate toileting as determined by direct checks from research staff. Anorectal assessments were completed on a subset of 29 residents. The intervention significantly increased physical activity, frequency of toileting, and food and fluid intake. UI improved (P=.049), as did frequency of bowel movements (P<.001) and percentage of bowel movements (P<.001) in the toilet. The frequency of FI did not change. Eighty-nine percent of subjects who underwent anorectal testing showed a dyssynergic voiding pattern, which could explain the lack of efficacy of this intervention program alone on FI. This multicomponent intervention significantly changed multiple risk factors associated with FI and increased bowel movements without decreasing FI. The dyssynergic voiding pattern and rectal hyposensitivity suggest that future interventions may have to be supplemented with bulking agents (fiber), biofeedback therapy, or both to improve bowel function. © 2010, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2010, The American Geriatrics Society.
Gait re-education based on the Bobath concept in two patients with hemiplegia following stroke.

PubMed

Lennon, S

2001-03-01

This case report describes the use of gait re-education based on the Bobath concept to measure the changes that occurred in the gait of 2 patients with hemiplegia who were undergoing outpatient physical therapy. One patient ("NM"), a 65-year-old woman, was referred for physical therapy 6 weeks following a right cerebrovascular accident. She attended 30 therapy sessions over a 15-week period. The other patient ("SA"), a 71-year-old woman, was referred for physical therapy 7 weeks following a left cerebrovascular accident. She attended 28 therapy sessions over a 19-week period. Clinical indexes of impairment and disability and 3-dimensional gait data were obtained at the start of treatment and at discharge. Therapy was based on the Bobath concept. At discharge, NM demonstrated improvements in her hip and knee movements, reduced tone, and improved mobility. At discharge, SA demonstrated improved mobility. During gait, both patients demonstrated more normal movement patterns at the level of the pelvis, the knee, and the ankle in the sagittal plane. SA also demonstrated an improvement in hip extension. These cases demonstrate that recovery of more normal movement patterns and functional ability can be achieved following a cardiovascular accident and provide insight into the clinical decision making of experienced practitioners using Bobath's concept.
Outputs of paired Gabor filters summed across the background frame of reference predict the direction of movement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, Teri B.

1989-01-01

A cortical neural network that computes the visibility of shifts in the direction of movement is proposed. The network computes: (1) the magnitude of the position difference between the test and background patterns, (2) localized contrast differences at different spatial scales analyzed by computing temporal gradients of the difference and sum of the outputs of paired even- and odd-symmetric bandpass filters convolved with the input pattern, and (3) using global processes that pool the output from paired even- and odd-symmetric simple and complex cells across the spatial extent of the background frame of reference the direction a test pattern moved relative to a textured background. Evidence that magnocellular pathways are used to discriminate the direction of movement is presented. Since magnocellular pathways are used to discriminate the direction of movement, this task is not affected by small pattern changes such as jitter, short presentations, blurring, and different background contrasts that result when the veiling illumination in a scene changes.
From movement to pain: a tribute to professor James P. Lund.

PubMed

Westberg, Karl-Gunnar; McFarland, David; Kolta, Arlette; Stohler, Christian; Feine, Jocelyne; Woda, Alain

2008-01-01

This tribute article to Professor James P. Lund stems from 6 of the presentations delivered at the July 1, 2008, symposium that honored 3 "giants" in orofacial neuroscience: B. J. Sessle, A. G. Hannam, and J. P. Lund. It was noted that soon after his training as a dentist in Australia, Jim Lund became interested in research. At the time he decided to do a PhD, there was a lot of discussion about how rhythmic movements were programmed. The early belief, based on Sherrington's studies of motor systems, was that these movements were simply an alternating series of reflexes. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, some still shared this belief, whereas others favored Graham Brown's hypothesis that repetitive movements were centrally programmed and did not depend on reflexes triggered by sensory inputs. There was no strong evidence then for either scenario except for the rhythmic movements of respiration. Lund's pioneering work during his PhD proved the existence of a central pattern generator (CPG) for mastication in the brainstem. Since then he has been interested in understanding how CPGs function and how sensory feedback works to adjust the motor patterns that they produce. Sections in this tribute article to Lund are written by some of his close collaborators and reflect the evolution of his work throughout the years. The first 4 presentations in this article (by K.-G. Westberg, D. McFarland, A. Kolta, and C. Stohler) highlight various aspects of these interests, and the final 2 presentations (by J. Feine and A. Woda) focus especially on clinical aspects of Lund's interests. The last section of this article is a final commentary from Professor Lund.
Microgravity effects on 'postural' muscle activity patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layne, Charles S.; Spooner, Brian S.

1994-01-01

Changes in neuromuscular activation patterns associated with movements made in microgravity can contribute to muscular atrophy. Using electromyography (EMG) to monitor 'postural' muscles, it was found that free floating arm flexions made in microgravity were not always preceded by neuromuscular activation patterns normally observed during movements made in unit gravity. Additionally, manipulation of foot sensory input during microgravity arm flexion impacted upon anticipatory postural muscle activation.
A comparison of the real-time controllability of pattern recognition to conventional myoelectric control for discrete and simultaneous movements

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Myoelectric control has been used for decades to control powered upper limb prostheses. Conventional, amplitude-based control has been employed to control a single prosthesis degree of freedom (DOF) such as closing and opening of the hand. Within the last decade, new and advanced arm and hand prostheses have been constructed that are capable of actuating numerous DOFs. Pattern recognition control has been proposed to control a greater number of DOFs than conventional control, but has traditionally been limited to sequentially controlling DOFs one at a time. However, able-bodied individuals use multiple DOFs simultaneously, and it may be beneficial to provide amputees the ability to perform simultaneous movements. In this study, four amputees who had undergone targeted motor reinnervation (TMR) surgery with previous training using myoelectric prostheses were configured to use three control strategies: 1) conventional amplitude-based myoelectric control, 2) sequential (one-DOF) pattern recognition control, 3) simultaneous pattern recognition control. Simultaneous pattern recognition was enabled by having amputees train each simultaneous movement as a separate motion class. For tasks that required control over just one DOF, sequential pattern recognition based control performed the best with the lowest average completion times, completion rates and length error. For tasks that required control over 2 DOFs, the simultaneous pattern recognition controller performed the best with the lowest average completion times, completion rates and length error compared to the other control strategies. In the two strategies in which users could employ simultaneous movements (conventional and simultaneous pattern recognition), amputees chose to use simultaneous movements 78% of the time with simultaneous pattern recognition and 64% of the time with conventional control for tasks that required two DOF motions to reach the target. These results suggest that when amputees are given the ability to control multiple DOFs simultaneously, they choose to perform tasks that utilize multiple DOFs with simultaneous movements. Additionally, they were able to perform these tasks with higher performance (faster speed, lower length error and higher completion rates) without losing substantial performance in 1 DOF tasks. PMID:24410948
A new method for discovering behavior patterns among animal movements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Y.; Luo, Ze; Takekawa, John Y.; Prosser, Diann J.; Xiong, Y.; Newman, S.; Xiao, X.; Batbayar, N.; Spragens, Kyle A.; Balachandran, S.; Yan, B.

2016-01-01

Advanced satellite tracking technologies enable biologists to track animal movements at fine spatial and temporal scales. The resultant data present opportunities and challenges for understanding animal behavioral mechanisms. In this paper, we develop a new method to elucidate animal movement patterns from tracking data. Here, we propose the notion of continuous behavior patterns as a concise representation of popular migration routes and underlying sequential behaviors during migration. Each stage in the pattern is characterized in terms of space (i.e., the places traversed during movements) and time (i.e. the time spent in those places); that is, the behavioral state corresponding to a stage is inferred according to the spatiotemporal and sequential context. Hence, the pattern may be interpreted predictably. We develop a candidate generation and refinement framework to derive all continuous behavior patterns from raw trajectories. In the framework, we first define the representative spots to denote the underlying potential behavioral states that are extracted from individual trajectories according to the similarity of relaxed continuous locations in certain distinct time intervals. We determine the common behaviors of multiple individuals according to the spatiotemporal proximity of representative spots and apply a projection-based extension approach to generate candidate sequential behavior sequences as candidate patterns. Finally, the candidate generation procedure is combined with a refinement procedure to derive continuous behavior patterns. We apply an ordered processing strategy to accelerate candidate refinement. The proposed patterns and discovery framework are evaluated through conceptual experiments on both real GPS-tracking and large synthetic datasets.
A new method for discovering behavior patterns among animal movements.

PubMed

Wang, Yuwei; Luo, Ze; Takekawa, John; Prosser, Diann; Xiong, Yan; Newman, Scott; Xiao, Xiangming; Batbayar, Nyambayar; Spragens, Kyle; Balachandran, Sivananinthaperumal; Yan, Baoping

Advanced satellite tracking technologies enable biologists to track animal movements at fine spatial and temporal scales. The resultant data present opportunities and challenges for understanding animal behavioral mechanisms. In this paper, we develop a new method to elucidate animal movement patterns from tracking data. Here, we propose the notion of continuous behavior patterns as a concise representation of popular migration routes and underlying sequential behaviors during migration. Each stage in the pattern is characterized in terms of space (i.e., the places traversed during movements) and time (i.e. the time spent in those places); that is, the behavioral state corresponding to a stage is inferred according to the spatiotemporal and sequential context. Hence, the pattern may be interpreted predictably. We develop a candidate generation and refinement framework to derive all continuous behavior patterns from raw trajectories. In the framework, we first define the representative spots to denote the underlying potential behavioral states that are extracted from individual trajectories according to the similarity of relaxed continuous locations in certain distinct time intervals. We determine the common behaviors of multiple individuals according to the spatiotemporal proximity of representative spots and apply a projection-based extension approach to generate candidate sequential behavior sequences as candidate patterns. Finally, the candidate generation procedure is combined with a refinement procedure to derive continuous behavior patterns. We apply an ordered processing strategy to accelerate candidate refinement. The proposed patterns and discovery framework are evaluated through conceptual experiments on both real GPS-tracking and large synthetic datasets.
A new method for discovering behavior patterns among animal movements

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuwei; Luo, Ze; Takekawa, John; Prosser, Diann; Xiong, Yan; Newman, Scott; Xiao, Xiangming; Batbayar, Nyambayar; Spragens, Kyle; Balachandran, Sivananinthaperumal; Yan, Baoping

2016-01-01

Advanced satellite tracking technologies enable biologists to track animal movements at fine spatial and temporal scales. The resultant data present opportunities and challenges for understanding animal behavioral mechanisms. In this paper, we develop a new method to elucidate animal movement patterns from tracking data. Here, we propose the notion of continuous behavior patterns as a concise representation of popular migration routes and underlying sequential behaviors during migration. Each stage in the pattern is characterized in terms of space (i.e., the places traversed during movements) and time (i.e. the time spent in those places); that is, the behavioral state corresponding to a stage is inferred according to the spatiotemporal and sequential context. Hence, the pattern may be interpreted predictably. We develop a candidate generation and refinement framework to derive all continuous behavior patterns from raw trajectories. In the framework, we first define the representative spots to denote the underlying potential behavioral states that are extracted from individual trajectories according to the similarity of relaxed continuous locations in certain distinct time intervals. We determine the common behaviors of multiple individuals according to the spatiotemporal proximity of representative spots and apply a projection-based extension approach to generate candidate sequential behavior sequences as candidate patterns. Finally, the candidate generation procedure is combined with a refinement procedure to derive continuous behavior patterns. We apply an ordered processing strategy to accelerate candidate refinement. The proposed patterns and discovery framework are evaluated through conceptual experiments on both real GPS-tracking and large synthetic datasets. PMID:27217810
A neural network for recognizing movement patterns during repetitive self-paced movements of the fingers in opposition to the thumb.

PubMed

Van Vaerenbergh, J; Vranken, R; Briers, L; Briers, H

2001-11-01

A data glove is a typical input device to control a virtual environment. At the same time it measures movements of wrist and fingers. The purposes of this investigation were to assess the ability of BrainMaker, a neural network, to recognize movement patterns during an opposition task that consisted of repetitive self-paced movements of the fingers in opposition to the thumb. The neural network contained 56 inputs, 3 hidden layers of 20 neurons, and one output. The 5th glove '95 (5DT), a commercial glove especially designed for virtual reality games, was used for finger motion capture. The training of the neural network was successful for recognizing the thumb, the index finger and the ring finger movements during the repetitive self-paced movements and neural network performed well during testing.
Patterns and Limitations of Urban Human Mobility Resilience under the Influence of Multiple Types of Natural Disaster

PubMed Central

Wang, Qi; Taylor, John E.

2016-01-01

Natural disasters pose serious threats to large urban areas, therefore understanding and predicting human movements is critical for evaluating a population’s vulnerability and resilience and developing plans for disaster evacuation, response and relief. However, only limited research has been conducted into the effect of natural disasters on human mobility. This study examines how natural disasters influence human mobility patterns in urban populations using individuals’ movement data collected from Twitter. We selected fifteen destructive cases across five types of natural disaster and analyzed the human movement data before, during, and after each event, comparing the perturbed and steady state movement data. The results suggest that the power-law can describe human mobility in most cases and that human mobility patterns observed in steady states are often correlated with those in perturbed states, highlighting their inherent resilience. However, the quantitative analysis shows that this resilience has its limits and can fail in more powerful natural disasters. The findings from this study will deepen our understanding of the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure, improve our ability to predict human movement patterns during natural disasters, and facilitate contingency planning by policymakers. PMID:26820404
Velocity-curvature patterns limit human-robot physical interaction

PubMed Central

Maurice, Pauline; Huber, Meghan E.; Hogan, Neville; Sternad, Dagmar

2018-01-01

Physical human-robot collaboration is becoming more common, both in industrial and service robotics. Cooperative execution of a task requires intuitive and efficient interaction between both actors. For humans, this means being able to predict and adapt to robot movements. Given that natural human movement exhibits several robust features, we examined whether human-robot physical interaction is facilitated when these features are considered in robot control. The present study investigated how humans adapt to biological and non-biological velocity patterns in robot movements. Participants held the end-effector of a robot that traced an elliptic path with either biological (two-thirds power law) or non-biological velocity profiles. Participants were instructed to minimize the force applied on the robot end-effector. Results showed that the applied force was significantly lower when the robot moved with a biological velocity pattern. With extensive practice and enhanced feedback, participants were able to decrease their force when following a non-biological velocity pattern, but never reached forces below those obtained with the 2/3 power law profile. These results suggest that some robust features observed in natural human movements are also a strong preference in guided movements. Therefore, such features should be considered in human-robot physical collaboration. PMID:29744380

Patterns and Limitations of Urban Human Mobility Resilience under the Influence of Multiple Types of Natural Disaster.

PubMed

Wang, Qi; Taylor, John E

2016-01-01

Natural disasters pose serious threats to large urban areas, therefore understanding and predicting human movements is critical for evaluating a population's vulnerability and resilience and developing plans for disaster evacuation, response and relief. However, only limited research has been conducted into the effect of natural disasters on human mobility. This study examines how natural disasters influence human mobility patterns in urban populations using individuals' movement data collected from Twitter. We selected fifteen destructive cases across five types of natural disaster and analyzed the human movement data before, during, and after each event, comparing the perturbed and steady state movement data. The results suggest that the power-law can describe human mobility in most cases and that human mobility patterns observed in steady states are often correlated with those in perturbed states, highlighting their inherent resilience. However, the quantitative analysis shows that this resilience has its limits and can fail in more powerful natural disasters. The findings from this study will deepen our understanding of the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure, improve our ability to predict human movement patterns during natural disasters, and facilitate contingency planning by policymakers.
Velocity-curvature patterns limit human-robot physical interaction.

PubMed

Maurice, Pauline; Huber, Meghan E; Hogan, Neville; Sternad, Dagmar

2018-01-01

Physical human-robot collaboration is becoming more common, both in industrial and service robotics. Cooperative execution of a task requires intuitive and efficient interaction between both actors. For humans, this means being able to predict and adapt to robot movements. Given that natural human movement exhibits several robust features, we examined whether human-robot physical interaction is facilitated when these features are considered in robot control. The present study investigated how humans adapt to biological and non-biological velocity patterns in robot movements. Participants held the end-effector of a robot that traced an elliptic path with either biological (two-thirds power law) or non-biological velocity profiles. Participants were instructed to minimize the force applied on the robot end-effector. Results showed that the applied force was significantly lower when the robot moved with a biological velocity pattern. With extensive practice and enhanced feedback, participants were able to decrease their force when following a non-biological velocity pattern, but never reached forces below those obtained with the 2/3 power law profile. These results suggest that some robust features observed in natural human movements are also a strong preference in guided movements. Therefore, such features should be considered in human-robot physical collaboration.
Structure, dynamics and movement patterns of the Australian pig industry.

PubMed

East, I J; Davis, J; Sergeant, E S G; Garner, M G

2014-03-01

To assess management practices and movement patterns that could influence the establishment and spread of exotic animal diseases (EAD) in pigs in Australia. A literature review of published information and a telephone survey of 370 pig producers owning >10 pigs who were registered with the PigPass national vendor declaration scheme. The movement and marketing patterns of Australian pig producers interviewed were divided into two groups based predominantly on the size of the herd. Major pig producers maintain closed herds, use artificial insemination and market direct to abattoirs. Smaller producers continue to purchase from saleyards and market to other farms, abattoirs and through saleyards in an apparently opportunistic fashion. The role of saleyards in the Australian pig industry continues to decline, with 92% of all pigs marketed directly from farm to abattoir. This survey described movement patterns that will assist in modelling the potential spread of EAD in the Australian pig industry. Continued movement towards vertical integration and closed herds in the Australian pig industry effectively divides the industry into a number of compartments that mitigate against the widespread dissemination of disease to farms adopting these practices. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.
Movement reveals scale dependence in habitat selection of a large ungulate.

PubMed

Northrup, Joseph M; Anderson, Charles R; Hooten, Mevin B; Wittemyer, George

2016-12-01

Ecological processes operate across temporal and spatial scales. Anthropogenic disturbances impact these processes, but examinations of scale dependence in impacts are infrequent. Such examinations can provide important insight to wildlife-human interactions and guide management efforts to reduce impacts. We assessed spatiotemporal scale dependence in habitat selection of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Piceance Basin of Colorado, USA, an area of ongoing natural gas development. We employed a newly developed animal movement method to assess habitat selection across scales defined using animal-centric spatiotemporal definitions ranging from the local (defined from five hour movements) to the broad (defined from weekly movements). We extended our analysis to examine variation in scale dependence between night and day and assess functional responses in habitat selection patterns relative to the density of anthropogenic features. Mule deer displayed scale invariance in the direction of their response to energy development features, avoiding well pads and the areas closest to roads at all scales, though with increasing strength of avoidance at coarser scales. Deer displayed scale-dependent responses to most other habitat features, including land cover type and habitat edges. Selection differed between night and day at the finest scales, but homogenized as scale increased. Deer displayed functional responses to development, with deer inhabiting the least developed ranges more strongly avoiding development relative to those with more development in their ranges. Energy development was a primary driver of habitat selection patterns in mule deer, structuring their behaviors across all scales examined. Stronger avoidance at coarser scales suggests that deer behaviorally mediated their interaction with development, but only to a degree. At higher development densities than seen in this area, such mediation may not be possible and thus maintenance of sufficient habitat with lower development densities will be a critical best management practice as development expands globally. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.
Three-dimensional Cervical Movement Characteristics in Healthy Subjects and Subgroups of Chronic Neck Pain Patients Based on Their Pain Location.

PubMed

Waeyaert, Patirck; Jansen, Daniel; Bastiaansen, Marco; Scafoglieri, Aldo; Buyl, Ronald; Schmitt, Maarten; Cattrysse, Erik

2016-08-01

A cross-sectional observational study of three-dimensional (3D) cervical kinematics in 41 chronic neck pain (CNPs) patients and 156 asymptomatic controls. The objective was to investigate 3D cervical kinematics by analyzing and comparing quantitative and qualitative parameters in healthy subjects and CNPs. Furthermore, subgroups were formed to explore the influence of pain-location on cervical kinematics. The possible correlation of kinematic parameters with the degree of functional disability was examined as well. In patients with chronic neck pain, a clear pathological cause is frequently not identifiable. Therefore, the need to assess neck pain with a broader view than structure or anatomical-based divergences is desirable. Movements of the cervical spine were registered using an electromagnetic tracking system. Quantitative and qualitative kinematics were analyzed for active axial rotation, lateral bending, and flexion-extension motion components. During lateral bending, the range of the main motion demonstrated significant higher values (P = 0.001) in the controls (mean: 68.67° ± 15.17°) than patients (mean: 59.28° ± 15.41°). Significant differences were demonstrated between subgroups for several kinematic parameters (P < 0.05). Although differences were predominantly recorded between the "symmetrical" and "asymmetrical" pain group, some parameters also distinguished subgroups from controls. On average, the symmetrical group showed significant less harmonic movement patterns, expressed by qualitative parameters, in comparison with the "asymmetrical" group and controls. Furthermore, the "asymmetrical" group showed significant lower scores on quantitative parameters than the "symmetrical" group and controls. The degree of functional disability correlated moderately with changes in qualitative parameters. In this study, chronic neck pain patients with a symmetrical pain pattern showed significant poorer quality of movement, while those with asymmetrical pain showed a significant reduction in quantitative measures. Subgrouping of neck patients based on pain location may be of help for further research and clinics. 4.
An interactive visualization tool for mobile objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Tetsuo

Recent advancements in mobile devices---such as Global Positioning System (GPS), cellular phones, car navigation system, and radio-frequency identification (RFID)---have greatly influenced the nature and volume of data about individual-based movement in space and time. Due to the prevalence of mobile devices, vast amounts of mobile objects data are being produced and stored in databases, overwhelming the capacity of traditional spatial analytical methods. There is a growing need for discovering unexpected patterns, trends, and relationships that are hidden in the massive mobile objects data. Geographic visualization (GVis) and knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) are two major research fields that are associated with knowledge discovery and construction. Their major research challenges are the integration of GVis and KDD, enhancing the ability to handle large volume mobile objects data, and high interactivity between the computer and users of GVis and KDD tools. This dissertation proposes a visualization toolkit to enable highly interactive visual data exploration for mobile objects datasets. Vector algebraic representation and online analytical processing (OLAP) are utilized for managing and querying the mobile object data to accomplish high interactivity of the visualization tool. In addition, reconstructing trajectories at user-defined levels of temporal granularity with time aggregation methods allows exploration of the individual objects at different levels of movement generality. At a given level of generality, individual paths can be combined into synthetic summary paths based on three similarity measures, namely, locational similarity, directional similarity, and geometric similarity functions. A visualization toolkit based on the space-time cube concept exploits these functionalities to create a user-interactive environment for exploring mobile objects data. Furthermore, the characteristics of visualized trajectories are exported to be utilized for data mining, which leads to the integration of GVis and KDD. Case studies using three movement datasets (personal travel data survey in Lexington, Kentucky, wild chicken movement data in Thailand, and self-tracking data in Utah) demonstrate the potential of the system to extract meaningful patterns from the otherwise difficult to comprehend collections of space-time trajectories.
The Flash-Preview Moving Window Paradigm: Unpacking Visual Expertise One Glimpse at a Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litchfield, Damien; Donovan, Tim

2017-01-01

How we make sense of what we see and where best to look is shaped by our experience, our current task goals and how we first perceive our environment. An established way of demonstrating these factors work together is to study how eye movement patterns change as a function of expertise and to observe how experts can solve complex tasks after only…
Cooperative Control for A Hybrid Rehabilitation System Combining Functional Electrical Stimulation and Robotic Exoskeleton

PubMed Central

Zhang, Dingguo; Ren, Yong; Gui, Kai; Jia, Jie; Xu, Wendong

2017-01-01

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) and robotic exoskeletons are two important technologies widely used for physical rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. We developed a hybrid rehabilitation system (FEXO Knee) that combined FES and an exoskeleton for swinging movement control of human knee joints. This study proposed a novel cooperative control strategy, which could realize arbitrary distribution of torque generated by FES and exoskeleton, and guarantee harmonic movements. The cooperative control adopted feedfoward control for FES and feedback control for exoskeleton. A parameter regulator was designed to update key parameters in real time to coordinate FES controller and exoskeleton controller. Two muscle groups (quadriceps and hamstrings) were stimulated to generate active torque for knee joint in synchronization with torque compensation from exoskeleton. The knee joint angle and the interactive torque between exoskeleton and shank were used as feedback signals for the control system. Central pattern generator (CPG) was adopted that acted as a phase predictor to deal with phase confliction of motor patterns, and realized synchronization between the two different bodies (shank and exoskeleton). Experimental evaluation of the hybrid FES-exoskeleton system was conducted on five healthy subjects and four paraplegic patients. Experimental results and statistical analysis showed good control performance of the cooperative control on torque distribution, trajectory tracking, and phase synchronization. PMID:29311798
Cooperative Control for A Hybrid Rehabilitation System Combining Functional Electrical Stimulation and Robotic Exoskeleton.

PubMed

Zhang, Dingguo; Ren, Yong; Gui, Kai; Jia, Jie; Xu, Wendong

2017-01-01

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) and robotic exoskeletons are two important technologies widely used for physical rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. We developed a hybrid rehabilitation system (FEXO Knee) that combined FES and an exoskeleton for swinging movement control of human knee joints. This study proposed a novel cooperative control strategy, which could realize arbitrary distribution of torque generated by FES and exoskeleton, and guarantee harmonic movements. The cooperative control adopted feedfoward control for FES and feedback control for exoskeleton. A parameter regulator was designed to update key parameters in real time to coordinate FES controller and exoskeleton controller. Two muscle groups (quadriceps and hamstrings) were stimulated to generate active torque for knee joint in synchronization with torque compensation from exoskeleton. The knee joint angle and the interactive torque between exoskeleton and shank were used as feedback signals for the control system. Central pattern generator (CPG) was adopted that acted as a phase predictor to deal with phase confliction of motor patterns, and realized synchronization between the two different bodies (shank and exoskeleton). Experimental evaluation of the hybrid FES-exoskeleton system was conducted on five healthy subjects and four paraplegic patients. Experimental results and statistical analysis showed good control performance of the cooperative control on torque distribution, trajectory tracking, and phase synchronization.
Motor noise is rich signal in autism research and pharmacological treatments.

PubMed

Torres, E B; Denisova, K

2016-11-21

The human body is in constant motion, from every breath that we take, to every visibly purposeful action that we perform. Remaining completely still on command is a major achievement as involuntary fluctuations in our motions are difficult to keep under control. Here we examine the noise-to-signal ratio of micro-movements present in time-series of head motions extracted from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans in 1048 participants. These included individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and healthy-controls in shared data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) and the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD-200) databases. We find excess noise and randomness in the ASD cases, suggesting an uncertain motor-feedback signal. A power-law emerged describing an orderly relation between the dispersion and shape of the probability distribution functions best describing the stochastic properties under consideration with respect to intelligence quotient (IQ-scores). In ASD, deleterious patterns of noise are consistently exacerbated with the presence of secondary (comorbid) neuropsychiatric diagnoses, lower verbal and performance intelligence, and autism severity. Importantly, such patterns in ASD are present whether or not the participant takes psychotropic medication. These data unambiguously establish specific noise-to-signal levels of head micro-movements as a biologically informed core feature of ASD.
Cerebral activation evoked by the mirror illusion of the hand in stroke patients compared to normal subjects.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Fritzsch, Claire; Bernarding, Johannes; Krause, Thomas; Mauritz, Karl-Heinz; Brunetti, Maddalena; Dohle, Christian

2013-01-01

Mirror therapy (MT) was found to improve motor function after stroke, but its neural mechanisms remain unclear, especially in single stroke patients. The following imaging study was designed to compare brain activation patterns evoked by the mirror illusion in single stroke patients with normal subjects. Fifteen normal volunteers and five stroke patients with severe arm paresis were recruited. Cerebral activations during movement mirroring by means of a video chain were recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Single-subject analysis was performed using SPM 8. For normal subjects, ten and thirteen subjects displayed lateralized cerebral activations evoked by the mirror illusion while moving their right and left hand respectively. The magnitude of this effect in the precuneus contralateral to the seen hand was not dependent on movement speed or subjective experience. Negative correlation of activation strength with age was found for the right hand only. The activation pattern in stroke patients is comparable to that of normal subjects and present in four out of five patients. In summary, the mirror illusion can elicit cerebral activation contralateral to the perceived hand in the majority of single normal subjects, but not in all of them. This is similar even in stroke patients with severe hemiparesis.
An eye movement pre-training fosters the comprehension of processes and functions in technical systems.

PubMed

Skuballa, Irene T; Fortunski, Caroline; Renkl, Alexander

2015-01-01

The main research goal of the present study was to investigate in how far pre-training eye movements can facilitate knowledge acquisition in multimedia (pre-training principle). We combined considerations from research on eye movement modeling and pre-training to design and test a non-verbal eye movement-based pre-training. Participants in the experimental condition watched an animated circle moving in close spatial resemblance to a static visualization of a solar plant accompanied by a narration in a subsequently presented learning environment. This training was expected to foster top-down processes as reflected in gaze behavior during the learning process and enhance knowledge acquisition. We compared two groups (N = 45): participants in the experimental condition received pre-training in a first step and processed the learning material in a second step, whereas the control group underwent the second step without any pre-training. The pre-training group outperformed the control group in their learning outcomes, particularly in knowledge about processes and functions of the solar plant. However, the superior learning outcomes in the pre-training group could not be explained by eye-movement patterns. Furthermore, the pre-training moderated the relationship between experienced stress and learning outcomes. In the control group, high stress levels hindered learning, which was not found for the pre-training group. On a delayed posttest participants were requested to draw a picture of the learning content. Despite a non-significant effect of training on the quality of drawings, the pre-training showed associations between learning outcomes at the first testing time and process-related aspects in the quality of their drawings. Overall, non-verbal pre-training is a successful instructional intervention to promote learning processes in novices although these processes did not directly reflect in learners' eye movement behavior during learning.
Development and reliability of the rating of compensatory movements in upper limb prosthesis wearers during work-related tasks.

PubMed

van der Laan, Tallie M J; Postema, Sietke G; Reneman, Michiel F; Bongers, Raoul M; van der Sluis, Corry K

2018-02-10

Reliability study. Quantifying compensatory movements during work-related tasks may help to prevent musculoskeletal complaints in individuals with upper limb absence. (1) To develop a qualitative scoring system for rating compensatory shoulder and trunk movements in upper limb prosthesis wearers during the performance of functional capacity evaluation tests adjusted for use by 1-handed individuals (functional capacity evaluation-one handed [FCE-OH]); (2) to examine the interrater and intrarater reliability of the scoring system; and (3) to assess its feasibility. Movement patterns of 12 videotaped upper limb prosthesis wearers and 20 controls were analyzed. Compensatory movements were defined for each FCE-OH test, and a scoring system was developed, pilot tested, and adjusted. During reliability testing, 18 raters (12 FCE experts and 6 physiotherapists/gait analysts) scored videotapes of upper limb prosthesis wearers performing 4 FCE-OH tests 2 times (2 weeks apart). Agreement was expressed in % and kappa value. Feasibility (focus area's "acceptability", "demand," and "implementation") was determined by using a questionnaire. After 2 rounds of pilot testing and adjusting, reliability of a third version was tested. The interrater reliability for the first and second rating sessions were к = 0.54 (confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-0.57) and к = 0.64 (CI: 0.61-0.66), respectively. The intrarater reliability was к = 0.77 (CI: 0.72-0.82). The feasibility was good but could be improved by a training program. It seems possible to identify compensatory movements in upper limb prosthesis wearers during the performance of FCE-OH tests reliably by observation using the developed observational scoring system. Interrater reliability was satisfactory in most instances; intrarater reliability was good. Feasibility was established. Copyright © 2018 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The effects of bending speed on the lumbo-pelvic kinematics and movement pattern during forward bending in people with and without low back pain.

PubMed

Tsang, Sharon M H; Szeto, Grace P Y; Li, Linda M K; Wong, Dim C M; Yip, Millie M P; Lee, Raymond Y W

2017-04-17

Impaired lumbo-pelvic movement in people with low back pain during bending task has been reported previously. However, the regional mobility and the pattern of the lumbo-pelvic movement were found to vary across studies. The inconsistency of the findings may partly be related to variations in the speed at which the task was executed. This study examined the effects of bending speeds on the kinematics and the coordination lumbo-pelvic movement during forward bending, and to compare the performance of individuals with and without low back pain. The angular displacement, velocity and acceleration of the lumbo-pelvic movement during the repeated forward bending executed at five selected speeds were acquired using the three dimensional motion tracking system in seventeen males with low back pain and eighteen males who were asymptomatic. The regional kinematics and the degree of coordination of the lumbo-pelvic movement during bending was compared and analysed between two groups. Significantly compromised performance in velocity and acceleration of the lumbar spine and hip joint during bending task at various speed levels was shown in back pain group (p < 0.01). Both groups displayed a high degree of coordination of the lumbo-pelvic displacement during forward bending executed across the five levels of speed examined. Significant between-group difference was revealed in the coordination of the lumbo-pelvic velocity and acceleration (p < 0.01). Asymptomatic group moved with a progressively higher degree of lumbo-pelvic coordination for velocity and acceleration while the back pain group adopted a uniform lumbo-pelvic pattern across all the speed levels examined. The present findings show that bending speed imposes different levels of demand on the kinematics and pattern of the lumbo-pelvic movement. The ability to regulate the lumbo-pelvic movement pattern during the bending task that executed at various speed levels was shown only in pain-free individuals but not in those with low back pain. Individuals with low back pain moved with a stereotyped strategy at their lumbar spine and hip joints. This specific aberrant lumbo-pelvic movement pattern may have a crucial role in the maintenance of the chronicity in back pain.
Algorithms of walking and stability for an anthropomorphic robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirazetdinov, R. T.; Devaev, V. M.; Nikitina, D. V.; Fadeev, A. Y.; Kamalov, A. R.

2017-09-01

Autonomous movement of an anthropomorphic robot is considered as a superposition of a set of typical elements of movement - so-called patterns, each of which can be considered as an agent of some multi-agent system [ 1 ]. To control the AP-601 robot, an information and communication infrastructure has been created that represents some multi-agent system that allows the development of algorithms for individual patterns of moving and run them in the system as a set of independently executed and interacting agents. The algorithms of lateral movement of the anthropomorphic robot AP-601 series with active stability due to the stability pattern are presented.
A multimedia electronic patient record (ePR) system to improve decision support in pre- and rehabilitation through clinical and movement analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent; Documet, Jorge; McNitt-Gray, Sarah; Requejo, Phil; McNitt-Gray, Jill

2011-03-01

Clinical decisions for improving motor function in patients both with disability as well as improving an athlete's performance are made through clinical and movement analysis. Currently, this analysis facilitates identifying abnormalities in a patient's motor function for a large amount of neuro-musculoskeletal pathologies. However definitively identifying the underlying cause or long-term consequences of a specific abnormality in the patient's movement pattern is difficult since this requires information from multiple sources and formats across different times and currently relies on the experience and intuition of the expert clinician. In addition, this data must be persistent for longitudinal outcomes studies. Therefore a multimedia ePR system integrating imaging informatics data could have a significant impact on decision support within this clinical workflow. We present the design and architecture of such an ePR system as well as the data types that need integration in order to develop relevant decision support tools. Specifically, we will present two data model examples: 1) A performance improvement project involving volleyball athletes and 2) Wheelchair propulsion evaluation of patients with disabilities. The end result is a new frontier area of imaging informatics research within rehabilitation engineering and biomechanics.
The mechanics of swallowing and the muscular control of diverse behaviours in gopher snakes.

PubMed

Moon, B R

2000-09-01

Snakes are excellent subjects for studying functional versatility and potential constraints because their movements are constrained to vertebral bending and twisting. In many snakes, swallowing is a kind of inside-out locomotion. During swallowing, vertebral bends push food from the jaws along a substantial length of the body to the stomach. In gopher snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) and king snakes (Lampropeltis getula), swallowing often begins with lateral bending of the head and neck as the jaws advance unilaterally over the prey. Axial movement then shifts to accordion-like, concertina bending as the prey enters the oesophagus. Once the prey is completely engulfed, concertina bending shifts to undulatory bending that pushes the prey to the stomach. The shift from concertina to undulatory bending reflects a shift from pulling the prey into the throat (or advancing the mouth over the prey) to pushing it along the oesophagus towards the stomach. Undulatory kinematics and muscular activity patterns are similar in swallowing and undulatory locomotion. However, the distinct mechanical demands of internal versus external force exertion result in different duty factors of muscle activity. Feeding and locomotor movements are thus integral functions of the snake axial system.
Ring aggregation pattern of metro passenger trips: A study using smart card data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziyang; Hu, Yuxin; Zhu, Peng; Qin, Yong; Jia, Limin

2018-02-01

With the widespread implementation of smart cards and with more travel details being recorded, travel patterns can be studied more precisely and deeply. Although considerable attention has been paid to travel patterns, the relationship between travel patterns and the functional structure of a city is yet to be well understood. In this research, we study this relationship by analysing metro passenger trip data (in Beijing and Shenzhen in China and London in the United Kingdom), and we present two unprecedented findings. First, through averaging, a linear relationship is found to exist between individual travel distance and the distance between the origin and the city centre. The underlying mechanism is a travel pattern we call "ring aggregation", i.e., the daily movement of city passengers is aggregated into a ring (with approximately equal distances to the city centre). Then, for commuting trips, the daily travel pattern can be regarded as switching between the outer residential ring and the inner work ring. Second, this linear relationship and the ring aggregation pattern seem to be exclusive characteristics of metro systems (and may also fit other moderate- and long-distance transportation modes) but do not apply to short-distance transportation modes, such as bicycles and taxis. This finding implies that the ring aggregation pattern is a product of the relationship between travel patterns and the city functional structure at a large scope.
The effect of dual tasking on foot kinematics in people with functional ankle instability.

PubMed

Tavakoli, Sanam; Forghany, Saeed; Nester, Christopher

2016-09-01

Some cases of repeated inversion ankle sprains are thought to have a neurological basis and are termed functional ankle instability (FAI). In addition to factors local to the ankle, such as loss of proprioception, cognitive demands have the ability to influence motor control and may increase the risk of repetitive lateral sprains. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive demand on foot kinematics in physically active people with functional ankle instability. 21 physically active participants with FAI and 19 matched healthy controls completed trials of normal walking (single task) and normal walking while performing a cognitive task (dual task). Foot motion relative to the shank was recorded. Cognitive performance, ankle kinematics and movement variability in single and dual task conditions was characterized. During normal walking, the ankle joint was significantly more inverted in FAI compared to the control group pre and post initial contact. Under dual task conditions, there was a statistically significant increase in frontal plane foot movement variability during the period 200ms pre and post initial contact in people with FAI compared to the control group (p<0.05). Dual task also significantly increased plantar flexion and inversion during the period 200ms pre and post initial contact in the FAI group (p<0.05). participants with FAI demonstrated different ankle movement patterns and increased movement variability during a dual task condition. Cognitive load may increase risk of ankle instability in these people. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Feathered Dinosaur Measured Using Physical Models. Effects of Form on Static Stability and Control Effectiveness

PubMed Central

Evangelista, Dennis; Cardona, Griselda; Guenther-Gleason, Eric; Huynh, Tony; Kwong, Austin; Marks, Dylan; Ray, Neil; Tisbe, Adrian; Tse, Kyle; Koehl, Mimi

2014-01-01

We report the effects of posture and morphology on the static aerodynamic stability and control effectiveness of physical models based on the feathered dinosaur, Microraptor gui, from the Cretaceous of China. Postures had similar lift and drag coefficients and were broadly similar when simplified metrics of gliding were considered, but they exhibited different stability characteristics depending on the position of the legs and the presence of feathers on the legs and the tail. Both stability and the function of appendages in generating maneuvering forces and torques changed as the glide angle or angle of attack were changed. These are significant because they represent an aerial environment that may have shifted during the evolution of directed aerial descent and other aerial behaviors. Certain movements were particularly effective (symmetric movements of the wings and tail in pitch, asymmetric wing movements, some tail movements). Other appendages altered their function from creating yaws at high angle of attack to rolls at low angle of attack, or reversed their function entirely. While M. gui lived after Archaeopteryx and likely represents a side experiment with feathered morphology, the general patterns of stability and control effectiveness suggested from the manipulations of forelimb, hindlimb and tail morphology here may help understand the evolution of flight control aerodynamics in vertebrates. Though these results rest on a single specimen, as further fossils with different morphologies are tested, the findings here could be applied in a phylogenetic context to reveal biomechanical constraints on extinct flyers arising from the need to maneuver. PMID:24454820

Recognition of neural brain activity patterns correlated with complex motor activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurkin, Semen; Musatov, Vyacheslav Yu.; Runnova, Anastasia E.; Grubov, Vadim V.; Efremova, Tatyana Yu.; Zhuravlev, Maxim O.

2018-04-01

In this paper, based on the apparatus of artificial neural networks, a technique for recognizing and classifying patterns corresponding to imaginary movements on electroencephalograms (EEGs) obtained from a group of untrained subjects was developed. The works on the selection of the optimal type, topology, training algorithms and neural network parameters were carried out from the point of view of the most accurate and fast recognition and classification of patterns on multi-channel EEGs associated with the imagination of movements. The influence of the number and choice of the analyzed channels of a multichannel EEG on the quality of recognition of imaginary movements was also studied, and optimal configurations of electrode arrangements were obtained. The effect of pre-processing of EEG signals is analyzed from the point of view of improving the accuracy of recognition of imaginary movements.
KinG Is a Plant-Specific Kinesin That Regulates Both Intra- and Intercellular Movement of SHORT-ROOT.

PubMed

Spiegelman, Ziv; Lee, Chin-Mei; Gallagher, Kimberly L

2018-01-01

Both endogenous plant proteins and viral movement proteins associate with microtubules to promote their movement through plasmodesmata. The association of viral movement proteins with microtubules facilitates the formation of virus-associated replication complexes, which are required for the amplification and subsequent spread of the virus. However, the role of microtubules in the intercellular movement of plant proteins is less clear. Here we show that the SHORT-ROOT (SHR) protein, which moves between cells in the root to regulate root radial patterning, interacts with a type-14 kinesin, KINESIN G (KinG). KinG is a calponin homology domain kinesin that directly interacts with the SHR-binding protein SIEL (SHR-INTERACING EMBRYONIC LETHAL) and localizes to both microtubules and actin. Since SIEL and SHR associate with endosomes, we suggest that KinG serves as a linker between SIEL, SHR, and the plant cytoskeleton. Loss of KinG function results in a decrease in the intercellular movement of SHR and an increase in the sensitivity of SHR movement to treatment with oryzalin. Examination of SHR and KinG localization and dynamics in live cells suggests that KinG is a nonmotile kinesin that promotes the pausing of SHR-associated endosomes. We suggest a model in which interaction of KinG with SHR allows for the formation of stable movement complexes that facilitate the cell-to-cell transport of SHR. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.
Three-dimensional lumbar segment movement characteristics during paediatric cerebral palsy gait.

PubMed

Kiernan, D; Malone, A; O'Brien, T; Simms, C K

2017-03-01

Kinematic analysis of the trunk during cerebral palsy (CP) gait has been well described. In contrast, movement of the lumbar spine is generally ignored. This is most likely due to the complex nature of the spine. As an alternative to using complex sensor protocols, this study modelled the lumbar region as a single segment and investigated characteristic patterns of movement during CP gait. In addition, the impact of functional level of impairment and the relationship with lower lumbar spinal loading were examined. Fifty-two children with CP (26 GMFCS I and 26 GMFCS II) and 26 controls were recruited. A full barefoot 3-dimensional kinematic and kinetic analysis were conducted. Lumbar segment movement demonstrated increased forward flexion for CP children. This movement became more pronounced according to GMFCS level with GMFCS II children demonstrating increases of up to 8°. In addition, a moderate correlation was present between lumbar flexion/extension and L5/S1 sagittal moments (r=0.427 in the global frame and r=0.448 with respect to the pelvis, p<0.01). Children with CP demonstrated increased movement of the lumbar region compared to TD, with movement becoming more excessive as GMFCS level increased. Excessive forward flexion and loading at the lumbar spine were linked. However, the moderate correlation suggests other contributors to increased loading were present. In conclusion, this study is a first step at identifying how lumbar segment movement is altered during CP gait. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Current status and future directions of Lévy walk research.

PubMed

Reynolds, Andy M

2018-01-11

Lévy walks are a mathematical construction useful for describing random patterns of movement with bizarre fractal properties that seem to have no place in biology. Nonetheless, movement patterns resembling Lévy walks have been observed at scales ranging from the microscopic to the ecological. They have been seen in the molecular machinery operating within cells during intracellular trafficking, in the movement patterns of T cells within the brain, in DNA, in some molluscs, insects, fish, birds and mammals, in the airborne flights of spores and seeds, and in the collective movements of some animal groups. Lévy walks are also evident in trace fossils (ichnofossils) - the preserved form of tracks made by organisms that occupied ancient sea beds about 252-66 million years ago. And they are utilised by algae that originated around two billion years ago, and still exist today. In September of 2017, leading researchers from across the life sciences, along with mathematicians and physicists, got together at a Company of Biologists' Workshop to discuss the origins and biological significance of these movement patterns. In this Review the essence of the technical and sometimes heated discussions is distilled and made accessible for all. In just a few pages, the reader is taken from a gentle introduction to the frontiers of a very active field of scientific enquiry. What emerges is a fascinating story of a truly inter-disciplinary scientific endeavour that is seeking to better understand movement patterns occurring across all biological scales. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
Inter-rater Reliability of Sustained Aberrant Movement Patterns as a Clinical Assessment of Muscular Fatigue

PubMed Central

Aerts, Frank; Carrier, Kathy; Alwood, Becky

2016-01-01

Background: The assessment of clinical manifestation of muscle fatigue is an effective procedure in establishing therapeutic exercise dose. Few studies have evaluated physical therapist reliability in establishing muscle fatigue through detection of changes in quality of movement patterns in a live setting. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of physical therapists’ ability to detect altered movement patterns due to muscle fatigue. Design: A reliability study in a live setting with multiple raters. Participants: Forty-four healthy individuals (ages 19-35) were evaluated by six physical therapists in a live setting. Methods: Participants were evaluated by physical therapists for altered movement patterns during resisted shoulder rotation. Each participant completed a total of four tests: right shoulder internal rotation, right shoulder external rotation, left shoulder internal rotation and left shoulder external rotation. Results: For all tests combined, the inter-rater reliability for a single rater scoring ICC (2,1) was .65 (95%, .60, .71) This corresponds to moderate inter-rater reliability between physical therapists. Limitations: The results of this study apply only to healthy participants and therefore cannot be generalized to a symptomatic population. Conclusion: Moderate inter-rater reliability was found between physical therapists in establishing muscle fatigue through the observation of sustained altered movement patterns during dynamic resistive shoulder internal and external rotation. PMID:27347241
Functional topography of the cerebellum for motor and cognitive tasks: an fMRI study

PubMed Central

Stoodley, Catherine J.; Valera, Eve M.; Schmahmann, Jeremy D.

2011-01-01

Anatomical, clinical and imaging findings suggest that the cerebellum is engaged in cognitive and affective functions as well as motor control. Evidence from converging modalities also indicates that there is a functional topography in the human cerebellum for overt control of movement vs. higher functions, such that the cerebellum can be divided into zones depending on connectivity with sensorimotor vs. multimodal association cortices. Using functional MRI, we show that regions active during overt movement differ from those involved in higher-level language, spatial processing and working memory tasks. Nine healthy participants each completed five tasks in order to determine the relative activation patterns for the different paradigms. Right-handed finger-tapping activated right cerebellar lobules IV-V and VIII, consistent with descriptions of the cerebellar homunculi. Verb generation engaged right cerebellar lobules VI-Crus I and a second cluster in lobules VIIB-VIIIA. Mental rotation activation peaks were localized to medial left cerebellar lobule VII (Crus II). A 2-back working memory task activated bilateral regions of lobules VI-VII. Viewing arousing vs. neutral images did not reliably activate the cerebellum or cerebral limbic areas in this study. The cerebellar functional topography identified in this study reflects the involvement of different cerebro-cerebellar circuits depending on the demands of the task being performed: overt movement activated sensorimotor cortices along with contralateral cerebellar lobules IV-VI and VIII, whereas more cognitively demanding tasks engaged prefrontal and parietal cortices along with cerebellar lobules VI and VII. These findings provide further support for a cerebellar role in both motor and cognitive tasks, and better establish the existence of functional subregions in the cerebellum. Future studies are needed to determine the exact contribution of the cerebellum – and different cerebro-cerebellar circuits – to task performance. PMID:21907811
Compliant finger sensor for sensorimotor studies in MEG and MR environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Yong, X.; Cheung, T. P. L.; Menon, C.

2016-07-01

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are widely used for functional brain imaging. The correlations between the sensorimotor functions of the hand and brain activities have been investigated in MEG/fMRI studies. Currently, limited information can be drawn from these studies due to the limitations of existing motion sensors that are used to detect hand movements. One major challenge in designing these motion sensors is to limit the signal interference between the motion sensors and the MEG/fMRI. In this work, a novel finger motion sensor, which contains low-ferromagnetic and non-conductive materials, is introduced. The finger sensor consists of four air-filled chambers. When compressed by finger(s), the pressure change in the chambers can be detected by the electronics of the finger sensor. Our study has validated that the interference between the finger sensor and an MEG is negligible. Also, by applying a support vector machine algorithm to the data obtained from the finger sensor, at least 11 finger patterns can be discriminated. Comparing to the use of traditional electromyography (EMG) in detecting finger motion, our proposed finger motion sensor is not only MEG/fMRI compatible, it is also easy to use. As the signals acquired from the sensor have a higher SNR than that of the EMG, no complex algorithms are required to detect different finger movement patterns. Future studies can utilize this motion sensor to investigate brain activations during different finger motions and correlate the activations with the sensory and motor functions respectively.
Quantifying cross-border movements and migrations for guiding the strategic planning of malaria control and elimination

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Identifying human and malaria parasite movements is important for control planning across all transmission intensities. Imported infections can reintroduce infections into areas previously free of infection, maintain ‘hotspots’ of transmission and import drug resistant strains, challenging national control programmes at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Recent analyses based on mobile phone usage data have provided valuable insights into population and likely parasite movements within countries, but these data are restricted to sub-national analyses, leaving important cross-border movements neglected. Methods National census data were used to analyse and model cross-border migration and movement, using East Africa as an example. ‘Hotspots’ of origin-specific immigrants from neighbouring countries were identified for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Populations of origin-specific migrants were compared to distance from origin country borders and population size at destination, and regression models were developed to quantify and compare differences in migration patterns. Migration data were then combined with existing spatially-referenced malaria data to compare the relative propensity for cross-border malaria movement in the region. Results The spatial patterns and processes for immigration were different between each origin and destination country pair. Hotspots of immigration, for example, were concentrated close to origin country borders for most immigrants to Tanzania, but for Kenya, a similar pattern was only seen for Tanzanian and Ugandan immigrants. Regression model fits also differed between specific migrant groups, with some migration patterns more dependent on population size at destination and distance travelled than others. With these differences between immigration patterns and processes, and heterogeneous transmission risk in East Africa and the surrounding region, propensities to import malaria infections also likely show substantial variations. Conclusion This was a first attempt to quantify and model cross-border movements relevant to malaria transmission and control. With national census available worldwide, this approach can be translated to construct a cross-border human and malaria movement evidence base for other malaria endemic countries. The outcomes of this study will feed into wider efforts to quantify and model human and malaria movements in endemic regions to facilitate improved intervention planning, resource allocation and collaborative policy decisions. PMID:24886389
Fine-Scale Movements of the Broadnose Sevengill Shark and Its Main Prey, the Gummy Shark

PubMed Central

Barnett, Adam; Abrantes, Kátya G.; Stevens, John D.; Bruce, Barry D.; Semmens, Jayson M.

2010-01-01

Information on the fine-scale movement of predators and their prey is important to interpret foraging behaviours and activity patterns. An understanding of these behaviours will help determine predator-prey relationships and their effects on community dynamics. For instance understanding a predator's movement behaviour may alter pre determined expectations of prey behaviour, as almost any aspect of the prey's decisions from foraging to mating can be influenced by the risk of predation. Acoustic telemetry was used to study the fine-scale movement patterns of the Broadnose Sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus and its main prey, the Gummy shark Mustelus antarcticus, in a coastal bay of southeast Tasmania. Notorynchus cepedianus displayed distinct diel differences in activity patterns. During the day they stayed close to the substrate (sea floor) and were frequently inactive. At night, however, their swimming behaviour continually oscillated through the water column from the substrate to near surface. In contrast, M. antarcticus remained close to the substrate for the entire diel cycle, and showed similar movement patterns for day and night. For both species, the possibility that movement is related to foraging behaviour is discussed. For M. antarcticus, movement may possibly be linked to a diet of predominantly slow benthic prey. On several occasions, N. cepedianus carried out a sequence of burst speed events (increased rates of movement) that could be related to chasing prey. All burst speed events during the day were across the substrate, while at night these occurred in the water column. Overall, diel differences in water column use, along with the presence of oscillatory behaviour and burst speed events suggest that N. cepedianus are nocturnal foragers, but may opportunistically attack prey they happen to encounter during the day. PMID:21151925
Inferring parturition and neonate survival from movement patterns of female ungulates: a case study using woodland caribou

PubMed Central

DeMars, Craig A; Auger-Méthé, Marie; Schlägel, Ulrike E; Boutin, Stan

2013-01-01

Analyses of animal movement data have primarily focused on understanding patterns of space use and the behavioural processes driving them. Here, we analyzed animal movement data to infer components of individual fitness, specifically parturition and neonate survival. We predicted that parturition and neonate loss events could be identified by sudden and marked changes in female movement patterns. Using GPS radio-telemetry data from female woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), we developed and tested two novel movement-based methods for inferring parturition and neonate survival. The first method estimated movement thresholds indicative of parturition and neonate loss from population-level data then applied these thresholds in a moving-window analysis on individual time-series data. The second method used an individual-based approach that discriminated among three a priori models representing the movement patterns of non-parturient females, females with surviving offspring, and females losing offspring. The models assumed that step lengths (the distance between successive GPS locations) were exponentially distributed and that abrupt changes in the scale parameter of the exponential distribution were indicative of parturition and offspring loss. Both methods predicted parturition with near certainty (>97% accuracy) and produced appropriate predictions of parturition dates. Prediction of neonate survival was affected by data quality for both methods; however, when using high quality data (i.e., with few missing GPS locations), the individual-based method performed better, predicting neonate survival status with an accuracy rate of 87%. Understanding ungulate population dynamics often requires estimates of parturition and neonate survival rates. With GPS radio-collars increasingly being used in research and management of ungulates, our movement-based methods represent a viable approach for estimating rates of both parameters. PMID:24324866
Inferring parturition and neonate survival from movement patterns of female ungulates: a case study using woodland caribou.

PubMed

Demars, Craig A; Auger-Méthé, Marie; Schlägel, Ulrike E; Boutin, Stan

2013-10-01

Analyses of animal movement data have primarily focused on understanding patterns of space use and the behavioural processes driving them. Here, we analyzed animal movement data to infer components of individual fitness, specifically parturition and neonate survival. We predicted that parturition and neonate loss events could be identified by sudden and marked changes in female movement patterns. Using GPS radio-telemetry data from female woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), we developed and tested two novel movement-based methods for inferring parturition and neonate survival. The first method estimated movement thresholds indicative of parturition and neonate loss from population-level data then applied these thresholds in a moving-window analysis on individual time-series data. The second method used an individual-based approach that discriminated among three a priori models representing the movement patterns of non-parturient females, females with surviving offspring, and females losing offspring. The models assumed that step lengths (the distance between successive GPS locations) were exponentially distributed and that abrupt changes in the scale parameter of the exponential distribution were indicative of parturition and offspring loss. Both methods predicted parturition with near certainty (>97% accuracy) and produced appropriate predictions of parturition dates. Prediction of neonate survival was affected by data quality for both methods; however, when using high quality data (i.e., with few missing GPS locations), the individual-based method performed better, predicting neonate survival status with an accuracy rate of 87%. Understanding ungulate population dynamics often requires estimates of parturition and neonate survival rates. With GPS radio-collars increasingly being used in research and management of ungulates, our movement-based methods represent a viable approach for estimating rates of both parameters.
Simple models for studying complex spatiotemporal patterns of animal behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyutyunov, Yuri V.; Titova, Lyudmila I.

2017-06-01

Minimal mathematical models able to explain complex patterns of animal behavior are essential parts of simulation systems describing large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of trophic communities, particularly those with wide-ranging species, such as occur in pelagic environments. We present results obtained with three different modelling approaches: (i) an individual-based model of animal spatial behavior; (ii) a continuous taxis-diffusion-reaction system of partial-difference equations; (iii) a 'hybrid' approach combining the individual-based algorithm of organism movements with explicit description of decay and diffusion of the movement stimuli. Though the models are based on extremely simple rules, they all allow description of spatial movements of animals in a predator-prey system within a closed habitat, reproducing some typical patterns of the pursuit-evasion behavior observed in natural populations. In all three models, at each spatial position the animal movements are determined by local conditions only, so the pattern of collective behavior emerges due to self-organization. The movement velocities of animals are proportional to the density gradients of specific cues emitted by individuals of the antagonistic species (pheromones, exometabolites or mechanical waves of the media, e.g., sound). These cues play a role of taxis stimuli: prey attract predators, while predators repel prey. Depending on the nature and the properties of the movement stimulus we propose using either a simplified individual-based model, a continuous taxis pursuit-evasion system, or a little more detailed 'hybrid' approach that combines simulation of the individual movements with the continuous model describing diffusion and decay of the stimuli in an explicit way. These can be used to improve movement models for many species, including large marine predators.
Liberating Lévy walk research from the shackles of optimal foraging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynolds, Andy

2015-09-01

There is now compelling evidence that many organisms have movement patterns that can be described as Lévy walks, or Lévy flights. Lévy movement patterns have been identified in cells, microorganisms, molluscs, insects, reptiles, fish, birds and even human hunter-gatherers. Most research into Lévy walks as models of organism movement patterns has been shaped by the 'Lévy flight foraging hypothesis'. This states that, since Lévy walks can optimize search efficiencies, natural selection should lead to adaptations that select for Lévy walk foraging. However, a growing body of research on generative mechanisms suggests that Lévy walks can arise freely as by-products of otherwise innocuous behaviours; consequently their advantageous properties are purely coincidental. This suggests that the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis should be amended, or even replaced, by a simpler and more general hypothesis. This new hypothesis would state that 'Lévy walks emerge spontaneously and naturally from innate behaviours and innocuous responses to the environment but, if advantageous, then there could be selection against losing them'. The new hypothesis has the virtue of making fewer assumptions and being broader than the original hypothesis; it also encompasses the many examples of suboptimal Lévy patterns that challenge the prevailing paradigm. This does not detract from the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis, in fact, it adds to the theory by providing a stronger and more compelling case for the occurrence of Lévy walks. It dispenses with concerns about the theoretical arguments in support of the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis and so may lead to a wider acceptance of Lévy walks as models of movement pattern data. Furthermore, organisms can approximate Lévy walks by adapting intrinsic behaviour in simple ways; this occurs when Lévy movement patterns are advantageous, but come with an associated cost. These new developments represent a major change in perspective and provide the broadest picture yet of Lévy movement patterns. However, the process of understanding and identifying Lévy movement patterns still has a long way to go, and further reinterpretations and shifts in understanding will occur. In conclusion, Lévy walk research remains exciting precisely because so much remains to be understood, and because, even relatively small studies, are interesting discoveries in their own right.
Liberating Lévy walk research from the shackles of optimal foraging.

PubMed

Reynolds, Andy

2015-09-01

There is now compelling evidence that many organisms have movement patterns that can be described as Lévy walks, or Lévy flights. Lévy movement patterns have been identified in cells, microorganisms, molluscs, insects, reptiles, fish, birds and even human hunter-gatherers. Most research into Lévy walks as models of organism movement patterns has been shaped by the 'Lévy flight foraging hypothesis'. This states that, since Lévy walks can optimize search efficiencies, natural selection should lead to adaptations that select for Lévy walk foraging. However, a growing body of research on generative mechanisms suggests that Lévy walks can arise freely as by-products of otherwise innocuous behaviours; consequently their advantageous properties are purely coincidental. This suggests that the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis should be amended, or even replaced, by a simpler and more general hypothesis. This new hypothesis would state that 'Lévy walks emerge spontaneously and naturally from innate behaviours and innocuous responses to the environment but, if advantageous, then there could be selection against losing them'. The new hypothesis has the virtue of making fewer assumptions and being broader than the original hypothesis; it also encompasses the many examples of suboptimal Lévy patterns that challenge the prevailing paradigm. This does not detract from the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis, in fact, it adds to the theory by providing a stronger and more compelling case for the occurrence of Lévy walks. It dispenses with concerns about the theoretical arguments in support of the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis and so may lead to a wider acceptance of Lévy walks as models of movement pattern data. Furthermore, organisms can approximate Lévy walks by adapting intrinsic behaviour in simple ways; this occurs when Lévy movement patterns are advantageous, but come with an associated cost. These new developments represent a major change in perspective and provide the broadest picture yet of Lévy movement patterns. However, the process of understanding and identifying Lévy movement patterns still has a long way to go, and further reinterpretations and shifts in understanding will occur. In conclusion, Lévy walk research remains exciting precisely because so much remains to be understood, and because, even relatively small studies, are interesting discoveries in their own right. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Kinematic and neuromuscular relationships between lower extremity clinical movement assessments.

PubMed

Mauntel, Timothy C; Cram, Tyler R; Frank, Barnett S; Begalle, Rebecca L; Norcross, Marc F; Blackburn, J Troy; Padua, Darin A

2018-06-01

Lower extremity injuries have immediate and long-term consequences. Lower extremity movement assessments can assist with identifying individuals at greater injury risk and guide injury prevention interventions. Movement assessments identify similar movement characteristics and evidence suggests large magnitude kinematic relationships exist between movement patterns observed across assessments; however, the magnitude of the relationships for electromyographic (EMG) measures across movement assessments remains largely unknown. This study examined relationships between lower extremity kinematic and EMG measures during jump landings and single leg squats. Lower extremity three-dimensional kinematic and EMG data were sampled from healthy adults (males = 20, females = 20) during the movement assessments. Pearson correlations examined the relationships of the kinematic and EMG measures and paired samples t-tests compared mean kinematic and EMG measures between the assessments. Overall, significant moderate correlations were observed for lower extremity kinematic (r avg = 0.41, r range = 0.10-0.61) and EMG (r avg = 0.47, r range = 0.32-0.80) measures across assessments. Kinematic and EMG measures were greater during the jump landings. Jump landings and single leg squats place different demands on the body and necessitate different kinematic and EMG patterns, such that these measures are not highly correlated between assessments. Clinicians should, therefore, use multiple assessments to identify aberrant movement and neuromuscular control patterns so that comprehensive interventions can be implemented.
Skin strain patterns provide kinaesthetic information to the human central nervous system.

PubMed Central

Edin, B B; Johansson, N

1995-01-01

1. We investigated the contribution of skin strain-related sensory inputs to movement perception and execution in five normal volunteers. The dorsal and palmar skin of the middle phalanx and the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint were manipulated to generate specific strain patterns in the proximal part of the index finger. To mask sensations directly related to this manipulation, skin and deeper tissues were blocked distal to the mid-portion of the proximal phalanx of the index finger by local anaesthesia. 2. Subjects were asked to move their normal right index finger either to mimic any perceived movements of the anaesthetized finger or to touch the tip of the insentient finger. 3. All subjects readily reproduced actual movements induced by the experimenter at the anaesthetized PIP joint. However, all subjects also generated flexion movements when the experimenter did not induce actual movement but produced deformations in the sentient proximal skin that were similar to those observed during actual PIP joint flexion. Likewise, the subjects indicated extension movement at the PIP joint when strain patterns corresponding to extension movements were induced. 4. In contrast, when the skin strain in the proximal part of the index finger was damped by a ring applied just proximal to the PIP joint within the anaesthetized skin area, both tested subjects failed to perceive PIP movements that actually took place.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Images Figure 2 Figure 3 PMID:7473253
Spatio-Temporal Patterning in Primary Motor Cortex at Movement Onset.

PubMed

Best, Matthew D; Suminski, Aaron J; Takahashi, Kazutaka; Brown, Kevin A; Hatsopoulos, Nicholas G

2017-02-01

Voluntary movement initiation involves the engagement of large populations of motor cortical neurons around movement onset. Despite knowledge of the temporal dynamics that lead to movement, the spatial structure of these dynamics across the cortical surface remains unknown. In data from 4 rhesus macaques, we show that the timing of attenuation of beta frequency local field potential oscillations, a correlate of locally activated cortex, forms a spatial gradient across primary motor cortex (MI). We show that these spatio-temporal dynamics are recapitulated in the engagement order of ensembles of MI neurons. We demonstrate that these patterns are unique to movement onset and suggest that movement initiation requires a precise spatio-temporal sequential activation of neurons in MI. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
EEG patterns in theta and gamma frequency range and their probable relation to human voluntary movement organization.

PubMed

Popivanov, D; Mineva, A; Krekule, I

1999-05-21

In experiments with EEG accompanying continuous slow goal-directed voluntary movements we found abrupt short-term transients (STs) of the coefficients of EEG time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) model. The onset of STs indicated (i) a positive EEG wave related to an increase of 3-7 Hz oscillations in time period before the movement start, (ii) synchronization of 35-40 Hz prior to movement start and during the movement when the target is nearly reached. Both these phenomena are expressed predominantly over supplementary motor area, premotor and parietal cortices. These patterns were detected after averaging of EEG segments synchronized to the abrupt changes of the TVAR coefficients computed in the time course of EEG single records. The results are discussed regarding the cognitive aspect of organization of goal-directed movements.
Home Range Use and Movement Patterns of Non-Native Feral Goats in a Tropical Island Montane Dry Landscape

PubMed Central

Chynoweth, Mark W.; Lepczyk, Christopher A.; Litton, Creighton M.; Hess, Steven C.; Kellner, James R.; Cordell, Susan

2015-01-01

Advances in wildlife telemetry and remote sensing technology facilitate studies of broad-scale movements of ungulates in relation to phenological shifts in vegetation. In tropical island dry landscapes, home range use and movements of non-native feral goats (Capra hircus) are largely unknown, yet this information is important to help guide the conservation and restoration of some of the world’s most critically endangered ecosystems. We hypothesized that feral goats would respond to resource pulses in vegetation by traveling to areas of recent green-up. To address this hypothesis, we fitted six male and seven female feral goats with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars equipped with an Argos satellite upload link to examine goat movements in relation to the plant phenology using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Movement patterns of 50% of males and 40% of females suggested conditional movement between non-overlapping home ranges throughout the year. A shift in NDVI values corresponded with movement between primary and secondary ranges of goats that exhibited long-distance movement, suggesting that vegetation phenology as captured by NDVI is a good indicator of the habitat and movement patterns of feral goats in tropical island dry landscapes. In the context of conservation and restoration of tropical island landscapes, the results of our study identify how non-native feral goats use resources across a broad landscape to sustain their populations and facilitate invasion of native plant communities. PMID:25807275
Home range use and movement patterns of non-native feral goats in a tropical island montane dry landscape.

PubMed

Chynoweth, Mark W; Lepczyk, Christopher A; Litton, Creighton M; Hess, Steven C; Kellner, James R; Cordell, Susan

2015-01-01

Advances in wildlife telemetry and remote sensing technology facilitate studies of broad-scale movements of ungulates in relation to phenological shifts in vegetation. In tropical island dry landscapes, home range use and movements of non-native feral goats (Capra hircus) are largely unknown, yet this information is important to help guide the conservation and restoration of some of the world's most critically endangered ecosystems. We hypothesized that feral goats would respond to resource pulses in vegetation by traveling to areas of recent green-up. To address this hypothesis, we fitted six male and seven female feral goats with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars equipped with an Argos satellite upload link to examine goat movements in relation to the plant phenology using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Movement patterns of 50% of males and 40% of females suggested conditional movement between non-overlapping home ranges throughout the year. A shift in NDVI values corresponded with movement between primary and secondary ranges of goats that exhibited long-distance movement, suggesting that vegetation phenology as captured by NDVI is a good indicator of the habitat and movement patterns of feral goats in tropical island dry landscapes. In the context of conservation and restoration of tropical island landscapes, the results of our study identify how non-native feral goats use resources across a broad landscape to sustain their populations and facilitate invasion of native plant communities.

Home range use and movement patterns of non-native feral goats in a tropical island montane dry landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chynoweth, Mark W.; Lepczyk, Christopher A.; Litton, Creighton M.; Hess, Steve; Kellner, James; Cordell, Susan

2015-01-01

Advances in wildlife telemetry and remote sensing technology facilitate studies of broad-scale movements of ungulates in relation to phenological shifts in vegetation. In tropical island dry landscapes, home range use and movements of non-native feral goats (Capra hircus) are largely unknown, yet this information is important to help guide the conservation and restoration of some of the world’s most critically endangered ecosystems. We hypothesized that feral goats would respond to resource pulses in vegetation by traveling to areas of recent green-up. To address this hypothesis, we fitted six male and seven female feral goats with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars equipped with an Argos satellite upload link to examine goat movements in relation to the plant phenology using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Movement patterns of 50% of males and 40% of females suggested conditional movement between non-overlapping home ranges throughout the year. A shift in NDVI values corresponded with movement between primary and secondary ranges of goats that exhibited long-distance movement, suggesting that vegetation phenology as captured by NDVI is a good indicator of the habitat and movement patterns of feral goats in tropical island dry landscapes. In the context of conservation and restoration of tropical island landscapes, the results of our study identify how non-native feral goats use resources across a broad landscape to sustain their populations and facilitate invasion of native plant communities.
Tight junction physiology of pleural mesothelium

PubMed Central

Markov, Alexander G.; Amasheh, Salah

2014-01-01

Pleura consists of visceral and parietal cell layers, producing a fluid, which is necessary for lubrication of the pleural space. Function of both mesothelial cell layers is necessary for the regulation of a constant pleural fluid volume and composition to facilitate lung movement during breathing. Recent studies have demonstrated that pleural mesothelial cells show a distinct expression pattern of tight junction proteins which are known to ubiquitously determine paracellular permeability. Most tight junction proteins provide a sealing function to epithelia, but some have been shown to have a paracellular channel function or ambiguous properties. Here we provide an in-depth review of the current knowledge concerning specific functional contribution of these proteins determining transport and barrier function of pleural mesothelium. PMID:25009499
Evidence for intermittency and a truncated power law from highly resolved aphid movement data.

PubMed

Mashanova, Alla; Oliver, Tom H; Jansen, Vincent A A

2010-01-06

Power laws are increasingly used to describe animal movement. Despite this, the use of power laws has been criticized on both empirical and theoretical grounds, and alternative models based on extensions of conventional random walk theory (Brownian motion) have been suggested. In this paper, we analyse a large volume of data of aphid walking behaviour (65,068 data points), which provides a highly resolved dataset to investigate the pattern of movement. We show that aphid movement is intermittent--with alternations of a slow movement with frequent change of direction and a fast, relatively directed movement--and that the fast movement consists of two phases--a strongly directed phase that gradually changes into an uncorrelated random walk. By measuring the mean-squared displacement and the duration of non-stop movement episodes we found that both spatial and temporal aspects of aphid movement are best described using a truncated power law approach. We suggest that the observed spatial pattern arises from the duration of non-stop movement phases rather than from correlations in turning angles. We discuss the implications of these findings for interpreting movement data, such as distinguishing between movement and non-movement, and the effect of the range of data used in the analysis on the conclusions.
Montessori and Steiner: A Pattern of Reverse Symmetries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coulter, Dee Joy

2003-01-01

Explains the educational movements precipitated by Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner as comprising a pattern of reverse symmetries. Notes the influence of war on their philosophies. Discusses reverse symmetries in curriculum related to mathematics, geography, and history. Maintains that each of these two movements holds the other at its core,…
Probing the role of nonmuscle tropomyosin isoforms in intracellular granule movement by microinjection of monoclonal antibodies

PubMed Central

1989-01-01

Chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells were microinjected with several different monoclonal antibodies that recognize certain nonmuscle isoforms of tropomyosin. Immediately after injection, cells were recorded with a time-lapse video imaging system; later analysis of the tapes revealed that particles in cells injected with one of these antibodies (CG1, specific for CEF tropomyosin isoforms 1 and 3) showed a dramatic decrease in instantaneous speed while moving, distance moved per saltation, and proportion of time spent in motion. Injection of Fab fragments of CG1 resulted in similar changes in the pattern of granule movement. This inhibition of granule movement by CG1 antibody was reversible; at 2.5 h after injection, granules in injected cells had already reached three-fourths of normal speed. The speed of granule movement in cells injected either with antibody specific for tropomyosin isoforms not present in CEF cells, or with CG1 antibody preabsorbed with tropomyosin, was not significantly different from the speed of granules in uninjected cells. When cells were injected with CG1 or Fab fragments of CG1, fixed, and counter-stained with rabbit antibodies to reveal the microtubule, microfilament, and intermediate filament systems, no obvious differences from the patterns normally seen in uninjected cells were observed. Examination of the ultrastructure of injected cells by EM confirmed the presence of apparently intact and normal microtubule, actin, and intermediate filament networks. These experiments suggest that tropomyosin may play an important role in the movement of vesicles and organelles in the cell cytoplasm. Also, we have shown previously that the CG1 determinant can undergo a motility-dependent change in reactivity, that may be important for the regulatory function of nonmuscle tropomyosin (Hegmann, T. E., J. L.-C. Lin, and J. J.-C. Lin. 1988. J. Cell Biol. 106:385-393). Therefore, in addition to postulated microtubule-based motors, microfilaments may play a critical role in regulating granule movement in nonmuscle cells. PMID:2670955
Local cattle movements in response to ongoing bovine tuberculosis zonation and regulations in Michigan, USA.

PubMed

Grear, Daniel A; Kaneene, John B; Averill, James J; Webb, Colleen T

2014-06-01

Bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) is an ongoing management issue in the state of Michigan with eradication from livestock as the ultimate goal. Eradication has been a challenge owing to the presence of a wildlife reservoir; competing interests in managing the livestock and wildlife hosts; and many uncertainties in transmission dynamics of M. bovis. One of the cornerstones of the eradication effort has been to stop movement of infected cattle among farms by imposing strict pre-movement testing on cattle being moved within, into and out of the Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ) in northeastern Michigan. In addition to pre-movement tuberculosis testing, detailed information about the origin and destination premises of all movements within the MAZ has been recorded in Michigan. The aim of this study was to describe the farm-to-farm movements of cattle within the MAZ, report changes in the network of movements during a 6-year period when the MAZ was a constant size (2004-2009), and examine changes in cattle movement patterns when the MAZ was reduced from 11 to 5 counties in 2010. Non-slaughter cattle movement within the MAZ was characterized by predominantly local movements at a sub-county scale. Premises that shipped cattle were primarily senders or receivers, but rarely both. From 2004 to 2009, the number of cattle shipped, size of shipments, number of shipments and distance of shipments decreased; there was little change in the network patterns of interaction among individual premises; and interactions among all premises became more disconnected. After accounting for MAZ size, there were also no changes in cattle movement network patterns following the reduction of the MAZ in 2010. The movement of cattle was likely not a key risk factor in bTB spread among premises in the MAZ during the study period and the effect of zonation and movement regulations appeared to further reduce the risk of tuberculosis spread via cattle movements among farms in Michigan's MAZ. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Limb movements during embryonic development in the chick: evidence for a continuum in limb motor control antecedent to locomotion.

PubMed

Bradley, Nina S; Solanki, Dhara; Zhao, Dawn

2005-12-01

New imaging technologies are revealing ever-greater details of motor behavior in fetuses for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the form, mechanisms, and significance of fetal behavior will maximize imaging applications. The chick is readily available for experimentation throughout embryogenesis, making it an excellent model for this purpose. Yet in 40 yr since Hamburger and colleagues described chick embryonic behavior, we have not determined if motility belongs to a developmental continuum fundamental to posthatching behavior. This study examined kinematics and synchronized electromyography (EMG) during spontaneous limb movements in chicks at four time points between embryonic days (E) 9-18. We report that coordinated kinematic and/or EMG patterns were expressed at each time point. Variability observed in knee and ankle excursions at E15-E18 sorted into distinct in-phase and out-of-phase patterns. EMG patterns did not directly account for out-of-phase patterns, indicating study of movement biomechanics will be critical to fully understand motor control in the embryo. We also provide the first descriptions of 2- to 10-Hz limb movements emerging E15-E18 and a shift from in-phase to out-of-phase interlimb coordination E9-E18. Our findings revealed that coordinated limb movements persist across development and suggest they belong to a developmental continuum for locomotion. Limb patterns were consistent with the half center model for a locomotor pattern generator. Achievement of these patterns by E9 may thus indicate the embryo has completed a critical phase beyond which developmental progression may be less vulnerable to experimental perturbations or prenatal events.
A Physics-Inspired Mechanistic Model of Migratory Movement Patterns in Birds.

PubMed

Revell, Christopher; Somveille, Marius

2017-08-29

In this paper, we introduce a mechanistic model of migratory movement patterns in birds, inspired by ideas and methods from physics. Previous studies have shed light on the factors influencing bird migration but have mainly relied on statistical correlative analysis of tracking data. Our novel method offers a bottom up explanation of population-level migratory movement patterns. It differs from previous mechanistic models of animal migration and enables predictions of pathways and destinations from a given starting location. We define an environmental potential landscape from environmental data and simulate bird movement within this landscape based on simple decision rules drawn from statistical mechanics. We explore the capacity of the model by qualitatively comparing simulation results to the non-breeding migration patterns of a seabird species, the Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris). This minimal, two-parameter model was able to capture remarkably well the previously documented migration patterns of the Black-browed Albatross, with the best combination of parameter values conserved across multiple geographically separate populations. Our physics-inspired mechanistic model could be applied to other bird and highly-mobile species, improving our understanding of the relative importance of various factors driving migration and making predictions that could be useful for conservation.
Differences in Movement Pattern and Detectability between Males and Females Influence How Common Sampling Methods Estimate Sex Ratio.

PubMed

Rodrigues, João Fabrício Mota; Coelho, Marco Túlio Pacheco

2016-01-01

Sampling the biodiversity is an essential step for conservation, and understanding the efficiency of sampling methods allows us to estimate the quality of our biodiversity data. Sex ratio is an important population characteristic, but until now, no study has evaluated how efficient are the sampling methods commonly used in biodiversity surveys in estimating the sex ratio of populations. We used a virtual ecologist approach to investigate whether active and passive capture methods are able to accurately sample a population's sex ratio and whether differences in movement pattern and detectability between males and females produce biased estimates of sex-ratios when using these methods. Our simulation allowed the recognition of individuals, similar to mark-recapture studies. We found that differences in both movement patterns and detectability between males and females produce biased estimates of sex ratios. However, increasing the sampling effort or the number of sampling days improves the ability of passive or active capture methods to properly sample sex ratio. Thus, prior knowledge regarding movement patterns and detectability for species is important information to guide field studies aiming to understand sex ratio related patterns.
Differences in Movement Pattern and Detectability between Males and Females Influence How Common Sampling Methods Estimate Sex Ratio

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, João Fabrício Mota; Coelho, Marco Túlio Pacheco

2016-01-01

Sampling the biodiversity is an essential step for conservation, and understanding the efficiency of sampling methods allows us to estimate the quality of our biodiversity data. Sex ratio is an important population characteristic, but until now, no study has evaluated how efficient are the sampling methods commonly used in biodiversity surveys in estimating the sex ratio of populations. We used a virtual ecologist approach to investigate whether active and passive capture methods are able to accurately sample a population’s sex ratio and whether differences in movement pattern and detectability between males and females produce biased estimates of sex-ratios when using these methods. Our simulation allowed the recognition of individuals, similar to mark-recapture studies. We found that differences in both movement patterns and detectability between males and females produce biased estimates of sex ratios. However, increasing the sampling effort or the number of sampling days improves the ability of passive or active capture methods to properly sample sex ratio. Thus, prior knowledge regarding movement patterns and detectability for species is important information to guide field studies aiming to understand sex ratio related patterns. PMID:27441554
Patterns of spatial distribution of golden eagles across North America: How do they fit into existing landscape-scale mapping systems?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Jessi L.; Bedrosian, Bryan; Bell, Douglas A.; Braham, Melissa A.; Cooper, Jeff; Crandall, Ross H.; DiDonato, Joe; Domenech, Robert; Duerr, Adam E.; Katzner, Todd; Lanzone, Michael J.; LaPlante, David W.; McIntyre, Carol L.; Miller, Tricia A.; Murphy, Robert K.; Shreading, Adam; Slater, Steven J.; Smith, Jeff P.; Smith, Brian W.; Watson, James W.; Woodbridge, Brian

2017-01-01

Conserving wide-ranging animals requires knowledge about their year-round movements and resource use. Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) exhibit a wide range of movement patterns across North America. We combined tracking data from 571 Golden Eagles from multiple independent satellite-telemetry projects from North America to provide a comprehensive look at the magnitude and extent of these movements on a continental scale. We compared patterns of use relative to four alternative administrative and ecological mapping systems, namely Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs), U.S. administrative migratory bird flyways, Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. Our analyses suggested that eagles initially captured in eastern North America used space differently than those captured in western North America. Other groups of eagles that exhibited distinct patterns in space use included long-distance migrants from northern latitudes, and southwestern and Californian desert residents. There were also several groupings of eagles in the Intermountain West. Using this collaborative approach, we have identified large-scale movement patterns that may not have been possible with individual studies. These results will support landscape-scale conservation measures for Golden Eagles across North America.
OBSERVER RATING VERSUS THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOTION ANALYSIS OF LOWER EXTREMITY KINEMATICS DURING FUNCTIONAL SCREENING TESTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

PubMed

Maclachlan, Liam; White, Steven G; Reid, Duncan

2015-08-01

Functional assessments are conducted in both clinical and athletic settings in an attempt to identify those individuals who exhibit movement patterns that may increase their risk of non-contact injury. In place of highly sophisticated three-dimensional motion analysis, functional testing can be completed through observation. To evaluate the validity of movement observation assessments by summarizing the results of articles comparing human observation in real-time or video play-back and three-dimensional motion analysis of lower extremity kinematics during functional screening tests. Systematic review. A computerized systematic search was conducted through Medline, SPORTSdiscus, Scopus, Cinhal, and Cochrane health databases between February and April of 2014. Validity studies comparing human observation (real-time or video play-back) to three-dimensional motion analysis of functional tasks were selected. Only studies comprising uninjured, healthy subjects conducting lower extremity functional assessments were appropriate for review. Eligible observers were certified health practitioners or qualified members of sports and athletic training teams that conduct athlete screening. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) was used to appraise the literature. Results are presented in terms of functional tasks. Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Across these studies, two-legged squats, single-leg squats, drop-jumps, and running and cutting manoeuvres were the functional tasks analysed. When compared to three-dimensional motion analysis, observer ratings of lower extremity kinematics, such as knee position in relation to the foot, demonstrated mixed results. Single-leg squats achieved target sensitivity values (≥ 80%) but not specificity values (≥ 50%>%). Drop-jump task agreement ranged from poor (< 50%) to excellent (> 80%). Two-legged squats achieved 88% sensitivity and 85% specificity. Mean underestimations as large as 198 (peak knee flexion) were found in the results of those assessing running and side-step cutting manoeuvres. Variables such as the speed of movement, the methods of rating, the profiles of participants and the experience levels of observers may have influenced the outcomes of functional testing. The small number of studies used limits generalizability. Furthermore, this review used two dimensional video-playback for the majority of observations. If the movements had been rated in real-time three dimensional video, the results may have been different. Slower, speed controlled movements using dichotomous ratings reach target sensitivity and demonstrate higher overall levels of agreement. As a result, their utilization in functional screening is advocated. 1A.
Eye Movement Patterns of the Elderly during Stair Descent:Effect of Illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasahara, Satoko; Okabe, Sonoko; Nakazato, Naoko; Ohno, Yuko

The relationship between the eye movement pattern during stair descent and illumination was studied in 4 elderly people in comparison with that in 5 young people. The illumination condition was light (85.0±30.9 lx) or dark (0.7±0.3 lx), and data of eye movements were obtained using an eye mark recorder. A flight of 15 steps was used for the experiment, and data on 3 steps in the middle, on which the descent movements were stabilized, were analyzed. The elderly subjects pointed their eyes mostly directly in front in the facial direction regardless of the illumination condition, but the young subjects tended to look down under the light condition. The young subjects are considered to have confirmed the safety of the front by peripheral vision, checked the stepping surface by central vision, and still maintained the upright position without leaning forward during stair descent. The elderly subjects, in contrast, always looked at the visual target by central vision even under the light condition and leaned forward. The range of eye movements was larger vertically than horizontally in both groups, and a characteristic eye movement pattern of repeating a vertical shuttle movement synchronous with descent of each step was observed. Under the dark condition, the young subjects widened the range of vertical eye movements and reduced duration of fixation. The elderly subjects showed no change in the range of eye movements but increased duration of fixation during stair descent. These differences in the eye movements are considered to be compensatory reactions to narrowing of the vertical visual field, reduced dark adaptation, and reduced dynamic visual acuity due to aging. These characteristics of eye movements of the elderly lead to an anteriorly leaned posture and lack of attention to the front during stair descent.
Using the Newly Developed Floor-Sitting Movement Analysis Proforma to Study the Effect of Age and Activity on Floor-Sitting in Indian Adults.

PubMed

Nagrajan, Anjana; D'Souza, Sebestina A

2017-03-01

Floor-sitting is culturally relevant to the Indian context. The present study aimed to examine the effect of age and activity on the movement patterns used and time taken to perform floor-sitting in Indian adults. Video-recordings of 30 young (23.30 ± 2.53 years) and 30 older (69.67 ± 6.45 years) adults performing floor-sitting without and with an activity (simulated feeding) were analyzed using the Floor-sitting Movement Analysis Proforma (FMAP) developed for the study. For inter-rater reliability of the FMAP, two raters analyzed the performance of a random sample of 20 participants. An almost perfect inter-rater agreeability (κ ≥ .8) was obtained for the FMAP. Cross-legged sitting was the most preferred (95%) floor-sitting position. Older adults used more number of movement components, asymmetrical patterns, more support, and more time (p < .001) as compared to the young adults. The activity facilitated the use of optimal movement strategies in young and older adults. The activity significantly increased time taken to rise from floor-sitting (p = .004). The study establishes the influence of age and activity on performance of floor-sitting. Older adults use lower developmental movement patterns that may be a "normal" adaptation to age-related sensorimotor changes. Retraining of floor-sitting is a "culturally" desired goal among Indian adults and should involve the practice of age-appropriate movement patterns in the context of meaningful activities.
Seasonal and ontogenetic changes in movement patterns of sixgill sharks.

PubMed

Andrews, Kelly S; Williams, Greg D; Levin, Phillip S

2010-09-08

Understanding movement patterns is fundamental to population and conservation biology. The way an animal moves through its environment influences the dynamics of local populations and will determine how susceptible it is to natural or anthropogenic perturbations. It is of particular interest to understand the patterns of movement for species which are susceptible to human activities (e.g. fishing), or that exert a large influence on community structure, such as sharks. We monitored the patterns of movement of 34 sixgill sharks Hexanchus griseus using two large-scale acoustic arrays inside and outside Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Sixgill sharks were residents in Puget Sound for up to at least four years before making large movements out of the estuary. Within Puget Sound, sixgills inhabited sites for several weeks at a time and returned to the same sites annually. Across four years, sixgills had consistent seasonal movements in which they moved to the north from winter to spring and moved to the south from summer to fall. Just prior to leaving Puget Sound, sixgills altered their behavior and moved twice as fast among sites. Nineteen of the thirty-four sixgills were detected leaving Puget Sound for the outer coast. Three of these sharks returned to Puget Sound. For most large marine predators, we have a limited understanding of how they move through their environment, and this clouds our ability to successfully manage their populations and their communities. With detailed movement information, such as that being uncovered with acoustic monitoring, we can begin to quantify the spatial and temporal impacts of large predators within the framework of their ecosystems.
A novel pattern of leaf movement: the case of Capparis spinosa L.

PubMed

Levizou, Efi; Kyparissis, Aris

2016-09-01

A novel type of heliotropic leaf movement is presented for Capparis spinosa L., a summer perennial shrub of Mediterranean and arid ecosystems. In contrast to plants that demonstrate uniform diaheliotropic and/or paraheliotropic movement for all their foliage, the alternate leaves of C. spinosa follow different movement patterns according to their stem azimuth and the side of the stem that they come from (cluster). Additionally, leaf movement for each cluster may not be uniform throughout the day, showing diaheliotropic characteristics during half of the day and paraheliotropic characteristics during the rest of the day. In an attempt to reveal the adaptive significance of this differential movement pattern, the following hypotheses were tested: (i) increase of the intercepted solar radiation and photosynthesis, (ii) avoidance of photoinhibitory conditions, (iii) amelioration of water-use efficiency and (iv) adjustment of the leaf temperature microenvironment. No evidence was found in support of the first two hypotheses. A slight difference toward a better water use was found for the moving compared with immobilized leaves, in combination with a better cooling effect. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
[Discrimination between pain-induced head movement disturbances after whiplash injuries and their simulation].

PubMed

Berger, M; Lechner-Steinleitner, S; Hoffmann, F; Schönegger, J

1998-12-09

Neck pain after whiplash injury of the cervical spine often induces typical changes in head motion patterns (amplitude, velocity). These changes of kinematics may help to recognize malingerers. We investigated the hypothesis that malingerers are not able to reproduce their simulated head movement disturbances three times. The kinematics of head movements of 23 patients with neck pain after whiplash injury and of 22 healthy subjects trying to act as malingerers were compared. The healthy subjects were informed about the symptomatology of whiplash injury and were asked to simulate painful head movements. Two different kinds of head movements were registered and analyzed by Cervicomotography: (1) the slow free axial head rotation (yaw) and (2) the axial head rotation (yaw) tracking a moving visual target. Each experimental condition was presented three times, expecting the malingerers not to be able to produce as well as to reproduce the same head movement disturbances again and again. In patients, as a consequence of their distinct pain patterns, we expected less variance between the test repetitions. The statistical analysis showed significant differences of the calculated kinematic parameters between both groups and the inability of healthy subjects to simulate and to reproduce convincingly distinct pain patterns.
Diversity in migratory patterns among Neotropical fishes in a highly regulated river basin.

PubMed

Makrakis, M C; Miranda, L E; Makrakis, S; Fontes Júnior, H M; Morlis, W G; Dias, J H P; Garcia, J O

2012-07-01

Migratory behaviour of selected fish species is described in the Paraná River, Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay, to search for patterns relevant to tropical regulated river systems. In a 10 year mark-recapture study, spanning a 1425 km section of the river, 32 867 fishes composed of 18 species were released and 1083 fishes were recaptured. The fishes recaptured were at liberty an average 166 days (maximum 1548 days) and travelled an average 35 km (range 0-625 km). Cluster analysis applied to variables descriptive of movement behaviour identified four general movement patterns. Cluster 1 included species that moved long distances (mean 164 km) upstream (54%) and downstream (40%) the mainstem river and showed high incidence (27%) of passage through dams; cluster 2 also exhibited high rate of movement along the mainstem (49% upstream, 13% downstream), but moved small distances (mean 10 km); cluster 3 included the most fishes moving laterally into tributaries (45%) or not moving at all (25%), but little downstream movement (8%); fishes in cluster 4 exhibited little upstream movement (13%) and farthest downstream movements (mean 41 km). Whereas species could be numerically clustered with statistical models, a species ordination showed ample spread, suggesting that species exhibit diverse movement patterns that cannot be easily classified into just a few classes. The cluster and ordination procedures also showed that adults and juveniles of the same species exhibit similar movement patterns. Conventional concepts about Neotropical migratory fishes portray them as travelling long distances upstream. The present results broaden these concepts suggesting that migratory movements are more diverse, could be long, short or at times absent, upriver, downriver or lateral, and the diversity of movements can vary within and among species. The intense lateral migrations exhibited by a diversity of species, especially to and from large tributaries (above reservoirs) and reservoir tributaries, illustrate the importance of these habitats for the fish species life cycle. Considering that the Paraná River is highly impounded, special attention should be given to the few remaining low-impact habitats as they continue to be targets of hydropower development that will probably intensify the effects on migratory fish stocks. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
The Effect of Aging on Muscular Dynamics Underlying Movement Patterns Changes.

PubMed

Vernooij, Carlijn A; Rao, Guillaume; Berton, Eric; Retornaz, Frédérique; Temprado, Jean-Jacques

2016-01-01

Introduction: Aging leads to alterations not only within the complex subsystems of the neuro-musculo-skeletal system, but also in the coupling between them. Here, we studied how aging affects functional reorganizations that occur both within and between the behavioral and muscular levels, which must be coordinated to produce goal-directed movements. Using unimanual reciprocal Fitts' task, we examined the behavioral and muscular dynamics of older adults (74.4 ± 3.7 years) and compared them to those found for younger adults (23.2 ± 2.0 years). Methods: To achieve this objective, we manipulated the target size to trigger a phase transition in the behavioral regime and searched for concomitant signatures of a phase transition in the muscular coordination. Here, muscular coordination was derived by using the method of muscular synergy extraction. With this technique, we obtained functional muscular patterns through non-negative matrix factorization of the muscular signals followed by clustering the resulting synergies. Results: Older adults showed a phase transition in behavioral regime, although, in contrast to young participants, their kinematic profiles did not show a discontinuity. In parallel, muscular coordination displayed two typical signatures of a phase transition, that is, increased variability of coordination patterns and a reorganization of muscular synergies. Both signatures confirmed the existence of muscular reorganization in older adults, which is coupled with change in dynamical regime at behavioral level. However, relative to young adults, transition occurred at lower index of difficulty (ID) in older participants and the reorganization of muscular patterns lasted longer (over multiple IDs). Discussion: This implies that consistent changes occur in coordination processes across behavior and muscle. Furthermore, the repertoire of muscular patterns was reduced and somewhat modified for older adults, relative to young participants. This suggests that aging is not only related to changes in individual muscles (e.g., caused by dynapenia) but also in their coordination.
Measures of health, fitness, and functional movement among firefighter recruits.

PubMed

Cornell, David J; Gnacinski, Stacy L; Zamzow, Aaron; Mims, Jason; Ebersole, Kyle T

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between various health and fitness measures and Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™) scores among 78 firefighter recruits. Relationships between FMS™ scores and age, body mass index (BMI), sit and reach (S&R) distance, estimated maximal aerobic capacity (V˙ O2max ), estimated one-repetition maximum squat (1RM-Squat max ), and plank endurance (%Plank max ) were examined. Total FMS™ scores were significantly correlated with BMI (r = -0.231, p = 0.042), estimated 1RM-Squat max (r = 0.302, p = 0.007), and %Plank max (r = 0.320, p = 0.004). Multiple regression analyses indicated that this combination of predictors significantly predicted (F(3, 74) = 5.043, p = 0.003) Total FMS™ score outcomes and accounted for 17% of the total variance (R 2 = 0.170). In addition, logistic regression analyses indicated that estimated 1RM-Squat max also significantly predicted (χ 2 = 6.662, df = 1, p = 0.010) FMS™ group membership (≤14 or ≥15). These results suggest that the health and fitness measures of obesity (BMI), bilateral lower extremity strength (estimated 1RM-Squat max ), and core muscular endurance (%Plank max ) are significantly associated with functional movement patterns among firefighter recruits. Consequently, injury prevention programs implemented among firefighter recruits should target these aspects of health and fitness.

Cell migration without a lamellipodium: translation of actin dynamics into cell movement mediated by tropomyosin.

PubMed

Gupton, Stephanie L; Anderson, Karen L; Kole, Thomas P; Fischer, Robert S; Ponti, Aaron; Hitchcock-DeGregori, Sarah E; Danuser, Gaudenz; Fowler, Velia M; Wirtz, Denis; Hanein, Dorit; Waterman-Storer, Clare M

2005-02-14

The actin cytoskeleton is locally regulated for functional specializations for cell motility. Using quantitative fluorescent speckle microscopy (qFSM) of migrating epithelial cells, we previously defined two distinct F-actin networks based on their F-actin-binding proteins and distinct patterns of F-actin turnover and movement. The lamellipodium consists of a treadmilling F-actin array with rapid polymerization-dependent retrograde flow and contains high concentrations of Arp2/3 and ADF/cofilin, whereas the lamella exhibits spatially random punctae of F-actin assembly and disassembly with slow myosin-mediated retrograde flow and contains myosin II and tropomyosin (TM). In this paper, we microinjected skeletal muscle alphaTM into epithelial cells, and using qFSM, electron microscopy, and immunolocalization show that this inhibits functional lamellipodium formation. Cells with inhibited lamellipodia exhibit persistent leading edge protrusion and rapid cell migration. Inhibition of endogenous long TM isoforms alters protrusion persistence. Thus, cells can migrate with inhibited lamellipodia, and we suggest that TM is a major regulator of F-actin functional specialization in migrating cells.
[Recent progress of neuroimaging studies on sleeping brain].

PubMed

Sasaki, Yuka

2012-06-01

Although sleep is a familiar phenomenon, its functions are yet to be elucidated. Understanding these functions of sleep is an important focus area in neuroscience. Electroencephalography (EEG) has been the predominantly used method in human sleep research but does not provide detailed spatial information about brain activation during sleep. To supplement the spatial information provided by this method, researchers have started using a combination of EEG and various advanced neuroimaging techniques that have been recently developed, including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this paper, we will review the recent progress in sleep studies, especially studies that have used such advanced neuroimaging techniques. First, we will briefly introduce several neuroimaging techniques available for use in sleep studies. Next, we will review the spatiotemporal brain activation patterns during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the dynamics of functional connectivity during sleep, and the consolidation of learning and memory during sleep; studies on the neural correlates of dreams, which have not yet been identified, will also be discussed. Lastly, possible directions for future research in this area will be discussed.
Phospho-selective mechanisms of arrestin conformations and functions revealed by unnatural amino acid incorporation and 19F-NMR

PubMed Central

Yang, Fan; Yu, Xiao; Liu, Chuan; Qu, Chang-Xiu; Gong, Zheng; Liu, Hong-Da; Li, Fa-Hui; Wang, Hong-Mei; He, Dong-Fang; Yi, Fan; Song, Chen; Tian, Chang-Lin; Xiao, Kun-Hong; Wang, Jiang-Yun; Sun, Jin-Peng

2015-01-01

Specific arrestin conformations are coupled to distinct downstream effectors, which underlie the functions of many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Here, using unnatural amino acid incorporation and fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance (19F-NMR) spectroscopy, we demonstrate that distinct receptor phospho-barcodes are translated to specific β-arrestin-1 conformations and direct selective signalling. With its phosphate-binding concave surface, β-arrestin-1 ‘reads' the message in the receptor phospho-C-tails and distinct phospho-interaction patterns are revealed by 19F-NMR. Whereas all functional phosphopeptides interact with a common phosphate binding site and induce the movements of finger and middle loops, different phospho-interaction patterns induce distinct structural states of β-arrestin-1 that are coupled to distinct arrestin functions. Only clathrin recognizes and stabilizes GRK2-specific β-arrestin-1 conformations. The identified receptor-phospho-selective mechanism for arrestin conformation and the spacing of the multiple phosphate-binding sites in the arrestin enable arrestin to recognize plethora phosphorylation states of numerous GPCRs, contributing to the functional diversity of receptors. PMID:26347956
Diagnosis and treatment of movement system impairment syndromes.

PubMed

Sahrmann, Shirley; Azevedo, Daniel C; Dillen, Linda Van

Diagnoses and treatments based on movement system impairment syndromes were developed to guide physical therapy treatment. This masterclass aims to describe the concepts on that are the basis of the syndromes and treatment and to provide the current research on movement system impairment syndromes. The conceptual basis of the movement system impairment syndromes is that sustained alignment in a non-ideal position and repeated movements in a specific direction are thought to be associated with several musculoskeletal conditions. Classification into movement system impairment syndromes and treatment has been described for all body regions. The classification involves interpreting data from standardized tests of alignments and movements. Treatment is based on correcting the impaired alignment and movement patterns as well as correcting the tissue adaptations associated with the impaired alignment and movement patterns. The reliability and validity of movement system impairment syndromes have been partially tested. Although several case reports involving treatment using the movement system impairment syndromes concept have been published, efficacy of treatment based on movement system impairment syndromes has not been tested in randomized controlled trials, except in people with chronic low back pain. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.
Common spatial pattern combined with kernel linear discriminate and generalized radial basis function for motor imagery-based brain computer interface applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hekmatmanesh, Amin; Jamaloo, Fatemeh; Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki; Kilpeläinen, Asko

2018-04-01

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) can be a challenge for developing of robotic, prosthesis and human-controlled systems. This work focuses on the implementation of a common spatial pattern (CSP) base algorithm to detect event related desynchronization patterns. Utilizing famous previous work in this area, features are extracted by filter bank with common spatial pattern (FBCSP) method, and then weighted by a sensitive learning vector quantization (SLVQ) algorithm. In the current work, application of the radial basis function (RBF) as a mapping kernel of linear discriminant analysis (KLDA) method on the weighted features, allows the transfer of data into a higher dimension for more discriminated data scattering by RBF kernel. Afterwards, support vector machine (SVM) with generalized radial basis function (GRBF) kernel is employed to improve the efficiency and robustness of the classification. Averagely, 89.60% accuracy and 74.19% robustness are achieved. BCI Competition III, Iva data set is used to evaluate the algorithm for detecting right hand and foot imagery movement patterns. Results show that combination of KLDA with SVM-GRBF classifier makes 8.9% and 14.19% improvements in accuracy and robustness, respectively. For all the subjects, it is concluded that mapping the CSP features into a higher dimension by RBF and utilization GRBF as a kernel of SVM, improve the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method.
Cross-slope Movement Patterns in Landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petley, D.; Murphy, W.; Bulmer, M. H.; Keefer, D.

2002-12-01

There is growing evidence that there is a significant element of cross-slope movement in many large landslide systems. These movements may result in changing states of stress between landslide blocks that can establish complex displacement patterns. Such motions, which are not considered in traditional two-dimensional limit-equilibrium analyses, are important in the investigation of a variety of landslide types, such as those triggered by earthquakes. In addition, these movements may introduce considerable errors into the interpretation of strain patterns as derived from InSAR studies. Finally, even traditional interpretation techniques may lead to the amount of total displacement being underestimated. These observations suggest that a three dimensional form of analysis may be more appropriate for large landslide complexes. The significance of such cross-slope movements are being investigated using a detailed investigation of the Lishan landslide complex in Central Taiwan. This landslide system, which was reactivated in 1990 related to the construction of a hotel. The total recorded movements have been approximately 1.5 m over an area of sliding that is estimated to be 450 m wide and 200 m long. Extensive damage has been caused to roads and buildings within the town. Remediation work has resulted largely in the stabilization of the landslide complex. Detailed geomorphological mapping has revealed that the landslide complex is composed of two main components. The first, immediately upslope of the hotel construction site, is a relatively shallow earthflow. The second, which has formed a large headscarp upslope from the main road in the centre of the town, is a deeper translational slide. Both appear to have been reactivations of previous failures. While the displacement patterns of the earthflow indicate a relatively simple downslope movement, the vectors derived from kinematic analysis of surface features have indicated that the movement of the deeper-seated landslide was more complex. Though the dominant movement vector is downslope, there is evidence to suggest that there has been a cross-slope component of motion that corresponds to the bedding orientation.
SPASTICITY—Its Nature and Treatment

PubMed Central

Levine, Milton G.; Kabat, Herman

1954-01-01

There are a number of physiological means of relaxing spasticity, including active resistive exercise, cold hydrotherapy, heat, electrical stimulation of antagonistic muscles, passive stretch in diagonal movement patterns, and the Von Bechterew reflex. Although none of them will cure spasticity, temporary relaxation may permit a patient to achieve better functioning of an affected joint. The choice of procedure will depend on the nature of the lesion and the muscular distribution of the spasticity. PMID:13150200
Spatial and temporal statistical analysis of bycatch data: Patterns of sea turtle bycatch in the North Atlantic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, B.; Sullivan, P.J.; Morreale, S.J.; Epperly, S.P.

2008-01-01

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtle distributions and movements in offshore waters of the western North Atlantic are not well understood despite continued efforts to monitor, survey, and observe them. Loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles are listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union, and thus anthropogenic mortality of these species, including fishing, is of elevated interest. This study quantifies spatial and temporal patterns of sea turtle bycatch distributions to identify potential processes influencing their locations. A Ripley's K function analysis was employed on the NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Pelagic Longline Observer Program data to determine spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal patterns of sea turtle bycatch distributions within the pattern of the pelagic fishery distribution. Results indicate that loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle catch distributions change seasonally, with patterns of spatial clustering appearing from July through October. The results from the space-time analysis indicate that sea turtle catch distributions are related on a relatively fine scale (30-200 km and 1-5 days). The use of spatial and temporal point pattern analysis, particularly K function analysis, is a novel way to examine bycatch data and can be used to inform fishing practices such that fishing could still occur while minimizing sea turtle bycatch. ?? 2008 NRC.
Classification of mouth movements using 7 T fMRI.

PubMed

Bleichner, M G; Jansma, J M; Salari, E; Freudenburg, Z V; Raemaekers, M; Ramsey, N F

2015-12-01

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is an interface that uses signals from the brain to control a computer. BCIs will likely become important tools for severely paralyzed patients to restore interaction with the environment. The sensorimotor cortex is a promising target brain region for a BCI due to the detailed topography and minimal functional interference with other important brain processes. Previous studies have shown that attempted movements in paralyzed people generate neural activity that strongly resembles actual movements. Hence decodability for BCI applications can be studied in able-bodied volunteers with actual movements. In this study we tested whether mouth movements provide adequate signals in the sensorimotor cortex for a BCI. The study was executed using fMRI at 7 T to ensure relevance for BCI with cortical electrodes, as 7 T measurements have been shown to correlate well with electrocortical measurements. Twelve healthy volunteers executed four mouth movements (lip protrusion, tongue movement, teeth clenching, and the production of a larynx activating sound) while in the scanner. Subjects performed a training and a test run. Single trials were classified based on the Pearson correlation values between the activation patterns per trial type in the training run and single trials in the test run in a 'winner-takes-all' design. Single trial mouth movements could be classified with 90% accuracy. The classification was based on an area with a volume of about 0.5 cc, located on the sensorimotor cortex. If voxels were limited to the surface, which is accessible for electrode grids, classification accuracy was still very high (82%). Voxels located on the precentral cortex performed better (87%) than the postcentral cortex (72%). The high reliability of decoding mouth movements suggests that attempted mouth movements are a promising candidate for BCI in paralyzed people.
Muscle co-contraction patterns in robot-mediated force field learning to guide specific muscle group training.

PubMed

Pizzamiglio, Sara; Desowska, Adela; Shojaii, Pegah; Taga, Myriam; Turner, Duncan L

2017-01-01

Muscle co-contraction is a strategy of increasing movement accuracy and stability employed in dealing with force perturbation of movement. It is often seen in neuropathological populations. The direction of movement influences the pattern of co-contraction, but not all movements are easily achievable for populations with motor deficits. Manipulating the direction of the force instead, may be a promising rehabilitation protocol to train movement with use of a co-contraction reduction strategy. Force field learning paradigms provide a well described procedure to evoke and test muscle co-contraction. The aim of this study was to test the muscle co-contraction pattern in a wide range of arm muscles in different force-field directions utilising a robot-mediated force field learning paradigm of motor adaptation. Forty-two participants volunteered to participate in a study utilising robot-mediated force field motor adaptation paradigm with a clockwise or counter-clockwise force field. Kinematics and surface electromyography (EMG) of eight arm muscles were measured. Both muscle activation and co-contraction was earlier and stronger in flexors in the clockwise condition and in extensors in the counter-clockwise condition. Manipulating the force field direction leads to changes in the pattern of muscle co-contraction.
Recovery of neuronal and network excitability after spinal cord injury and implications for spasticity

PubMed Central

D'Amico, Jessica M.; Condliffe, Elizabeth G.; Martins, Karen J. B.; Bennett, David J.; Gorassini, Monica A.

2014-01-01

The state of areflexia and muscle weakness that immediately follows a spinal cord injury (SCI) is gradually replaced by the recovery of neuronal and network excitability, leading to both improvements in residual motor function and the development of spasticity. In this review we summarize recent animal and human studies that describe how motoneurons and their activation by sensory pathways become hyperexcitable to compensate for the reduction of functional activation of the spinal cord and the eventual impact on the muscle. Specifically, decreases in the inhibitory control of sensory transmission and increases in intrinsic motoneuron excitability are described. We present the idea that replacing lost patterned activation of the spinal cord by activating synaptic inputs via assisted movements, pharmacology or electrical stimulation may help to recover lost spinal inhibition. This may lead to a reduction of uncontrolled activation of the spinal cord and thus, improve its controlled activation by synaptic inputs to ultimately normalize circuit function. Increasing the excitation of the spinal cord with spared descending and/or peripheral inputs by facilitating movement, instead of suppressing it pharmacologically, may provide the best avenue to improve residual motor function and manage spasticity after SCI. PMID:24860447
Locomotor Dysfunction after Long-duration Space Flight and Development of Countermeasures to Facilitate Faster Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulavara, Ajitkumar; Wood, Scott; Cohen, Helen; Bloomberg, Jacob

2012-07-01

Exposure to the microgravity conditions of space flight induces adaptive modification in sensorimotor function allowing astronauts to operate in this unique environment. This adaptive state, however, is inappropriate for a 1-g environment. Consequently astronauts must spend time readapting to Earth's gravity following their return to Earth. During this readaptation period, alterations in sensorimotor function cause various disturbances in astronaut gait during postflight walking. They often rely more on vision for postural and gait stability and many report the need for greater cognitive supervision of motor actions that previous to space flight were fully automated. Over the last several years our laboratory has investigated postflight astronaut locomotion with the aim of better understanding how adaptive changes in underlying sensorimotor mechanisms contribute to postflight gait dysfunction. Exposure to the microgravity conditions of space flight induces adaptive modification in the control of vestibularly-mediated reflexive head movement during locomotion after space flight. Furthermore, during motor learning, adaptive transitions are composed of two main mechanisms: strategic and plastic. Strategic mechanisms represent immediate and transitory modifications in control to deal with changes in the prevailing environment that, if prolonged, induce plastic mechanisms designed to automate new behavioral responses. The goal of the present study was to examine the contributions of sensorimotor subsystems such as the vestibular and body load sensing (BLS) somatosensory influences on head movement control during locomotion after long-duration space flight. Further we present data on the two motor learning processes during readaptation of locomotor function after long-duration space flight. Eighteen astronauts performed two tests of locomotion before and after 6 months of space flight: a treadmill walking test to examine vestibular reflexive mechanisms controlling head movement control and a functional mobility test to investigate overall functional locomotor ability. Postflight sessions were given on days 1, 2, 4, 7 after their return. Subjects walked on a treadmill driven at 1.8 m/s while performing a visual task. Motion data from head and trunk segmental motion data were obtained to calculate the angular head pitch (HP) movements during walking trials while subjects performed the visual task, to estimate the contributions of vestibular reflexive mechanisms in HP movements. Astronauts showed a heterogeneous response pattern of both increases and decreases in the amplitude of HP movement. We investigated the underlying mechanisms of this heterogeneity in postflight responses in head movement control by examining data obtained using the same experimental test paradigm on a vestibular clinical population (VC) and in normal subjects undergoing adaptation to acute body load support unloading. Results showed that exposure to unloaded locomotion caused a significant increase in HP movements, whereas in the VC patients the HP movements were significantly decreased. We infer that BLS-mediated somatosensory input centrally modulates vestibular input and can adaptively modify head-movement control during locomotion. Thus, space flight may cause a central adaptation of the converging vestibular and body load-sensing somatosensory systems. To investigate changes in functional mobility astronaut subjects walked at their preferred pace around an obstacle course consisting of several pylons and obstacles set up on a foam floor, which provided an unstable walking surface. Subjects were instructed to walk around the course as fast as possible without touching any of the objects on the course for a total of six individual trials per test session. One of the dependent measures was time to complete the course (TCC, sec). The learning rate over the six trials performed on preflight and the first day after landing (micro curve) was used to characterize the immediate compensatory strategic response. The learning rate over the six trials of the postflight test days (macro curve) was used to characterize the longer-term plastic response. Adaptation to space flight led to a 52% increase in TCC one day after landing. Recovery to pre-flight scores took an average of two weeks after landing. Subjects showed both strategic and plastic recovery patterns based on the slopes obtained from the micro and macro curves compared to preflight. A regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between the slope values of the macro and micro curves indicating a relationship between strategic and plastic recovery processes. Results showed that both strategic and plastic motor learning processes play a role in postflight restoration of functional mobility and showed a dynamic interplay between these two mechanisms during postflight recovery. These results suggest that gait adaptability training programs which are being developed to facilitate adaptive transition to planetary environments, coupled with low levels of electrical stimulation of the vestibular system, can be optimized to engage both strategic and plastic processes to facilitate rapid restoration of postflight functional mobility.
The Impact of Operating Room Layout on Circulating Nurse's Work Patterns and Flow Disruptions: A Behavioral Mapping Study.

PubMed

Bayramzadeh, Sara; Joseph, Anjali; San, Dee; Khoshkenar, Amin; Taaffe, Kevin; Jafarifiroozabadi, Roxana; Neyens, David M

2018-01-01

To assess how the adjacencies of functionally different areas within operating rooms (ORs) can influence the circulating nurse's (CN) workflow patterns and disruptions. The CN plays a significant role in promoting patient safety during surgical procedures by observing, monitoring, and managing potential threats at and around the surgical field. Their work requires constant movement to different parts of the OR to support team members. The layout of the OR and crowded and cluttered environment might impact the CN's workflow and cause disruptions during the surgery. A convenience sample of 25 surgeries were video recorded and thematically coded for CN's activities, locations, and flow disruptions. The OR layout was categorized into transitional zones and functional zones (workstations, supply zones, support zones, and sterile areas around the surgical table). CN's activities were classified into patient-, equipment-, material-, and information-related activities. Flow disruptions included those related to environmental hazards and layout. The CN traveled through multiple zones during 91% of the activities. The CN's workstation acted as a main hub from which the CN made frequent trips to both sides of the surgical table, the foot of the OR table, supply zones, and support zones. Transitional zones accounted for 58.3% of all flow disruption that the CN was involved in whereas 28% occurred in areas surrounding the OR bed. The similarity of the movement and flow disruption patterns, despite variations in OR layout, highlighted the adjacencies required between major zones that CNs regularly visit. These optimum adjacencies should be considered while designing ORs such that they are more efficient and safer.
Stability and Patterning of Speech Movement Sequences in Children and Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Anne; Goffman, Lisa

1998-01-01

A study of 16 children (ages 4 and 7 years) and 8 young adults used an "Optotrak" system to study patterning and stability of speech movements in developing speech motor systems. Results indicate that nonlinear and nonuniform changes occur in components of the speech motor system during development. (Author/CR)
Elephants in space and time

Treesearch

Samuel A. Cushman; Michael Chase; Curtice Griffin

2005-01-01

Autocorrelation in animal movements can be both a serious nuisance to analysis and a source of valuable information about the scale and patterns of animal behavior, depending on the question and the techniques employed. In this paper we present an approach to analyzing the patterns of autocorrelation in animal movements that provides a detailed picture of seasonal...
Oyster larval transport in coastal Alabama: Dominance of physical transport over biological behavior in a shallow estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Choong-Ki; Park, Kyeong; Powers, Sean P.; Graham, William M.; Bayha, Keith M.

2010-10-01

Among the various factors affecting recruitment of marine invertebrates and fish, larval transport may produce spatial and temporal patterns of abundance that are important determinants of management strategies. Here we conducted a field and modeling study to investigate the larval transport of eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in Mobile Bay and eastern Mississippi Sound, Alabama. A three-dimensional larval transport model accounting for physical transport, biological movement of larvae, and site- and larval-specific conditions was developed. A hydrodynamic model was used to simulate physical transport, and biological movement was parameterized as a function of swimming and sinking velocity of oyster larvae. Site- and larval-specific conditions, including spawning location, spawning stock size, spawning time, and larval period, were determined based on the previous studies. The model reasonably reproduced the observed gradient in oyster spat settlement and bivalve larval concentration, although the model results were less dynamic than the data, probably owing to the simplified biological conditions employed in the model. A persistent gradient decreasing from west to east in the model results at time scales of overall average, season, and each survey in 2006 suggests that the larval supply may be responsible for the corresponding gradient in oyster spat settlement observed over the past 40 years. Biological movement increased larval retention near the spawning area, thus providing a favorable condition for local recruitment of oysters. Inclusion of biological movement, however, caused little change in the overall patterns of larval transport and still resulted in a west-east gradient, presumably because of frequent destratification in the shallow Mobile Bay system.
Discriminating Talent Identified Junior Australian Footballers Using a Fundamental Gross Athletic Movement Assessment

PubMed Central

Woods, Carl T.; Banyard, Harry G.; McKeown, Ian; Fransen, Job; Robertson, Sam

2016-01-01

Talent identification (TID) is a pertinent component of the sports sciences, affording practitioners the opportunity to target developmental interventions to a select few; optimising financial investments. However, TID is multi-componential, requiring the recognition of immediate and prospective performance. The measurement of athletic movement skill may afford practitioners insight into the latter component given its augmented relationship with functional sport specific qualities. It is currently unknown whether athletic movement skill is a discriminant quality in junior Australian football (AF). This study aimed to discriminate talent identified junior AF players from their non-talent identified counterparts using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment. From a total of 50 under 18 (U18) AF players; two groups were classified a priori based on selection level; talent identified (n = 25; state academy representatives) and non-talent identified (n = 25; state-based competition representatives). Players performed a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment based on the Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA), consisting of an overhead squat, double lunge (left and right legs), single leg Romanian deadlift (left and right legs), and a push up (six movement criterions). Movements were scored across three assessment points using a three-point scale (resulting in a possible score of nine for each movement). A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant between group effects on four of the six movement criterions (d = 0.56 – 0.87; p = 0.01 – 0.02). Binary logistic regression models and a receiver operating characteristic curve inspection revealed that the overhead squat score provided the greatest group discrimination (β(SE) = -0.89(0.44); p < 0.05), with a score of 4.5 classifying 64% and 88% of the talent identified and non-talent identified groups, respectively. Results support the integration of this assessment into contemporary talent identification approaches in junior AF, as it may provide coaches with insight into a juniors developmental potential. Key points On average, talent identified junior AF players possess superior athletic movement qualities relative to their non-talent identified counterparts. The integration of this gross athletic movement assessment into contemporary multidimensional approaches to talent identification may enable insight into a juniors developmental potential. The athletic qualities underpinning the production of the overhead squat movement could augment functional physical qualities in junior Australian footballers. Assessing movement competency in junior contexts may afford practitioners with the opportunity to rectify inefficient fundamental movement patterns prior to entrance into elite senior ranks. PMID:27803635
Arrangement and Applying of Movement Patterns in the Cerebellum Based on Semi-supervised Learning.

PubMed

Solouki, Saeed; Pooyan, Mohammad

2016-06-01

Biological control systems have long been studied as a possible inspiration for the construction of robotic controllers. The cerebellum is known to be involved in the production and learning of smooth, coordinated movements. Therefore, highly regular structure of the cerebellum has been in the core of attention in theoretical and computational modeling. However, most of these models reflect some special features of the cerebellum without regarding the whole motor command computational process. In this paper, we try to make a logical relation between the most significant models of the cerebellum and introduce a new learning strategy to arrange the movement patterns: cerebellar modular arrangement and applying of movement patterns based on semi-supervised learning (CMAPS). We assume here the cerebellum like a big archive of patterns that has an efficient organization to classify and recall them. The main idea is to achieve an optimal use of memory locations by more than just a supervised learning and classification algorithm. Surely, more experimental and physiological researches are needed to confirm our hypothesis.
Translational head movements of pigeons in response to a rotating pattern: characteristics and tool to analyse mechanisms underlying detection of rotational and translational optical flow.

PubMed

Nalbach, H O

1992-01-01

Pigeons freely standing in the centre of a two-dimensionally textured cylinder not only rotate but also laterally translate their head in response to the pattern sinusoidally oscillating or unidirectionally rotating around their vertical axis. The translational head movement dominates the response at high oscillation frequencies, whereas in a unidirectionally rotating drum head translation declines at about the same rate as the rotational response increases. It is suggested that this is a consequence of charging the 'velocity storage' in the vestibulo-ocular system. Similar to the rotational head movement (opto-collic reflex), the translational head movement is elicited via a wide-field motion sensitive system. The underlying mechanism can be described as vector integration of movement vectors tangential to the pattern rotation. Stimulation of the frontal visual field elicits largest translational responses while rotational responses can be elicited equally well from any azimuthal position of a moving pattern. Experiments where most of the pattern is occluded by a screen and the pigeon is allowed to view the stimulus through one or two windows demonstrate a short-range inhibition and long-range excitation between movement detectors that feed into the rotational system. Furthermore, the results obtained from such types of experiments suggest that the rotational system inhibits the translational system. These mechanisms may help the pigeon to decompose image flow into its translational and rotational components. Because of their translational response to a rotational stimulus, it is concluded, however, that pigeons either generally cannot perfectly perform the task or they need further visual information, like differential image motion, that was not available to them in the paradigms.
MUSCLE STRENGTH AND QUALITATIVE JUMP-LANDING DIFFERENCES IN MALE AND FEMALE MILITARY CADETS: THE JUMP-ACL STUDY.

PubMed

Beutler, Ai; de la Motte, Sj; Marshall, Sw; Padua, DA; Boden, Bp

2009-01-01

Recent studies have focused on gender differences in movement patterns as risk factors for ACL injury. Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic factors which contribute to movement patterns is critical to ACL injury prevention efforts. Isometric lower-extremity muscular strength, anthropometrics, and jump-landing technique were analyzed for 2,753 cadets (1,046 female, 1,707 male) from the U.S. Air Force, Military and Naval Academies. Jump-landings were evaluated using the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS), a valid qualitative movement screening tool. We hypothesized that distinct anthropometric factors (Q-angle, navicular drop, bodyweight) and muscle strength would predict poor jump-landing technique in males versus females, and that female cadets would have higher scores (more errors) on a qualitative movement screen (LESS) than males. Mean LESS scores were significantly higher in female (5.34 ± 1.51) versus male (4.65 ± 1.69) cadets (P<.001). Qualitative movement scores were analyzed using factor analyses, yielding five factors, or "patterns", contributing to poor landing technique. Females were significantly more likely to have poor technique due to landing with less hip and knee flexion at initial contact (P<.001), more knee valgus with wider landing stance (P<.001), and less flexion displacement over the entire landing (P<.001). Males were more likely to have poor technique due to landing toe-out (P<.001), with heels first, and with an asymmetric foot landing (P<.001). Many of the identified factor patterns have been previously proposed to contribute to ACL injury risk. However, univariate and multivariate analyses of muscular strength and anthropometric factors did not strongly predict LESS scores for either gender, suggesting that changing an athlete's alignment, BMI, or muscle strength may not directly improve his or her movement patterns.

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.