Cognitive tuning of corticospinal excitability during human gait: adaptation to the phase

The aim of this study was to investigate how the cognitive tuning of corticospinal (CS) excitability adapts to the type of evoked-movement (Flexion vs. Extension) during human gait. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used both as a central perturbation evoking a movement and as a tool for quantifying the CS excitability of the muscles under study (RF/BF). In the first condition (Dst), the TMS occurred at mid-stance, inducing hip extension, whereas in the second condition (Dsw), the TMS occurred at the beginning of the swing phase, inducing hip flexion. In both conditions, the subjects were asked to cognitively prepare to either not intervene (NINT) or to compensate (COMP) for the evoked-movements. The results showed that, regardless of the type of evoked-movement, preparing to compensate resulted in a selective increase in the CS excitability to those muscles that would be involved in counteracting the possible central perturbation, i.e. the hip extensor muscle (BF) to compensate for an evoked flexion during the swing phase or the hip flexor muscle (RF) to compensate for an evoked extension during the stance phase. This latter result offers the first evidence of a modulation in CS excitability to the proximal muscles during the stance phase. In conclusion, the cognitive tuning of CS excitability was found to adapt to the gait phases. Moreover, the same selective preparation strategy was observed whether the central perturbation occurred during the stance or the swing phase of the step cycle.