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Cardiac-locomotor coupling while finger tapping: Part II. A cross-over control study
R L Kirby1, S K Gupta, S E Carr
1Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|December 1, 1991
Summary
Cardiac-locomotor coupling (CLC) was re-evaluated in finger tapping. Results suggest CLC may not occur during simple tasks, urging caution with previous entrainment studies and cross-over controls.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Human motor control
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Cardiac-locomotor coupling (CLC) has been previously reported during self-paced finger tapping.
- Cross-over control strategies were developed to investigate CLC between individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the incidence and characteristics of CLC during finger tapping using a cross-over control design.
- To assess the functional significance of CLC in different physical activities.
Main Methods:
- Re-analysis of data from 20 subjects performing 10-minute finger tapping at comfortable cadences.
- Comparison of apparent CLC under test and control conditions using integer ratios.
- Analysis of raster plots to identify phase locking.
Main Results:
- 45% of subjects showed apparent CLC at single-digit integer ratios under test conditions, compared to 20% under control conditions.
- No significant difference in the incidence or intensity of apparent CLC between test and control conditions.
- Raster plots provided no evidence of phase locking, suggesting a lack of true entrainment.
Conclusions:
- Previously reported findings on CLC and entrainment phenomena should be interpreted with caution, emphasizing the need for cross-over controls.
- The absence of CLC during finger tapping suggests its functional significance may be limited to strenuous exercise involving large muscle groups or impact loading.