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Root-Locus Method01:19

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Using a System Identification Approach to Investigate Subtask Control during Human Locomotion.

David Logan1, Tim Kiemel1, John J Jeka2

  • 1Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland College Park, MD, USA.

Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience
|January 27, 2017
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Summary

Human locomotion involves controlling speed and posture. This study used perturbations to reveal that upper-body posture control temporally precedes other subtasks in human walking.

Keywords:
harmonic transfer functionshuman locomotionphase-dependent impulse response functionssensorimotor controlsubtask control

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Area of Science:

  • Motor control
  • Biomechanics
  • Systems neuroscience

Background:

  • Human locomotion requires simultaneous control of critical subtasks like speed and upright posture.
  • Understanding the neural control mechanisms for these subtasks is essential for diagnosing and treating movement disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the temporal hierarchy of subtask control during human locomotion.
  • To explore the application of control theory and novel analysis techniques to probe motor behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Applied continuous visual and mechanical perturbations to 20 subjects during treadmill walking.
  • Utilized harmonic transfer function (HTF) analysis and phase-dependent impulse response functions (ϕIRFs) to analyze kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) data.
  • Mapped perturbation inputs to output responses across different phases of the gait cycle.

Main Results:

  • Mechanical perturbations induced passive trunk orientation changes and, at times, corrective EMG and orientation responses.
  • Visual perturbations led to an EMG response, followed by trunk orientation changes, and then anterior-posterior displacement.
  • Demonstrated a temporal hierarchy where upper-body posture control precedes other locomotive subtasks.

Conclusions:

  • The nervous system prioritizes upper-body posture control during locomotion.
  • Novel HTF and ϕIRF analyses offer a powerful method for investigating rhythmic motor behaviors and their neural underpinnings.
  • Findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the control strategies employed in human walking.