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The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
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Task difficulty of visually guided gait modifications involves differences in central drive to spinal motor neurons.

Helle Hüche Larsen1,2, Mikkel Damgaard Justiniano2, Rasmus Feld Frisk1,2

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|August 28, 2024
PubMed
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Visually guided walking modifications, especially sideways steps, increase central drive to leg muscles. This suggests greater neural effort is needed for complex gait adjustments, impacting motor control strategies.

Keywords:
corticospinal drivegait modificationgoal-directed steppingprecision steppingvisually guided walking

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Navigating natural environments requires dynamic gait adjustments.
  • Sideways walking modifications are more complex than forward ones.
  • Understanding neural control of gait modifications is crucial for rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in central drive to spinal motor neurons during forward versus sideways gait modifications.
  • To explore the role of visual guidance in modulating motor output for challenging gait tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Fifteen adults performed treadmill walking with visual feedback of toe position.
  • Visual targets prompted forward or sideways gait modifications.
  • Three-dimensional kinematics and electromyography (EMG) of leg muscles were recorded.
  • Intermuscular coherence in alpha, beta, and gamma bands was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Sideways modifications showed increased error, reduced foot lift, and higher ankle muscle cocontraction.
  • Beta-band coherence between soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) was significantly higher during sideways steps.
  • Forward modifications did not differ significantly from control steps in neural activity measures.

Conclusions:

  • Visually guided gait modifications involve distinct changes in central drive to ankle motor neurons based on task difficulty.
  • Increased beta-band coherence suggests enhanced corticospinal drive for precise, visually demanding sideways gait adjustments.
  • Findings offer insights into neural mechanisms of gait control and potential targets for rehabilitation interventions.