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Updated: Apr 17, 2026
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Using a Split-belt Treadmill to Evaluate Generalization of Human Locomotor Adaptation
Published on: August 23, 2017
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Accelerated Split-Belt Gait Adaptation in Patients with Functional Tremor: Clues to a Generalized Precipitating
Jorik Nonnekes1, Danique Vierhoven2,3, Helena Cockx4
1Department of Rehabilitation, Centre of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Summary
Individuals with functional tremor adapt faster to new movement patterns than healthy individuals. This accelerated adaptation may indicate a broader trait of functional neurological disorders (FNDs).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Movement Disorders
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Functional neurological disorders (FNDs) are disabling conditions stemming from functional, not structural, abnormalities.
- Current theories suggest FNDs involve altered integration of expectations and sensory input, but empirical evidence is limited.
- It's unclear if these alterations are symptom-specific or broader trait characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate altered sensory-motor integration in functional tremor.
- To compare adaptation rates in functional tremor patients versus healthy controls using a split-belt gait perturbation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized split-belt treadmill adaptation to assess sensory-motor integration.
- Recruited 15 patients with functional upper-limb tremor and 15 age-matched controls.
- Quantified adaptation and washout of step length asymmetry using single-exponential fits.
Main Results:
- Patients with functional tremor demonstrated significantly faster adaptation to split-belt gait changes compared to controls (26.7s vs. 100.6s).
- Functional tremor patients also exhibited faster adaptation during the return to tied-belt walking (4.1s vs. 12.2s).
- No significant differences in baseline gait parameters were observed between groups.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with functional tremor show enhanced adaptation to novel sensorimotor contexts.
- This accelerated adaptation contrasts with findings in other neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease.
- Accelerated adaptation may represent a predisposing trait of FNDs, rather than being solely symptom-specific.
