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 q...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European journal of neuroscience 2004-08, Vol.20 (4), p.1101-1107
Main Authors: Camus, Mickael, Pailhous, Jean, Bonnard, Mireille
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological - physiology
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Cognition - physiology
cognitive preparation
Electromagnetic Phenomena - methods
Electromyography - methods
Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology
Gait - physiology
human locomotion
Humans
Muscle Contraction - physiology
Pyramidal Tracts - physiology
transcranial magnetic stimulation
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0953-816X
1460-9568
DOI:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03537.x