Interaponeurosis shear strain modulates behavior of myotendinous junction of the human triceps surae.

Muscle fascicles insert into a sheet-like aponeurosis. Adjacent aponeuroses are structurally in contact with each other, and ultimately merge into a common tendon. Consequently, fascicle shortening in planes of tissue layers in adjacent compartments must cause sliding between aponeuroses parallel to the acting forces. In this study, we used velocity-encoded, phase-contrast, and water-saturated spin-lattice relaxation time-weighted imaging to identify and track fascicle and aponeurosis behaviors of human medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (Sol) during 15° dorsiflexion to 30° plantarflexion contractions of the ankle. Interaponeurosis shear strain, which was defined as the relative displacement of the aponeurosis at the fascicle end points (insertion) of the MG and Sol, was an average of 1.35 ± 0.27% (range 1.12 ∼ 1.87%), indicating that the strain is greater in the aponeurosis of MG fascicle insertion than the Sol. The myotendinous junction (MTJ) displacement increased significantly with decreasing interaponeurosis shear strain (P < 0.05). The magnitude of interaponeurosis shear strain had significant correlation with the temporal difference between the time at which the peak aponeurosis displacement of the MG and Sol occurred (P < 0.05). Our model also indicated that theoretical MTJ displacement varies in relation to temporal difference: no temporal difference caused the largest MTJ displacement and presence of temporal differences indicated a reduction in MTJ displacement. Therefore, we concluded that interaponeurosis shear strain is a mechanism enabling individual muscle contraction and thus specific loading of the tendon and joint

Combining spinal neuromodulation and activity based neurorehabilitation therapy improves sensorimotor function in cerebral palsy

Motor dysfunction in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) such as the inability to initiate voluntary movements, walking with compensatory movement patterns, and debilitating spasticity is due to the aberrant neural connectivity between the brain and spinal cord. We tested the efficacy of noninvasive spinal cord neuromodulation (SCiP™, SpineX Inc.) with activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy (ABNT) in improving the sensorimotor function in six children with CP. Children received 8 weeks of either SCiP™ or sham therapy with ABNT (n = 3 per group). At the end of 8 weeks, all participants received 8 weeks of SCiP™ therapy with ABNT. Follow up assessments were done at week 26 (10 weeks after the last therapy session). Sensorimotor function was measured by the Gross Motor Function Measure 88 (GMFM88) test. We observed minimal change in sham group (mean 6% improvement), however, eight weeks of SCiP™ therapy with ABNT resulted in statistically and clinically relevant improvement in GMFM88 scores (mean 23% increase from baseline). We also observed reduced scores on the modified Ashworth scale only with SCiP™ therapy (−11% vs. +5.53% with sham). Similar improvements were observed in sham group but only after the cross over to SCiP™ therapy group at the end of the first eight weeks. Finally, sixteen weeks of SCiP™ therapy with ABNT resulted in further improvement of GMFM88 score. The improvement in GMFM88 scores were maintained at week 26 (10 weeks after the end of therapy), suggesting a sustained effect of SCiP™ therapy

Enhancing Nervous System Recovery through Neurobiologics, Neural Interface Training, and Neurorehabilitation.

After an initial period of recovery, human neurological injury has long been thought to be static. In order to improve quality of life for those suffering from stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury, researchers have been working to restore the nervous system and reduce neurological deficits through a number of mechanisms. For example, neurobiologists have been identifying and manipulating components of the intra- and extracellular milieu to alter the regenerative potential of neurons, neuro-engineers have been producing brain-machine and neural interfaces that circumvent lesions to restore functionality, and neurorehabilitation experts have been developing new ways to revitalize the nervous system even in chronic disease. While each of these areas holds promise, their individual paths to clinical relevance remain difficult. Nonetheless, these methods are now able to synergistically enhance recovery of native motor function to levels which were previously believed to be impossible. Furthermore, such recovery can even persist after training, and for the first time there is evidence of functional axonal regrowth and rewiring in the central nervous system of animal models. To attain this type of regeneration, rehabilitation paradigms that pair cortically-based intent with activation of affected circuits and positive neurofeedback appear to be required-a phenomenon which raises new and far reaching questions about the underlying relationship between conscious action and neural repair. For this reason, we argue that multi-modal therapy will be necessary to facilitate a truly robust recovery, and that the success of investigational microscopic techniques may depend on their integration into macroscopic frameworks that include task-based neurorehabilitation. We further identify critical components of future neural repair strategies and explore the most updated knowledge, progress, and challenges in the fields of cellular neuronal repair, neural interfacing, and neurorehabilitation, all with the goal of better understanding neurological injury and how to improve recovery

Cosmos 2229

The 6 weeks preflight activities of the Cosmos project during 1993 included: modification of EMG connector to improve the reliability of EMG recording; 24 hour cage activity recording from all but two of the flight animals (monkeys); attempts to record from flight candidates during foot lever task; and force transducer calibrations on all flight candidate animals. The 4 week postflight recordings included: postflight recordings from flight animals; postflight recordings on 3 control (non-flight) animals; postflight recalibration of force transducers on 1 flight and 4 control (non-flight) animals; and attempts to record EMG and video data from the flight animals during postflight locomotion and postural activity. The flight EMG recordings suggest that significant changes in muscle control may occur in spaceflight. It is also clear from recordings that levels of EMG recorded during spaceflight can attain values similar to those measured on earth. Amplifier gain settings should therefore probably not be changed for spaceflight

Muscle Feasibility for Cosmos Rhesus

The following tasks were proposed for the Cosmos project: 1) Complete recordings of all preflight candidates during performance of a foot pedal motor control task while in the space capsule mock-up. 2) Complete recordings of all preflight candidates during locomotion and postural tasks. 3) Complete recordings of 24-hour spontaneous cage activity in the two flight monkeys before and after flight and of at least three control (non-flight) monkeys after the flight has been completed. 4) Complete recordings of the foot pedal and motor control tasks during flight and postflight as scheduled. 5) Complete recordings of the vertical drop test pre, during and postflight for the two flight and three control monkeys. 6) Complete recordings of locomotion and posture tests of the two flight monkeys postflight. 7) Complete recordings of locomotion and postural tests of at least three control (non-flight) monkeys during the postflight period. 8) Recalibrate buckles of the two flight and of at least three control monkeys postflight. 9) Complete analysis of the 24 hour EMG recordings of all monkeys. 10) Complete analysis of the foot pedal, locomotor and postural motor control tasks for the two flight and three control monkeys. It was proposed that efforts in the first postflight year be concentrated on the two flight animals and three postflight animals

Electrical Spinal Stimulation, and Imagining of Lower Limb Movements to Modulate Brain-Spinal Connectomes That Control Locomotor-Like Behavior

Neuronal control of stepping movement in healthy human is based on integration between brain, spinal neuronal networks, and sensory signals. It is generally recognized that there are continuously occurring adjustments in the physiological states of supraspinal centers during all routines movements. For example, visual as well as all other sources of information regarding the subject's environment. These multimodal inputs to the brain normally play an important role in providing a feedforward source of control. We propose that the brain routinely uses these continuously updated assessments of the environment to provide additional feedforward messages to the spinal networks, which provides a synergistic feedforwardness for the brain and spinal cord. We tested this hypothesis in 8 non-injured individuals placed in gravity neutral position with the lower limbs extended beyond the edge of the table, but supported vertically, to facilitate rhythmic stepping. The experiment was performed while visualizing on the monitor a stick figure mimicking bilateral stepping or being motionless. Non-invasive electrical stimulation was used to neuromodulate a wide range of excitabilities of the lumbosacral spinal segments that would trigger rhythmic stepping movements. We observed that at the same intensity level of transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), the presence or absence of visualizing a stepping-like movement of a stick figure immediately initiated or terminated the tSCS-induced rhythmic stepping motion, respectively. We also demonstrated that during both voluntary and imagined stepping, the motor potentials in leg muscles were facilitated when evoked cortically, using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and inhibited when evoked spinally, using tSCS. These data suggest that the ongoing assessment of the environment within the supraspinal centers that play a role in planning a movement can routinely modulate the physiological state of spinal networks that further facilitates a synergistic neuromodulation of the brain and spinal cord in preparing for movements