Identification of Motor Unit Twitch Properties in the Intact Human In Vivo

Restoring natural motor function in neurologically injured individuals is challenging, largely due to the lack of personalization in current neurorehabilitation technologies. Signal-driven neuro-musculoskeletal models may offer a novel paradigm for devising novel closed-loop rehabilitation strategies according to an individual's physiology. However, current modelling techniques are constrained to bipolar electromyography (EMG), thereby lacking the resolution necessary to extract the activity of individual motor units (MUs) in vivo. In this work, we decoded MU spike trains from high-density (HD)-EMG to obtain relevant neural properties across multiple isometric plantar-dorsiflexion tasks. Then, we sampled MU statistical distributions and used them to reproduce MU specific activation profiles. Results showed bimodal distributions which may correspond to slow and fast MU populations. The estimated activation profiles showed a high degree of similarity to the reference torque (R2>0.8) across the recorded muscles. This suggests that the estimation of MU twitch properties is a crucial step for the translation of neural information into muscle force.Clinical Relevance- This work has multiple implications for understanding the underlying mechanism of motor impairment and for developing closed-loop strategies for modulating alpha motor circuitries in neurologically injured individuals

The new technique for accurate estimation of the spinal cord circuitry:recording reflex responses of large motor unit populations

We propose and validate a non-invasive method that enables accurate detection of the discharge times of a relatively large number of motor units during excitatory and inhibitory reflex stimulations. HDsEMG and intramuscular EMG (iEMG) were recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle during ankle dorsiflexions performed at 5%, 10%, and 20% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force, in 9 healthy subjects. The tibial nerve (inhibitory reflex) and the peroneal nerve (excitatory reflex) were stimulated with constant current stimuli. In total, 416 motor units were identified from the automatic decomposition of the HDsEMG. The iEMG was decomposed using a state-of-the-art decomposition tool and provided 84 motor units (average of two recording sites). The reflex responses of the detected motor units were analyzed using the peri-stimulus time histogram (PSTH) and the peri-stimulus frequencygram (PSF). The reflex responses of the common motor units identified concurrently from the HDsEMG and the iEMG signals showed an average disagreement (the difference between number of observed spikes in each bin relative to the mean) of 8.2±2.2% (5% MVC), 6.8±1.0% (10% MVC), and 7.5±2.2% (20% MVC), for reflex inhibition, and 6.5±4.1%, 12.0±1.8%, 13.9±2.4%, for reflex excitation. There was no significant difference between the characteristics of the reflex responses, such as latency, amplitude and duration, for the motor units identified by both techniques. Finally, reflex responses could be identified at higher force (four of the nine subjects performed contraction up to 50% MVC) using HDsEMG but not iEMG, because of the difficulty in decomposing the iEMG at high forces. In conclusion, single motor unit reflex responses can be estimated accurately and non-invasively in relatively large populations of motor units using HDsEMG. This non-invasive approach may enable a more thorough investigation of the synaptic input distribution on active motor units at various force levels

Adaptation Strategies for Personalized Gait Neuroprosthetics

Personalization of gait neuroprosthetics is paramount to ensure their efficacy for users, who experience severe limitations in mobility without an assistive device. Our goal is to develop assistive devices that collaborate with and are tailored to their users, while allowing them to use as much of their existing capabilities as possible. Currently, personalization of devices is challenging, and technological advances are required to achieve this goal. Therefore, this paper presents an overview of challenges and research directions regarding an interface with the peripheral nervous system, an interface with the central nervous system, and the requirements of interface computing architectures. The interface should be modular and adaptable, such that it can provide assistance where it is needed. Novel data processing technology should be developed to allow for real-time processing while accounting for signal variations in the human. Personalized biomechanical models and simulation techniques should be developed to predict assisted walking motions and interactions between the user and the device. Furthermore, the advantages of interfacing with both the brain and the spinal cord or the periphery should be further explored. Technological advances of interface computing architecture should focus on learning on the chip to achieve further personalization. Furthermore, energy consumption should be low to allow for longer use of the neuroprosthesis. In-memory processing combined with resistive random access memory is a promising technology for both. This paper discusses the aforementioned aspects to highlight new directions for future research in gait neuroprosthetics.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Effect of gender, age, fatigue and contraction level on electromechanical delay

WOS: 000281435800011PubMed ID: 20430696Objective: The aim of this study was to determine electromechanical delay (EMD) using supramaximal stimuli and to investigate its variation with gender, age, contraction level and fatigue. Methods: Fifteen male and 15 female healthy subjects (aged between 18 and 60) participated in our study. Electromyogram (EMG) recordings were taken from triceps surae muscle. While subjects contracted their muscles voluntarily at specified percentages of maximum voluntary contraction, 10 supramaximal stimuli were applied to the tibial nerve. The time lag between the onset of the EMG response (M-wave) and the onset of force generation was calculated as EMD. Results: EMD was found to be 8.5 +/- 1.3 ms (at rest condition), which is much shorter than those reported in previous studies. Although EMD did not significantly vary with gender (P > 0.05), it decreased significantly with escalating muscle contraction level (P < 0.05) and increased significantly with advancing age and with fatigue (P < 0.05). Conclusions: EMD was found to be considerably shorter than those reported in previous studies, and hence we discuss the possible reasons underlying this difference. We suggest that supramaximal nerve stimulation and high resolution EMG and force recording may have generated this difference. Significance: Current findings suggest that EMD is very sensitive to the method used to determine it. We discuss the reasons for the short EMD value that we have found in the present study. (C) 2010 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.Marie Curie ChairEuropean Union (EU) [MEX-CT-2006-040317]; Turkish Scientific and Technological Research OrganizationTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK - 107S029 - SBAG-3556]This study is supported by the Marie Curie Chair project (GenderReflex; MEX-CT-2006-040317) and Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Organization (TUBITAK - 107S029 - SBAG-3556). We would like to thank Ms. Merve Ulug. for the diagram in Fig. 1

Cutaneous silent period in human FDI motor units

WOS: 000281319500003PubMed ID: 20694723In this study, we aimed to use both the probability-based and the frequency-based analyses methods simultaneously to examine cutaneous silent period (CSP) induced by strong electrical currents. Subjects were asked to contract their first dorsal interosseus muscles so that one motor unit monitored via intramuscular wire electrodes discharged at a rate of approximately 8 Hz. Strong electrical stimuli were delivered to the back of the hand that created a subjective discomfort level of between 4 and 7 [0-10 visual analogue scale] and induced cutaneous silent period in all units. It was found that the duration of the CSP was significantly longer when the same data were analysed using frequency-based analysis method compared with the probability-based methods. Frequency-based analysis indicated that the strong electrical stimuli induce longer lasting inhibitory currents than what was indicated using the probability-based analyses such as surface electromyogram and peristimulus time histogram. Usage of frequency-based analysis for bringing out the synaptic activity underlying CSP seems essential as its characteristics have been subject to a large number of studies in experimental and clinical settings.Marie Curie Chair projectEuropean Union (EU) [MEX-CT-2006-040317]; Turkish Scientific and Technological Research OrganizationTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK-107S029-SBAG-3556]This study is supported by the Marie Curie Chair project (GenderReflex; MEX-CT-2006-040317) and Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Organization (TUBITAK-107S029-SBAG-3556). We wish to thank Professor Gurbuz Celebi for reading the first draft and advice

Human stretch reflex pathways reexamined

WOS: 000331215500015PubMed ID: 24225537Reflex responses of tibialis anterior motor units to stretch stimuli were investigated in human subjects. Three types of stretch stimuli were applied (tap-like, ramp-and-hold, and half-sine stretch). Stimulus-induced responses in single motor units were analyzed using the classical technique, which involved building average surface electromyogram (SEMG) and peristimulus time histograms (PSTH) from the discharge times of motor units and peristimulus frequencygrams (PSF) from the instantaneous discharge rates of single motor units. With the use of SEMG and PSTH, the tap-like stretch stimulus induced five separate reflex responses, on average. With the same single motor unit data, the PSF technique indicated that the tap stimulus induced only three reflex responses. Similar to the finding using the tap-like stretch stimuli, ramp-and-hold stimuli induced several peaks and troughs in the SEMG and PSTH. The PSF analyses displayed genuine increases in discharge rates underlying the peaks but not underlying the troughs. Half-sine stretch stimuli induced a long-lasting excitation followed by a long-lasting silent period in SEMG and PSTH. The increase in the discharge rate, however, lasted for the entire duration of the stimulus and continued during the silent period. The results are discussed in the light of the fact that the discharge rate of a motoneuron has a strong positive linear association with the effective synaptic current it receives and hence represents changes in the membrane potential more directly and accurately than the other indirect measures. This study suggests that the neuronal pathway of the human stretch reflex does not include inhibitory pathways.Marie Curie Chair Project (GenderReflex)European Union (EU) [MEX-CT-2006-040317]; Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Organization GrantTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK-107S029-SBAG-3556]; European Research Council Advanced GrantEuropean Research Council (ERC) [DEMOVE 267888]; Det Obelske Familiefond; Danish Government Scholarship Cultural Agreements [2010/11]This study is supported by Marie Curie Chair Project (GenderReflex) MEX-CT-2006-040317, Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Organization Grant TUBITAK-107S029-SBAG-3556, European Research Council Advanced Grant DEMOVE 267888, and the Det Obelske Familiefond. S. U. Yavuz, O. Sebik, and M. B. Unver are supported by Danish Government Scholarship Cultural Agreements 2010/11. K. S. Turker is a Fellow of the Turkish Academy of Sciences Association

Activation properties of trigeminal motoneurons in participants with and without bruxism

WOS: 000328889700016PubMed ID: 24068753In animals, sodium-and calcium-mediated persistent inward currents (PICs), which produce long-lasting periods of depolarization under conditions of low synaptic drive, can be activated in trigeminal motoneurons following the application of the monoamine serotonin. Here we examined if PICs are activated in human trigeminal motoneurons during voluntary contractions and under physiological levels of monoaminergic drive (e. g., serotonin and norepinephrine) using a paired motor unit analysis technique. We also examined if PICs activated during voluntary contractions are larger in participants who demonstrate involuntary chewing during sleep (bruxism), which is accompanied by periods of high monoaminergic drive. In control participants, during a slowly increasing and then decreasing isometric contraction, the firing rate of an earlier-recruited masseter motor unit, which served as a measure of synaptic input to a later-recruited test unit, was consistently lower during derecruitment of the test unit compared with at recruitment (Delta F = 4.6 +/- 1.5 imp/s). The Delta F, therefore, is a measure of the reduction in synaptic input needed to counteract the depolarization from the PIC to provide an indirect estimate of PIC amplitude. The range of Delta F values measured in the bruxer participants during similar voluntary contractions was the same as in controls, suggesting that abnormally high levels of monoaminergic drive are not continually present in the absence of involuntary motor activity. We also observed a consistent "onion skin effect" during the moderately sized contractions (<20% of maximal), whereby the firing rate of higher threshold motor units discharged at slower rates (by 4-7 imp/s) compared with motor units with relatively lower thresholds. The presence of lower firing rates in the more fatigue-prone, higher threshold trigeminal motoneurons, in addition to the activation of PICs, likely facilitates the activation of the masseter muscle during motor activities such as eating, nonnutritive chewing, clenching, and yawning.Canadian Institute of Health ResearchCanadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) [MOP-106549]; Turkish Scientific and Technological Research OrganizationTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [Tubitak-107S029- SBAG-3556]; Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions; Alberta Paraplegic Foundation; European Research Council (ERC) via the ERC Advanced Grant DEMOVEEuropean Research Council (ERC) [267888]This work was supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (MOP-106549; to M. A. Gorassini) and a Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Organization (Tubitak-107S029- SBAG-3556) grant (to K. S. Turker). Salary support was provided by Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions (to M. A. Gorassini and J. M. D'Amico) and the Alberta Paraplegic Foundation (to J. M. D'Amico), and S,.U. Yavuz was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) via the ERC Advanced Grant DEMOVE (No. 267888)

Interfacing With Alpha Motor Neurons in Spinal Cord Injury Patients Receiving Trans-spinal Electrical Stimulation

Trans-spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) provides a non-invasive, clinically viable approach to potentially restore physiological neuromuscular function after neurological impairment, e.g., spinal cord injury (SCI). Use of tsDCS has been hampered by the inability of delivering stimulation patterns based on the activity of neural targets responsible to motor function, i.e., α-motor neurons (α-MNs). State of the art modeling and experimental techniques do not provide information about how individual α-MNs respond to electrical fields. This is a major element hindering the development of neuro-modulative technologies highly tailored to an individual patient. For the first time, we propose the use of a signal-based approach to infer tsDCS effects on large α-MNs pools in four incomplete SCI individuals. We employ leg muscles spatial sampling and deconvolution of high-density fiber electrical activity to decode accurate α-MNs discharges across multiple lumbosacral segments during isometric plantar flexion sub-maximal contractions. This is done before, immediately after and 30 min after sub-threshold cathodal stimulation. We deliver sham tsDCS as a control measure. First, we propose a new algorithm for removing compromised information from decomposed α-MNs spike trains, thereby enabling robust decomposition and frequency-domain analysis. Second, we propose the analysis of α-MNs spike trains coherence (i.e., frequency-domain) as an indicator of spinal response to tsDCS. Results showed that α-MNs spike trains coherence analysis sensibly varied across stimulation phases. Coherence analyses results suggested that the common synaptic input to α-MNs pools decreased immediately after cathodal tsDCS with a persistent effect after 30 min. Our proposed non-invasive decoding of individual α-MNs behavior may open up new avenues for the design of real-time closed-loop control applications including both transcutaneous and epidural spinal electrical stimulation where stimulation parameters are adjusted on-the-fly