Fuminari Kaneko

The effects of kinesthetic illusory sensation induced by a visual stimulus on the corticomotor excitability of the leg muscles.

A novel method of visual stimulus, reported by Kaneko et al. [14], induced a vivid kinesthetic illusion and increased the corticomotor excitability of the finger muscles without any overt movement. To explore the effect of this method on the lower limbs, motor evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded from the left tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus muscles using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). A computer screen that showed the moving image of an ankle movement was placed over the subjects leg, and its position was modulated to induce an illusory sensation that the subjects own ankle was moving (illusion condition). TMS was delivered at rest and at two different times during the illusion condition (ankle dorsiflexion phase: illusion-DF; ankle plantarflexion phase: illusion-PF). The MEP amplitude of the TA, which is the agonist muscle for ankle dorsiflexion, was significantly increased during the illusion-DF condition. This indicated that the visual stimulus showing the moving image of an ankle movement could induce a kinesthetic illusion and selectively increase the corticomotor excitability in an agonist muscle for an illusion, as was previously reported for an upper limb. The MEP amplitude of the soleus, which is the agonist muscle for ankle plantarflexion, increased during the illusion-PF condition, but not significantly. Because of the vividness of the illusory sensation was significantly greater during the illusion-DF condition than the illusion-PF condition, we concluded that the vividness of the illusory sensation had a crucial role in increasing corticomotor excitability.

The effect of fatigued internal rotator and external rotator muscles of the shoulder on the shoulder position sense

The purpose of this study was to investigate which muscle group, the agonist or antagonist, contributes most to the shoulder position sense (SPS). The SPS was tested under 2 conditions: fatigued shoulder internal rotator (IR) muscles (pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi) and fatigued external rotator (ER) muscles (infraspinatus). In each condition, the SPS was measured before and after a fatiguing task involving the IR or ER muscles by repeating shoulder joint rotation. SPS was measured using a method in which subjects reproduced a memorized shoulder joint rotation angle. The position error values in all conditions (fatigued IR and ER muscles) and measurement periods (before- and after-fatigue task) were compared using 2-way analysis of variance with repeated measures (IR/ER×before/after). Position error increased significantly after both fatigue tasks (before- vs. after-fatigue: IR muscle, 2.68° vs. 4.19°; ER muscle, 2.32° vs. 4.05°). In other words, SPS accuracy decreased when either the agonist or antagonist muscle was fatigued. This finding indicated that SPS may be affected by an integrated information of the afferent signals in the agonist and antagonist muscles.

Kinesthetic perception based on integration of motor imagery and afferent inputs from antagonistic muscles with tendon vibration.

The perceptual integration of afferent inputs from two antagonistic muscles, or the perceptual integration of afferent input and motor imagery are related to the generation of a kinesthetic sensation. However, it has not been clarified how, or indeed whether, a kinesthetic perception would be generated by motor imagery if afferent inputs from two antagonistic muscles were simultaneously induced by tendon vibration. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a kinesthetic perception would be generated by motor imagery during co-vibration of the two antagonistic muscles at the same frequency. Healthy subjects participated in this experiment. Illusory movement was evoked by tendon vibration. Next, the subjects imaged wrist flexion movement simultaneously with tendon vibration. Wrist flexor and extensor muscles were vibrated according to 4 patterns such that the difference between the two vibration frequencies was zero. After each trial, the perceived movement sensations were quantified on the basis of the velocity and direction of the ipsilateral hand-tracking movements. When the difference in frequency applied to the wrist flexor and the extensor was 0Hz, no subjects perceived movements without motor imagery. However, during motor imagery, the flexion velocity of the perceived movement was higher than the flexion velocity without motor imagery. This study clarified that the afferent inputs from the muscle spindle interact with motor imagery, to evoke a kinesthetic perception, even when the difference in frequency applied to the wrist flexor and extensor was 0Hz. Furthermore, the kinesthetic perception resulting from integrations of vibration and motor imagery increased depending on the vibration frequency to the two antagonistic muscles.

Effects of different movement directions on electromyography recorded from the shoulder muscles while passing the target positions

PURPOSEnWe compared electromyography (EMG) recorded from the shoulder joint muscles in the same position for different movement directions.nnnMETHODSnFifteen healthy subjects participated. They performed shoulder elevation from 0° to 120°, shoulder depression from 120° to 0°, shoulder horizontal adduction from -15° to 105°, and shoulder horizontal abduction from 105° to -15°. The target positions were 90° shoulder elevation in the 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° planes (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° positions). EMG signals were recorded from the supraspinatus (SSP) muscle by fine-wire electrodes. EMG signals from the infraspinatus (ISP), anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, and posterior deltoid muscles were recorded using active surface electrodes.nnnRESULTSnDuring elevation and horizontal abduction, the SSP showed significantly higher activity than that shown during depression and during horizontal adduction in the 0°, 30°, and 60° positions. During elevation, the ISP showed significantly higher activity than during depression and during horizontal adduction in the 90° position. During horizontal abduction, the ISP showed significantly higher activity than during depression in the 90° position.nnnCONCLUSIONSnWhen the movement tasks were performed in different movement directions at the same speed, each muscle showed characteristic activity.

The association of motor imagery and kinesthetic illusion prolongs the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on corticospinal tract excitability.

BackgroundA kinesthetic illusion induced by a visual stimulus (KI) can produce vivid kinesthetic perception. During KI, corticospinal tract excitability increases and results in the activation of cerebral networks. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is emerging as an alternative potential therapeutic modality for a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions, such that identifying factors that enhance the magnitude and duration of tDCS effects is currently a topic of great scientific interest. This study aimed to establish whether the combination of tDCS with KI and sensory-motor imagery (MI) induces larger and longer-lasting effects on the excitability of corticomotor pathways in healthy Japanese subjects.MethodsA total of 21 healthy male volunteers participated in this study. Four interventions were investigated in the first experiment: (1) anodal tDCS alone (tDCSa), (2) anodal tDCS with visually evoked kinesthetic illusion (tDCSau2009+u2009KI), (3) anodal tDCS with motor imagery (tDCSau2009+u2009MI), and (4) anodal tDCS with kinesthetic illusion and motor imagery (tDCSau2009+u2009KIMI). In the second experiment, we added a sham tDCS intervention with kinesthetic illusion and motor imagery (shamu2009+u2009KIMI) as a control for the tDCSau2009+u2009KIMI condition. Direct currents were applied to the right primary motor cortex. Corticospinal excitability was examined using transcranial magnetic stimulation of the area associated with the left first dorsal interosseous.ResultsIn the first experiment, corticomotor excitability was sustained for at least 30xa0min following tDCSau2009+u2009KIMI (pu2009<u20090.01). The effect of tDCSau2009+u2009KIMI on corticomotor excitability was greater and longer-lasting than that achieved in all other conditions. In the second experiment, significant effects were not achieved following shamu2009+u2009KIMI.ConclusionsOur results suggest that tDCSau2009+u2009KIMI has a greater therapeutic potential than tDCS alone for inducing higher excitability of the corticospinal tract. The observed effects may be related to sustained potentiation of resultant cerebral activity during combined KI, MI, and tDCSa.

Motor priming by movement observation with contralateral concurrent action execution

In the present study, the influence of simultaneous action execution on motor priming was investigated during movement observation using a simple-reaction task. Although previous studies have reported various effects of priming on motor performance, it has not yet been clarified how an additional source conveying kinetic information would modulate the priming effects. In the experiment, participants were asked to respond to an auditory cue by flexing their wrist while observing a line movement, which was slowly swinging like an inverted pendulum. In addition to the observation of line movement, the participants executed wrist flexion-extension actions synchronizing with line movement. The hand involved in pre-response wrist action varied with the priming condition: no movement execution (observation only), contralateral hand, and ipsilateral hand. In the contralateral condition, the stimulus-response congruency of movement direction was conflicted depending on the frame of reference (visual vs. anatomical coordinates). We found that all three priming conditions produced the compatibility effect, and the effect size did not differ between them. Importantly, in the contralateral condition, participants responded faster when the direction of line movement was congruent with the response movement in the anatomical coordinates. That is, the reaction time was shorter when pre-response action execution was in the flexion phase, even though the direction of observed movement and the response action were incongruent from the participants view. These results suggest that kinetic information has a great contribution to the motor priming system, which can reverse the vision-based compatibility effect.

Muscular responses appear to be associated with existence of kinesthetic perception during combination of tendon co-vibration and motor imagery

The afferent inputs from peripheral sensory receptors and efferent signals from the central nervous system that underlie intentional movement can contribute to kinesthetic perception. Previous studies have revealed that tendon vibration to wrist muscles elicits an excitatory response—known as the antagonist vibratory response—in muscles antagonistic to the vibrated muscles. Therefore, the present study aimed to further investigate the effect of tendon vibration combined with motor imagery on kinesthetic perception and muscular activation. Two vibrators were applied to the tendons of the left flexor carpi radialis and extensor carpi radialis. When the vibration frequency was the same between flexors and extensors, no participant perceived movement and no muscle activity was induced. When participants imagined flexing their wrists during tendon vibration, the velocity of perceptual flexion movement increased. Furthermore, muscle activity of the flexor increased only during motor imagery. These results demonstrate that kinesthetic perception can be induced during the combination of motor imagery and co-vibration, even with no experience of kinesthetic perception from an afferent input with co-vibration at the same frequency. Although motor responses were observed during combined co-vibration and motor imagery, no such motor responses were recorded during either co-vibration alone or motor imagery alone, suggesting that muscular responses during the combined condition are associated with kinesthetic perception. Thus, the present findings indicate that kinesthetic perception is influenced by the interaction between afferent input from muscle spindles and the efferent signals that underlie intentional movement. We propose that the physiological behavior resulting from kinesthetic perception affects the process of modifying agonist muscle activity, which will be investigated in a future study.

Surround inhibition in motor execution and motor imagery

Surround inhibition (SI) is a neural mechanism to focus neuronal activity and facilitate selective motor execution (ME). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether SI is also generated during motor imagery (MI). Furthermore, we investigated whether the extent of SI during MI depends on the strength of SI during ME and/or vividness of MI. The extent of SI was examined during MI and ME of index finger flexion. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied at rest, during initiation of the movement (phasic phase) and during tonic muscle contraction of the index finger flexors. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from a surround muscle, abductor digiti minimi (ADM) and a synergistic muscle, the first dorsal interosseous muscle. The amplitude of ADM MEP was reduced during the phasic phase, which indicates that SI occurred during ME. In seven of 14 subjects, SI was also observed during MI, although this effect was not significant. There was a moderate correlation between the extent of SI during ME and MI. Furthermore, good imagers who experienced vivid MI during the MI task showed stronger SI than poor imagers. These results indicate that common neural substrates involved in SI during ME are at least in part recruited during MI. In clinical situations, the therapeutic use of MI to generate vivid MI may be one of effective tool to develop the strength of SI, which facilitate selective execution of desired movements.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation increases serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in humans

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays several important roles in nervous system function including neuronal growth and plasticity. The purpose of the present study was to clarify whether neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and voluntary exercise to the same integrated force as by the NMES-induced exercise would enhance serum BDNF. Eleven healthy male subjects completed three interventions (NMES, voluntary exercise, and resting interventions) for 20xa0min on different days. In the NMES intervention, NMES was applied to the quadriceps femoris muscles. The stimulus intensity of NMES was progressively increased to the highest tolerated intensity during the experiment. In the voluntary exercise intervention, subjects performed an isometric knee-extension task; in this intervention, the target torque was calculated in accordance with the integrated force of knee extension obtained during the NMES intervention. In the resting intervention, subjects relaxed in a sitting posture. We measured serum BDNF, blood lactate, heart rate, oxygen uptake, respiratory ratio, and blood pressure. Serum BDNF was increased in the NMES (pu2009=u20090.003) and voluntary exercise interventions (pu2009=u20090.004) after each intervention. At the post-timepoint, serum BDNF in the NMES intervention was highest among all interventions (pu2009=u20090.038) and significantly higher than in the voluntary exercise (pu2009=u20090.036) and resting (pu2009=u20090.037) interventions. Our results showed that NMES was more effective for enhancing serum BDNF than voluntary exercise at least when employing the same method and integrated force.

S21-1. A new analysis method using surface electromyography to assess finger function in patients with severe stroke

We have conducted our research into kinesthetic illusions induced by visual stimuli (KiNvis), which are sensations of being in motion that result from watching artificial images of the body part moving. Our previous studies revealed characteristic neural networks related to KiNvis; since then, we have initiated clinical studies adapting KiNvis in patients with stroke. In patients with severe stroke, it is often difficult to measure joint angles, because voluntary movement does not occur or simultaneous contraction of the agonist and antagonist muscles prevent controlled voluntary joint exercise. Therefore, we have developed an assessment method for finger function in these patients using surface electromyography (EMG). Our method aimed to assess “reciprocal muscle activity” during repetitive exercise. Hence, we calculated cross correlation coefficients between EMG signals recorded during reciprocal muscle activity and pseudo model signals during ideal reciprocal muscle contraction. During reciprocal muscle activity, the peak value of cross correlation coefficient calculated using this method was higher than at rest or during sustained muscle activity. Accordingly, we consider that even in patients with severe stroke in whom changes in motor function cannot be detected with the variable that analyzes EMG signals quantitatively, it may be possible to assess finger function alterations using the analysis method of the present study.