Paul Fourcade

Differential exploitation of the inertia tensor in multi-joint arm reaching.

The identification of the kinaesthetic information used for directing 3D multi-joint arm movements toward a target remains an open question. Several psychophysical studies have suggested that the ability to perceive and control the spatial orientation of our limbs depends on the exploitation of the eigenvectors (e3) of the inertia tensor (Iij), which correspond to the arm rotational inertial axes. The present experiment aimed at investigating whether e3 was used as a collective variable to direct the masses toward the target and hence to control the spatial accuracy of the final hand position. Natural, unconstrained, three-dimensional multi-joint reaching movements were submitted to alterations of forearm mass distribution. Given the existence of several “sensorimotor strategies” for the control of arm movements, the participants were a priori contrasted and ranged in groups according to their reliance on either visual or kinaesthetic information. The results indicated (1) the dependency of the arm’s directional control on Iij parameters, (2) a non-linear relationship between the performance predicted by the inertia tensor and the observed performance, depending on the deviation amplitude and (3) the presence of a large inter-individual variability suggesting the existence of different strategies, including proprioceptive compensation mechanisms. This study validates in unconstrained multi-joint arm movements the exploitation of the inertia tensor by the central nervous system, thus simplifying the coordination of the segments’ masses during reaching. The results also provide evidence for the existence of motor alternatives in exploiting proprioceptive information that may depend on spatial referencing modes.

Influence of temporal pressure constraint on the biomechanical organization of gait initiation made with or without an obstacle to clear

AbstractMany daily motor tasks have to be performed under a temporal pressure constraint. This study aimed to explore the influence of such constraint on motor performance and postural stability during gait initiation. Young healthy participants initiated gait at maximal velocity under two conditions of temporal pressure: in the low-pressure condition, gait was self-initiated (self-initiated condition, SI); in the high-pressure condition, it was initiated as soon as possible after an acoustic signal (reaction-time condition, RT). Gait was initiated with and without an environmental constraint in the form of an obstacle to be cleared placed in front of participants. Results showed that the duration of postural adjustments preceding swing heel-off (“anticipatory postural adjustments”, APAs) was shorter, while their amplitude was larger in RT compared to SI. These larger APAs allowed the participants to reach equivalent postural stability and motor performance in both RT and SI. In addition, the duration of the execution phase of gait initiation increased greatly in the condition with an obstacle to be cleared (OBST) compared to the condition without an obstacle (NO OBST), thereby increasing lateral instability and thus involving larger mediolateral APA. Similar effects of temporal pressure were obtained in NO OBST and OBST. This study shows the adaptability of the postural system to temporal pressure in healthy young adults initiating gait. The outcome of this study may provide a basis for better understanding the aetiology of balance impairments with the risk of falling in frail populations while performing daily complex tasks involving a whole-body progression.

Sample Entropy, Univariate, and Multivariate Multi-Scale Entropy in Comparison with Classical Postural Sway Parameters in Young Healthy Adults.

The present study aimed to compare various entropy measures to assess the dynamics and complexity of center of pressure (COP) displacements. Perturbing balance tests are often used in healthy subjects to imitate either pathological conditions or to test the sensitivity of postural analysis techniques. Eleven healthy adult subjects were asked to stand in normal stance in three experimental conditions while the visuo-kinesthetic input was altered. COP displacement was recorded using a force plate. Three entropy measures [Sample Entropy (SE), Multi-Scale Entropy (MSE), and Multivariate Multi Scale Entropy (MMSE)] describing COP regularity at different scales were compared to traditional measures of COP variability. The analyses of the COP trajectories revealed that suppression of vision produced minor changes in COP displacement and in the COP characteristics. The comparison with the reference analysis showed that the entropy measures analysis techniques are more sensitive in the incremented time series compared to the classical parameters and entropy measures of original time series. Non-linear methods appear to be an additional valuable tool for analysis of the dynamics of posture especially when applied on incremental time series.

Anticipatory Postural Control of Stability during Gait Initiation Over Obstacles of Different Height and Distance Made Under Reaction-Time and Self-Initiated Instructions

Despite the abundant literature on obstacle crossing in humans, the question of how the central nervous system (CNS) controls postural stability during gait initiation with the goal to clear an obstacle remains unclear. Stabilizing features of gait initiation include anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) and lateral swing foot placement. To answer the above question, 14 participants initiated gait as fast as possible in three conditions of obstacle height, three conditions of obstacle distance and one obstacle-free (control) condition. Each of these conditions was performed with two levels of temporal pressure: reaction-time (high-pressure) and self-initiated (low-pressure) movements. A mechanical model of the body falling laterally under the influence of gravity and submitted to an elastic restoring force is proposed to assess the effect of initial (foot-off) center-of-mass position and velocity (or “initial center-of-mass set”) on the stability at foot-contact. Results showed that the anticipatory peak of mediolateral (ML) center-of-pressure shift, the initial ML center-of-mass velocity and the duration of the swing phase, of gait initiation increased with obstacle height, but not with obstacle distance. These results suggest that ML APAs are scaled with swing duration in order to maintain an equivalent stability across experimental conditions. This statement is strengthened by the results obtained with the mechanical model, which showed how stability would be degraded if there was no adaptation of the initial center-of-mass set to swing duration. The anteroposterior (AP) component of APAs varied also according to obstacle height and distance, but in an opposite way to the ML component. Indeed, results showed that the anticipatory peak of backward center-of-pressure shift and the initial forward center-of-mass set decreased with obstacle height, probably in order to limit the risk to trip over the obstacle, while the forward center-of-mass velocity at foot-off increased with obstacle distance, allowing a further step to be taken. These effects of obstacle height and distance were globally similar under low and high-temporal pressure. Collectively, these findings imply that the CNS is able to predict the potential instability elicited by the obstacle clearance and that it scales the spatiotemporal parameters of APAs accordingly.

Stabilization of Old and New Postural Patterns in Standing Humans

In human stance, rotations around the hips and ankles typically exhibit a relative phase close to 20°, or close to 180°. In this article, we propose a model of stance that captures these postural states and the changes between them. We also describe the results of a recent study in which participants learned a novel pattern of hip and ankle coordination (a relative phase of 135°). Participants learned this novel pattern rapidly. At the same time, learning led to a robust destabilization of pre-existing patterns of hip-ankle coordination. The rate and type of destabilization depended upon the initial stability of the pre-existing patterns. We discuss similarities and differences between the learning of postural and bimanual coordination modes.

Balance control during gait initiation: State-of-the-art and research perspectives

It is well known that balance control is affected by aging, neurological and orthopedic conditions. Poor balance control during gait and postural maintenance are associated with disability, falls and increased mortality. Gait initiation - the transient period between the quiet standing posture and steady state walking - is a functional task that is classically used in the literature to investigate how the central nervous system (CNS) controls balance during a whole-body movement involving change in the base of support dimensions and center of mass progression. Understanding how the CNS in able-bodied subjects exerts this control during such a challenging task is a pre-requisite to identifying motor disorders in populations with specific impairments of the postural system. It may also provide clinicians with objective measures to assess the efficiency of rehabilitation programs and better target interventions according to individual impairments. The present review thus proposes a state-of-the-art analysis on: (1) the balance control mechanisms in play during gait initiation in able bodied subjects and in the case of some frail populations; and (2) the biomechanical parameters used in the literature to quantify dynamic stability during gait initiation. Balance control mechanisms reviewed in this article included anticipatory postural adjustments, stance leg stiffness, foot placement, lateral ankle strategy, swing foot strike pattern and vertical center of mass braking. Based on this review, the following viewpoints were put forward: (1) dynamic stability during gait initiation may share a principle of homeostatic regulation similar to most physiological variables, where separate mechanisms need to be coordinated to ensure stabilization of vital variables, and consequently; and (2) rehabilitation interventions which focus on separate or isolated components of posture, balance, or gait may limit the effectiveness of current clinical practices.

Are simultaneous postural adjustments (SPA) programmed as a function of pointing velocity

This paper deals with the influence of velocity on the postural adjustments that occur during the course of a voluntary movement, that is to say, simultaneous postural adjustments (SPA). To this aim, a pointing task performed at different velocities (V) was considered. Upper limb kinematics and body kinetics were recorded. Using a 2-DOF model, the body was divided into two parts: the right upper limb (termed the “focal” chain) and the rest of the body (termed the “postural” chain). This model allowed us to calculate the kinetics of both subsystems (−Fx and

Influence of temporal pressure constraint on the biomechanical organisation of gait initiation made with or without an obstacle to clear.

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