S. Blesić

Detrended fluctuation analysis of time series of a firing fusimotor neuron

We study the interspike intervals (ISI) time series of the spontaneous fusimotor neuron activity by applying the detrended fluctuation analysis that is a modification of the random walk model analysis. Thus, we have found evidence for the white noise characteristics of the ISI time series, which means that the fusimotor activity does not possess temporal correlations. We conclude that such an activity represents the requisite noisy component for occurrence of the stochastic resonance mechanism in the neural coordination of muscle spindles.

Changes in movement final position associated with agonist and antagonist muscle fatigue.

Abstract We have tested the hypothesis that agonist and antagonist muscle fatigue could affect the final position of rapid, discrete movements. Six subjects performed consecutive elbow flexion and extension movements between two targets, with their eyes closed prior to, and after fatiguing the elbow extensor muscles. The results demonstrate that elbow extension movements performed in the post-test period systematically undershot the final position as compared to pre-test movements. However, attainment of the aimed final position in elbow flexion movements was unaffected by fatiguing of the extensor muscles. Undershoot of the final position obtained in extension movements was associated with agonist muscle fatigue, a result that was expected from the point of view of current motor control theories, and that could be explained by a reduced ability of the shortening muscle to exert force. On the other hand, the absence of the expected overshoot of the final position when the antagonist is fatigued, indicates the involvement of various reflex and/or central mechanisms operating around the stretched muscle that could contribute to returning the limb to the standard final position after a brief prominent overshoot.

Changes in movement kinematics during single-joint movements against expectedly and unexpectedly changed inertial loads

Abstract The study had two goals: (1) to understand the role of peripheral and central factors in changes in the movement symmetry ratio (acceleration time divided by deceleration time); and (2) to compare several theories of motor control with respect to their ability to predict changes in a number of kinematic indices when movements are performed against expectedly and unexpectedly changed inertial loads. Subjects performed elbow flexion movements from a standard initial position to a fixed target “as fast as possible” against three different inertial loads. In some trials, prior to the movement, the load was changed unexpectedly for the subject. Then the load remained the same for a block of trials, then changed again, and so on. We assumed that the first trial of a block was performed using central control patterns associated with moving a different expected load used in the previous block of trials. The main findings included: (a) the equifinality of movements in all conditions, irrespective of actual and expected loads; (b) a decrease in peak velocity and an increase in movement time when the actual load increased; (c) no significant changes in peak velocity and movement time when moving against a load while expecting a different load; and (d) symmetry ratio decreased with actual load and increased with expected load. Separate analyses of the effects of changes of expected and actual loads showed different slopes of the relation between peak velocity and movement symmetry ratio. Based on the last findings we conclude that movement symmetry is defined by both peripheral factors, possibly related to the role of damping forces, and by central control patterns. The equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis is able to handle the findings better than torque-control models which make wrong predictions with respect to findings (a), (c), and (d) or a model combining control of torque patterns with specification of a final equilibrium position which makes wrong predictions with respect to findings (c).

Paired-associative stimulation can modulate muscle fatigue induced motor cortex excitability changes.

The aim of this study was to examine whether the changes of the motor cortex excitability induced by muscle fatigue could be affected by prior or subsequent intervention protocol supposed to induce opposing excitability changes. For this purpose we used paired associative stimulation (PAS) method, where peripheral nerve stimuli were associated with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex at a fixed interstimulus interval of 25 ms. The PAS protocol used is known to produce a long lasting, long-term potentiation (LTP) like change of cortical plasticity manifested by significant increase in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) amplitude. In this study, we confirmed significant MEP size reduction following fatigue, which had been already reported in the literature. When PAS was applied either immediately before or after muscle fatigue protocol, the excitability changes were largely occluded and MEP sizes remained close to baseline levels. However, in spite of the effects on cortical excitability, conditioning with PAS did not cause any change in target fatigue measure, the endurance point, which remained the same as when fatiguing protocol was applied alone. The present results demonstrate that fatigue-related changes in cortical excitability can be modulated by either prior or subsequent excitability promoting activity. They also suggest that muscle fatigue associated changes in motor cortical excitability probably represent non-specific activity-related plasticity, rather than a direct expression of the so-called central fatigue.

Wavelet analysis of discharge dynamics of fusimotor neurons

We study the interspike intervals (ISI) time series of the spontaneous fusimotor neuron activity by applying the wavelet transform analysis and confirm the existence of the white noise characteristics of the ISI time series. This means that the neuron activity may serve as the requisite noisy component for occurrence of the stochastic resonance mechanism in the neural coordination of muscle spindles. Besides, we apply the multifractal formalism adapted for the wavelet transform time series analysis. Thus, we have established the multifractality of the ISI data and achieved an additional insight into fusimotor discharge dynamics.

Detecting long-range correlations in time series of dorsal horn neuron discharges.

Abstract: We have studied the discharge dynamics of dorsal horn neurons by applying the detrended fluctuation analysis and the wavelet transform technique. We have adopted that the neuronal discharge dynamics is manifested by the random time series of interspike intervals. In all cases studied, we found two different power‐law type behaviors across interspike intervals enumeration scale, that are separated by crossover regions (which implies existence of two different types of neuronal noise). Our results reveal that complex neuronal dynamics may change in the presence of external stimulation, manifested by changing of the noise characteristics that appear before crossover.

Changes in Movement Variables Associated With Transient Overshoot of the Final Position

Abstract Transient overshoot (TO), which is assessed as the distance between the movement amplitude and the final position, was measured in a series of rapid, discrete elbow flexion movements performed under different distance and loading conditions by 7 participants. A positive relationship was found between kinematic variables (peak velocity, peak acceleration and deceleration, and the symmetry ratio) and the magnitude of TO, particularly in short movements performed against a light load. The relationships between TO and electromyographic (EMG) variables were low and mainly insignificant. Thus, TO contributes to the variability of rapid, discrete movements and therefore should be taken into account as an additional parameter in studies of the scaling of movement variables with movement mechanical conditions. TO could also represent a consequence of mechanical properties of the single-joint system rather than an independently programmed primary submovement.

Dynamics of beryllium-7 specific activity in relation to meteorological variables, tropopause height, teleconnection indices and sunspot number

The dynamics of the beryllium-7 specific activity in surface air over 1987–2011 is analyzed using wavelet transform (WT) analysis and time-dependent detrended moving average (tdDMA) method. WT analysis gives four periodicities in the beryllium-7 specific activity: one month, three months, one year, and three years. These intervals are further used in tdDMA to calculate local autocorrelation exponents for precipitation, tropopause height and teleconnection indices. Our results show that these parameters share common periods with the beryllium-7 surface concentration. tdDMA method indicates that on the characteristic intervals of one year and shorter, the beryllium-7 specific activity is strongly autocorrelated. On the three-year interval, the beryllium-7 specific activity shows periods of anticorrelation, implying slow changes in its dynamics that become evident only over a prolonged period of time. A comparison of the Hurst exponents of all the variables on the one- and three-year intervals suggest some similarities in their dynamics. Overall, a good agreement in the behavior of the teleconnection indices and specific activity of beryllium-7 in surface air is noted.

Scaling analysis of time series of daily prices from stock markets of transitional economies in the Western Balkans

In this paper we have analyzed scaling properties of time series of stock market indices (SMIs) of developing economies of Western Balkans, and have compared the results we have obtained with the results from more developed economies. We have used three different techniques of data analysis to obtain and verify our findings: detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) method, detrended moving average (DMA) method, and wavelet transformation (WT) analysis. We have found scaling behavior in all SMI data sets that we have analyzed. The scaling of our SMI series changes from long-range correlated to slightly anti-correlated behavior with the change in growth or maturity of the economy the stock market is embedded in. We also report the presence of effects of potential periodic-like influences on the SMI data that we have analyzed. One such influence is visible in all our SMI series, and appears at a period Tp ≈ 90 days. We propose that the existence of various periodic-like influences on SMI data may partially explain the observed difference in types of correlated behavior of corresponding scaling functions.

Beneficial randomness of signals in a neuronal circuit

We have analyzed spontaneous discharge dynamics of fusimotor neurons, by applying the so-called detrended fluctuation analysis, which is a modification of the random walk model analysis. Besides, we applied the wavelet analysis method to the same problem. By using these methods we have found evidence for the white noise characteristics of the time series generated by the neuron discharges. We concluded that such a discharge dynamics represents the requisite noisy component for occurrence of the stochastic resonance mechanism in the neural coordination of muscle spindles. This finding appears to be very intriguing, since it provided for the first time statistical characterization of the neuronal noise.