Behavioral, brain and reflex responses to mechanical and electrical stimuli to study proprioception and the spinal cord in humans

• Grant number: 11/17193-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: André Fábio Kohn
• Grantee: André Fábio Kohn
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Cinthia Itiki ; Diana Rezende de Toledo ; Fernando Henrique Magalhães ; Rinaldo André Mezzarane

Abstract

The first objective of this study is the evaluation of the proprioceptive feedback associated with the ankle and at the same time verifying if its sensitivity can be increased by means of random electrical stimulation. Brain responses in humans to different angular variations in the ankle will be analyzed in an effort to provide objective estimates of the sensitivity and the dynamics to ankle angle changes. Random electrical stimulation will then be applied in an effort to improve the sensitivity measured above. As a second approach the subject will be seated and exerting a plantaflexion torque under two different tasks: force and position control. In the first task the pedal is fixed and the subject has to keep the torque level at a given constant value. In the second task the pedal is free to rotate and the objective is to keep the foot's position as stable as possible, but still exerting the same mean torque as for the force task. The torque variability in the two tasks will be compared without and with random electrical stimulation. Our hypothesis is that this random stimulation will have different effects on the two tasks because of the different proprioceptors that are believed to be in play. The second objective of the present study is the evaluation of bilateral reflex responses to brief tendon taps applied to both Achilles tendons due to the importance of the bilateral sensory inflow to postural and movement control. An extension of this analysis aims at evaluating reflex dynamics, i.e., their temporal correlation as a function of repetitive stimuli. Experimental conditions as the imposition of different degrees of plantar flexion torque and conditioning by electrical stimulation of nerves should provide results whose interpretations in functional terms will be important for applications to neurology and rehabilitation. (AU)

Scientific publications

(15)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. Effectiveness of electrical noise in reducing postural sway: a comparison between imperceptible stimulation applied to the anterior and to the posterior leg muscles. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY, v. 114, n. 6, p. 1129-1141, JUN 2014. (11/17193-0, 11/13222-6)

TOLEDO, DIANA R.; BARELA, JOSE A.; MANZANO, GILBERTO M.; KOHN, ANDRE F.. Age-related differences in EEG beta activity during an assessment of ankle proprioception. Neuroscience Letters, v. 622, p. 1-5, MAY 27 2016. (09/09286-9, 14/11300-8, 11/17193-0, 13/14667-7)

PEREIRA, HUGO M.; DE LIMA, FELIPE F.; SILVA, BRUNO M.; KOHN, ANDRE F.. Sex differences in fatigability after ischemic preconditioning of non-exercising limbs. BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES, v. 11, n. 1, OCT 27 2020. (15/12730-9, 11/17193-0)

TOLEDO, DIANA R.; BARELA, JOSE A.; KOHN, ANDRE F.. IMPROVED PROPRIOCEPTIVE FUNCTION BY APPLICATION OF SUBSENSORY ELECTRICAL NOISE: EFFECTS OF AGING AND TASK-DEMAND. Neuroscience, v. 358, p. 103-114, SEP 1 2017. (09/09286-9, 11/17193-0, 13/14667-7)

MEZZARANE, RINALDO ANDRE; MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; CHAUD, VITOR MARTINS; ELIAS, LEONARDO ABDALA; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. Enhanced D1 and D2 Inhibitions Induced by Low-Frequency Trains of Conditioning Stimuli: Differential Effects on H- and T-Reflexes and Possible Mechanisms. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 3, MAR 25 2015. (10/15522-4, 13/10433-1, 11/13222-6, 09/15802-0, 11/17193-0)

TOLEDO, DIANA R.; MANZANO, GILBERTO M.; BARELA, JOSE A.; KOHN, ANDRE F.. Cortical correlates of response time slowing in older adults: ERP and ERD/ERS analyses during passive ankle movement. CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, v. 127, n. 1, p. 655-663, JAN 2016. (09/09286-9, 11/17193-0, 13/14667-7)

MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; MELLO, EMANUELE MORAES; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. Association Between Plantarflexion Torque Variability In Quiet Stance And During Force And Position Tasks. SOMATOSENSORY AND MOTOR RESEARCH, v. 36, n. 4, p. 241-248, OCT 2 2019. (15/13096-1, 11/17193-0)

WATANABE, RENATO N.; KOHN, ANDRE F.; IEEE. System identification of a motor unit pool using a realistic neuromusculoskeletal model. 2014 5TH IEEE RAS & EMBS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOMEDICAL ROBOTICS AND BIOMECHATRONICS (BIOROB), v. N/A, p. 6-pg., 2014-01-01. (11/21103-7, 11/17193-0)

WATANABE, RENATO NAVILLE; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. Nonlinear Frequency-Domain Analysis of the Transformation of Cortical Inputs by a Motoneuron Pool-Muscle Complex. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL SYSTEMS AND REHABILITATION ENGINEERING, v. 25, n. 11, p. 1930-1939, NOV 2017. (15/21819-3, 11/17193-0, 11/21103-7)

SILVA, CRISTIANO ROCHA; MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. Fingertip-Coupled Spindle Signaling Does Not Contribute to Reduce Postural Sway Under Light Touch. FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, v. 10, AUG 22 2019. (16/10614-4, 11/17193-0, 15/13096-1, 12/09321-1)

MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; ELIAS, LEONARDO ABDALA; DA SILVA, CRISTIANO ROCHA; DE LIMA, FELIPE FAVA; DE TOLEDO, DIANA REZENDE; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. D1 and D2 Inhibitions of the Soleus H-Reflex Are Differentially Modulated during Plantarflexion Force and Position Tasks. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 11, NOV 24 2015. (13/10433-1, 12/09321-1, 11/13222-6, 11/17193-0, 13/14667-7)

MELLO, EMANUELE MORAES; MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO. Larger plantar flexion torque variability implies less stable balance in the young: An association affected by knee position. HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCE, v. 32, n. 6, p. 1310-1324, DEC 2013. (11/17193-0, 11/13222-6)

DA SILVA, CRISTIANO ROCHA; MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO; COSTAFELIX, R; MACHADO, JC; ALVARENGA, AV. Muscle Receptors of a Finger Fail to Contribute as Expected to Postural Sway Decrease During Light Touch. XXVI BRAZILIAN CONGRESS ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, CBEB 2018, VOL. 2, v. 70, n. 2, p. 5-pg., 2019-01-01. (16/10614-4, 15/13096-1, 11/17193-0, 12/09321-1)

RIBEIRO, REBECCA FERNANDES; FRENCL, VICTOR BAPTISTA; ELIAS, LEONARDO ABDALA; RIBEIRO DO VAL, JOAO BOSCO. A Case Study on the Removal of Blinking Artifact in Electroencephalogram Signals via Stochastic Filtering. JOURNAL OF CONTROL AUTOMATION AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, v. 33, n. 4, p. 10-pg., 2022-01-12. (13/10433-1, 11/17193-0)

LARA, JESSICA RODRIGUES; DA SILVA, CRISTIANO ROCHA; DE LIMA, FELIPE FAVA; DA SILVA, MARCOS CAMARGO; KOHN, ANDRE FABIO; ELIAS, LEONARDO ABDALA; MAGALHAES, FERNANDO HENRIQUE. Effects of light finger touch on the regularity of center-of-pressure fluctuations during quiet bipedal and single-leg postural tasks. GAIT & POSTURE, v. 96, p. 7-pg., 2022-06-10. (11/17193-0, 15/13096-1)