A computer simulation study on the effects of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in the neurophysiological control of muscle force

• Grant number: 17/11464-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Abdala Elias
• Grantee: Débora Elisa da Costa Matoso
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mathematical modeling and computer simulations have been used to study the functioning of the human neuromuscular system. The advantage of these approaches is that one can comprehensively investigate how cellular and molecular mechanisms would influence motor behaviors observed at a macroscopic scale, for instance, the generation of muscle force and electromyogram. However, few studies have adopted the computational approach so as to explore how the functioning of the neuromuscular system is altered in a neurodegenerative disease. Specifically, recent studies have used individual mathematical models of motor neurons with morphological, biophysical, and electrophysiological properties similar to the cells from animal models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no model of the neuromuscular system encompassing computationally efficient motor neuron models with dynamic characteristics of animal models of ALS. Therefore, the aim of this doctoral project is to develop a biologically plausible multiscale model of the neuromuscular system to investigate how typical neuromotor alterations of ALS will influence muscle force generation and control. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

Perspectives on the modeling of the neuromusculoskeletal system to investigate the influence of neurodegenerative diseases on sensorimotor control. Res. Biomed. Eng., v. 34, n. 2, p. -, Jun. 2018.

Perspectives on the modeling of the neuromusculoskeletal system to investigate the influence of neurodegenerative diseases on sensorimotor control. Res. Biomed. Eng., n. ahead, p. -, 2018.