Reflexes during cat locomotion across speed and gait

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议研究的总体目标是量化在猫运动过程中不同速度和步态下踝关节感觉反馈对神经力学的影响。通过研究反射如何在一系列速度和步态中发挥作用，我们建议划分出每个活动水平的外周反射调制的相对贡献。此外，我们还将阐明反射调制与运动速度/步态之间的预测关系。跨越踝关节的某些肌肉群的自我神经支配将导致局部本体感觉反馈的有效丧失。我们将在自体神经支配前后进行运动过程中的生物力学测量，以确定它们在运动过程中的功能重要性。生物力学数据将使用高速视频、三维关节运动学和线性代数分析进行量化。这些发现将提供有价值的信息，说明反射在运动过程中是如何使用的，以及这种重要性如何在不同的速度和步态下发生变化。然后，这些信息可以被外推，以预测反射可能如何被调节，以帮助患有影响运动和步态运动控制的神经系统疾病的人类患者的康复技术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall objective of the proposed research is to quantify the neuromechanical influence of sensory feedback from the ankle joint over a range of speeds and gaits during cat locomotion. By studying how reflexes function across a range of speeds and gaits, we propose to partition out the relative contributions of peripheral modulation of reflexes at each activity level. Furthermore, we will elucidate a predictive relationship between reflex modulation and locomotion speed/gait. Self-reinnervation of certain muscle groups crossing the ankle joint will result in the effective loss of localized proprioceptive feedback. We will make biomechanical measurements during locomotion before and after self-reinnervation to determine their functional importance during locomotion. Biomechanical data will be quantified using high-speed video, 3-dimensional joint kinematics and linear algebraic analysis. The findings will provide valuable information about how reflexes are used during locomotion and how this importance changes across different speeds and gaits. This information can then be extrapolated to make predictions about how reflexes may be modulated to assist in rehabilitation techniques for human patients suffering from neurological diseases affecting motor control of movement and gait.