TY - JOUR

T1 - Error signals driving locomotor adaptation

T2 - Cutaneous feedback from the foot is used to adapt movement during perturbed walking

AU - Choi, Julia T

AU - Jensen, Peter

AU - Nielsen, Jens Bo

AU - Bouyer, Laurent J

N1 - CURIS 2016 NEXS 184

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Locomotor patterns must be adapted to external forces encountered during daily activities. The contribution of different sensory inputs to detecting perturbations and adapting movements during walking is unclear. Here we examined the role of cutaneous feedback in adapting walking patterns to force perturbations. Forces were applied to the ankle joint during the early swing phase using an electrohydraulic ankle-foot orthosis. Repetitive 80 Hz electrical stimulation was applied to disrupt cutaneous feedback from the superficial peroneal nerve (foot dorsum) and medial plantar nerve (foot sole) during walking (Choi et al. 2013). Sensory tests were performed to measure cutaneous touch threshold and perceptual threshold of force perturbations. Ankle movement were measured while subjects walked on the treadmill over three periods: baseline (1 min), adaptation (1 min) and post-adaptation (3 min). Subjects (n = 10) showed increased touch thresholds measured with Von Frey monofilaments and increased force perception thresholds with stimulation. Stimulation reduced the magnitude of walking adaptation to force perturbation. In addition, we compared the effects of interrupting cutaneous feedback using anaesthesia (n = 5) instead of repetitive nerve stimulation. Foot anaesthesia reduced ankle adaptation to external force perturbations during walking. Our results suggest that cutaneous input plays a role in force perception, and may contribute to the 'error' signal involved in driving walking adaptation when there is a mismatch between expected and actual force. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

AB - Locomotor patterns must be adapted to external forces encountered during daily activities. The contribution of different sensory inputs to detecting perturbations and adapting movements during walking is unclear. Here we examined the role of cutaneous feedback in adapting walking patterns to force perturbations. Forces were applied to the ankle joint during the early swing phase using an electrohydraulic ankle-foot orthosis. Repetitive 80 Hz electrical stimulation was applied to disrupt cutaneous feedback from the superficial peroneal nerve (foot dorsum) and medial plantar nerve (foot sole) during walking (Choi et al. 2013). Sensory tests were performed to measure cutaneous touch threshold and perceptual threshold of force perturbations. Ankle movement were measured while subjects walked on the treadmill over three periods: baseline (1 min), adaptation (1 min) and post-adaptation (3 min). Subjects (n = 10) showed increased touch thresholds measured with Von Frey monofilaments and increased force perception thresholds with stimulation. Stimulation reduced the magnitude of walking adaptation to force perturbation. In addition, we compared the effects of interrupting cutaneous feedback using anaesthesia (n = 5) instead of repetitive nerve stimulation. Foot anaesthesia reduced ankle adaptation to external force perturbations during walking. Our results suggest that cutaneous input plays a role in force perception, and may contribute to the 'error' signal involved in driving walking adaptation when there is a mismatch between expected and actual force. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

U2 - 10.1113/JP271996

DO - 10.1113/JP271996

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27218896

VL - 594

SP - 5673

EP - 5684

JO - The Journal of Physiology

JF - The Journal of Physiology

SN - 0022-3751

IS - 19

ER -