Here we apply a control theoretic view of movement to the behavior of human locomotion with the goal of using perturbations to learn about subtask control. Controlling one's speed and maintaining upright posture are two critical subtasks, or underlying functions, of human locomotion. How the nervous system simultaneously controls these two subtasks was investigated in this study. Continuous vis...

This study compared the kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) gait patterns of able-bodied adults at natural speed in contrast to extremely slow overground and treadmill walking speeds. Kinematic and EMG data were collected at three speeds (self-selected, 0.30 m/s, and 0.20 m/s). Eighteen subjects were evaluated for trunk and lower-limb motion and EMG of five lower-limb muscles. Significant red...

The aim of this study was to identify the key aspects of technique that characterize the fastest bowlers. Kinematic data were collected for 20 elite male fast bowlers with 11 kinematic parameters calculated, describing elements of fast bowling technique that have previously been linked to ball release speed. Four technique variables were identified as being the best predictors of ball release s...

Human walking entails coordinated out-of-phase axial rotations of the thorax and pelvis. A long-held assumption is that this ability relies on adaptations for trunk flexibility present in humans, but not in chimpanzees, other great apes, or australopithecines. Here we use three-dimensional kinematic analyses to show that, contrary to current thinking, chimpanzees walking bipedally rotate their ...

Advanced rehabilitation strategies of the upper limb in stroke patients focus on the recovery of the most important daily activities. In this study we analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively the motor strategies employed by stroke patients when reaching and drinking from a glass. We enrolled 6 hemiparetic poststroke patients and 6 healthy subjects. Motion analysis of the task proposed (reachi...

BACKGROUND This paper presents the preliminary results of a novel rehabilitation therapy for cervical and trunk control of children with cerebral palsy (CP) based on serious videogames and physical exercise. MATERIALS The therapy is based on the use of the ENLAZA Interface, a head mouse based on inertial technology that will be used to control a set of serious videogames with movements of the...

This study used kinematic data on springboard diving performances to estimate viscoelastic parameters of a planar model of a springboard and diver with wobbling masses in the trunk, thigh, and calf segments and spring dampers acting at the heel, ball, and toe of the foot segment. A subject-specific angle-driven eight-segment model was used with an optimization algorithm to determine viscoelasti...

Assessments of changes in gait stability due to aging and disease are predominantly based on lower extremity kinematic and kinetic data. These gait changes are also often based on comparisons at preferred speed only. The purpose of this experiment was to: (1) examine age-related changes in range of motion and coordination of segments of the upper body during locomotion; and (2) investigate the ...

[Purpose] A wide variety of accelerometer tools are used to estimate human movement, but there are no adequate data relating to gait symmetry parameters in the context of knee osteoarthritis. This study's purpose was to evaluate a 3D-kinematic system using body-mounted sensors (gyroscopes and accelerometers) on the trunk and limbs. This is the first study to use spectral analysis for data post ...