Search

Les renforts textiles s'imposent dès qu'il faut réaliser des structures massives ou complexes en matériaux composites, comme certains raccords et jonctions de tubes, des panneaux d'habitation légère, des carters de protection de têtes de puits en fond de mer, etc. Cet article expose les caractéristiques générales d'un renfort textile, puis différentes approches micromécaniques analytiques représentant les tissus à tissage bidimensionnel sont présentées. En partant du plus simple et en allant vers le plus complexe, ces modèles sont l'analogie à un stratifié [0°/90°], la mosaïque en série et en parallèle, les ondulations 1D et les ondulations 2D série-parallèle et parallèle-série. Toutes ces approches sont fondées sur la théorie mécanique des stratifiés. En analysant les résultats d'applications numériques de ces modèles et les résultats expérimentaux, on constate que les modèles des ondulations en 2D procurent les meilleures valeurs estimées des modules élastiques. Les autres modèles n'indiquent que des ordres de grandeurs. Woven fabric reinforcements are irreplaceable from the moment that heavy or complex composite structures should be manufactured, such as some pipe connections or flanges, light panels for housing, subsea well head protection panels, etc. In this paper overall characteristics of woven fabrics are described, followed by the review of different micromechanical analytical approaches. Starting with the simplest and continueing with the more complex, these models are : the analogy with a [0°/90°] laminate, the series and parallel mosaic models, the 1D fiber undulation model, and the 2D series-parallel and parallel-series fiber undulation models. All these approaches are based on the classical laminated plate theory. Analyzing the results of numerical applications of the models and experimental results, one can notice that both 2D fiber undulation models give the best estimated values for elastic moduli. The other provide a rough estimate of moduli only.

Cet article fait le point sur l'état actuel des connaissances concernant les résines époxy réticulées par des polyamines, et plus particulièrement sur : - la réticulation ; - la structure et la morphologie des systèmes réticulés et les paramètres qui les influencent; - les relations entre la structure et les propriétés sur une très large gamme de températures. Malgré les nombreuses études réalisées, beaucoup de points apparaissent encore controversés, notamment en ce qui concerne les relations structure/propriétés dans le domaine des températures d'utilisation, c'est-à-dire entre la transition secondaire ß et la transition alpha (transition vitreuse). S'il est maintenant admis que le module à l'état vitreux est gouverné par l'importance des mouvements des séquences hydroxypropyléther formées lors de la réticulation, les résultats concernant les propriétés mécaniques aux grandes déformations (allongement et contrainte à rupture, énergie de propagation de fissures) sont beaucoup plus discutés. Les tendances obtenues semblent dépendre de la manière utilisée pour faire varier la densité de réticulation (cuisson, proportions du mélange, extenseurs de mailles, prépolymères de différentes longueurs, etc. ), du système ou encore de l'auteur. Les désaccords entre chercheurs pourraient provenir des conditions de préparation des échantillons, notamment de la vitesse de refroidissement en fin de cuisson et des conditions dans lesquelles sont réalisés les essais mécaniques, comme la vitesse de déformation. This paper sums up the current state-of-the-art on epoxy resins crosslinked with polyamines, and more particularly on:- the crosslinking reactions;- the structure and morphology of crosslinked systems and the parameters that influence them;- the relationships between structure and properties over a wide range of temperatures. In spite of numerous studies devoted to these polymers, many points remain controversial, notably concerning the relationships between structure and properties in the temperature range of interest to most users, which is between the ß transition temperature and the alpha transition temperature (glass transition). If it is now widely accepted that the modulus in the glassy state is mainly controlled by the amplitude of the motions of hydroxypropylether groups created during the crosslinking reactions, the results regarding the ultimate mechanical properties (stress and deformation at break, crack propagation energy) are much more debated. The trends obtained appear to depend upon either the way the crosslink density has been modified (cure cycle, mixture composition, chain extenders, prepolymers of different lengths and flexibilities), or the polymers studied or even the authors. The discrepancies between authors could be due to the sample preparation, particularly the cooling rate at the end of the cure cycle, or the testing conditions, e. g. the strain rate.

Les propriétés élastiques des phases amorphe et cristalline pures de polymères semi-cristallins ne sont en général pas mesurables directement avec les moyens physiques habituels. Il est donc nécessaire de recourir à des méthodes de calcul numérique. Cet article décrit certaines de ces méthodes, fondées sur des modélisations atomistiques, ainsi qu'une évaluation des implémentations actuelles. Il est montré que la méthode proposée par Zehnder et al. (1996) fournit les meilleurs résultats, au prix d'un temps long de calcul, dû à la dynamique moléculaire. Néanmoins, aucune de ces méthodes n'est vraiment utilisable simplement au jour le jour, car elles requièrent des moyens importants de calcul. Elastic properties of pure crystalline and amorphous phases of a semicrystalline polymer are usually not directly measurable by usual physical means. It therefore is necessary to resort to numerical computing methods. This paper describes some of these methods, based on atomistic simulations, as well as an assessment of current implementations. It is shown that the method proposed by Zehnder et al. (1996) gives the best results, at the expense of long computing time, due to molecular dynamic simulation. Nevertheless none of these methods are really usable on a daily basis, since there are demanding important computing capabilities.

Les propriétés mécaniques des polymères semi-cristallins sont étroitement reliées à la microstructure du matériau. Cette dernière est dans la plupart des cas, constituée par des sphérolites à l'intérieur desquels sont disposées, suivant une symétrie radiale, des lamelles cristallines séparées par des régions de phase amorphe. Une meilleure description de cette structure est nécessaire pour mieux prédire les propriétés mécaniques. Diverses techniques de caractérisation physico-chimique peuvent être employées, telles la microscopie électronique à balayage ou la diffusion des rayons X aux petits angles. La microscopie fournira une image du sphérolite et la technique de diffusion précisera l'arrangement moyen des lamelles cristallines à partir d'un pic d'interférence observable sur le spectre. Afin de relier les informations obtenues par ces deux méthodes d'investigation, une approche de modélisation a été suivie, consistant en la réalisation d'un programme de simulation de croissance de sphérolite et d'un logiciel de calcul de spectres de diffusion des rayons X aux petits angles à partir d'un modèle structural donné. Les structures de sphérolites simulées sont en bon accord avec les images de microscopie; plusieurs paramètres définissant la croissance des sphérolites ont été ajustés. La croissance simultanée de plusieurs entités sphérolitiques a pu être également calculée. Le programme de calcul de la courbe de diffusion des rayons X a été adapté de logiciels existants à l'Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP), permettant le calcul de spectres de diffraction des rayons X aux grands angles. Le spectre de diffusion de la structure sphérolitique simulée ne fait pas apparaître de pic d'interférence. Certaines branches constituant le sphérolite sont en fait formées par un ensemble de lamelles cristallines qui explique la présence du pic d'interférence. L'intensité de ce dernier dépend fortement du désordre d'empilement des lamelles; différentes situations sont envisagées. Mechanical properties of semi-crystalline polymers are closely related to material microstructure. The latter is usually made of spherulites, within which are radially disposed crystalline lamellae, separated by amorphous regions. A better description of this structure is necessary to predict more accuretely mechanical properties. Various physical and chemical characterization techniques can be used, such as scanning electronic microscopy or small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Microscopy will give a spherulite picture, whereas diffusion technique will be more specific about the average organization of crystalline lamellae from the interference peak observed on spectrum. In order to relate informations given by these two techniques, a modelling approach was adopted, i. e. writing of a spherulite growth simulation software, the base unit being the lamellae, and a SAXS spectra computing program, based on given structural models. The SAXS computing program has been adapted from existing IFP (Institut Français du Pétrole) softwares, allowing computing of wide-angle X-ray scattering spectra. Several spherulite growth parameters have been adjusted, so as to obtain a good agreement with scanning electronic micrographs. Also, the simultaneous growth of several spherulitic entities has been simulated, in both instantaneous and homogeneous nucleation cases. The boundaries between spherulites at the end of the growth are very similar to those observed in optical microscopy. The relative orientations and positions of nuclei are of great importance for impingement, interlocking and organization of spherulites, and therefore for mechanical properties. The diffusion spectrum of simulated spherulitic structures did not present an interference peak. Some spherulite branches are in fact composed of a set of crystalline lamellae, which explains the presence of the interference peak. Intensity of the latter strongly depends on lamellae stacking disorder. Several disorder parameters have been investigated : number of lamellae in a stack, inter-lamellar distance variations around an average value, and parallelism of lamellae in a stack. The systematic computing with all combined levels of these parameters allowed the evaluation of the effect of each parameter on the interference peak intensity. Parallelism of lamellae in the stack is by far the most important parameter. It can be derived that SAXS spectra analysis based on the interference peak position gives information on the most organized zones in the material solely and therefore does not necessarily reflect the entire polymer structure.

Intentionally walking to the beat of an auditory stimulus seems effortless for most humans. However, studies have revealed significant individual differences in the spontaneous tendency to synchronize. Some individuals tend to adapt their walking pace to the beat, while others show little or no adjustment. To fill this gap we introduce the Ramp protocol, which measures spontaneous adaptation to a change in an auditory rhythmic stimulus in a gait task. First, participants walk at their preferred cadence without stimulation. After several steps, a metronome is presented, timed to match the participant's heel-strike. Then, the metronome tempo progressively departs from the participant's cadence by either accelerating or decelerating. The implementation of the Ramp protocol required real-time detection of heel-strike and auditory stimuli aligned with participants' preferred cadence. To achieve this, we developed the TeensyStep device, which we validated compared to a gold standard for step detection. We also demonstrated the sensitivity of the Ramp protocol to individual differences in the spontaneous response to a tempo-changing rhythmic stimulus by introducing a new measure: the Response Score. This new method and quantification of spontaneous response to rhythmic stimuli holds promise for highlighting and distinguishing different profiles of adaptation in a gait task., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Muscle fatigue is a primary risk factor in developing musculoskeletal disorders, which affect up to 93% musicians, especially violinists. Devices providing dynamic assistive support (DAS) to the violin-holding arm can lessen fatigue. The objective was to assess DAS effects on electromyography median frequency and joint kinematics during a fatiguing violin-playing task. Fifteen university-level and professional violinists were equipped with electromyography sensors and reflective markers to record upper-body muscle activity and kinematics. They played G scales with and without DAS until exhaustion. Paired t -tests assessed DAS effects on delta (final-initial) electromyography median frequencies and joint kinematics. DAS prevented the median frequency decrease of left supraspinatus, superior trapezius, and right medial deltoid, and increases in trunk rotation, left-wrist abduction, and right arm-elevation plane. DAS effects on kinematics were marginal due to retention of musical performance despite fatigue. However, DAS reduced fatigue of several muscles, which is promising for injury prevention. Practitioner summary: Violinists are greatly affected by musculoskeletal disorders. Effects of a mobility assistive device on muscle fatigue during violin playing was investigated. The assistive technology slowed down the development of fatigue for three neck/shoulder muscles, making assisted musical performance a promising avenue to prevent violinists' injuries.

Fewer and fewer people are reaching physical activity recommendations. Therefore, it seems important to make the practice of physical activity more enjoyable to increase the participation rate. Several environmental factors have been studied to see their impact on sports practice, and some studies investigated the effect of odors. This systematic review aims to provide a thorough view of the literature on the effect of different odors on physical activity. The search strategy consisted of using index terms and keywords in MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBM Reviews - Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science search engine. Data from 19 studies that included 458 participants revealed that the odors had different results on strength, cardiovascular, precision, and postural balance tasks depending on the odors' exposition. Among results, an important distinction was made between pleasant and unpleasant odors. Therefore, pleasant odors had better results on physical activity by improving participants' feeling. Even though this review clarified evidence about the effect of odors on physical activity, better methodological consistency is needed across studies such as the odor administration method to produce more meaningful results., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previous studies have shown that the dominant arm is generally stronger and more resistant to fatigue. However, whether there are side differences in shoulder muscle activation during a fatiguing upper limb task, and whether this varies according to sex, is unknown. Thirty right-handed adults (15 females) were recruited to complete two sessions of an overhead repetitive fatiguing task (shoulder flexion between 90 and 135° at 1 Hz), performed in two separate sessions with their dominant arm (DA) and non-dominant arm (NDA) until exhaustion. Electromyographic (EMG) data was collected from 11 shoulder muscles of the moving arm, and their activation amplitude (RMS) and activation variability (SD) were assessed. Results show that time to exhaustion was not affected by arm or by sex. There were some main arm effects on EMG activity amplitude, with higher activity on the DA's pectoralis major (p < 0.001), and on the NDA's middle (p = 0.009) and posterior deltoid (p = 0.001) and infraspinatus (p < 0.001). The pectoralis major was affected by arm and fatigue mostly in males. Their DA's pectoralis major activity amplitude was higher, and the amplitude variability was lower, compared to the NDA, with both parameters showing fatigue-dependent decreases at the NDA only (arm x sex x fatigue: RMS: p = 0.007; SD: p = 0.001). As for females, the DA variability of their lower trapezius was smaller, and that of their subscapularis was higher, compared to the NDA (sex x arm, p = 0.028, p = 0.05). There was also more EMG variability on the supraspinatus' dominant side, and on the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus ND side. Results show an overhead shoulder flexion task dependency on pectoralis major control in males, and on lower trapezius and shoulder girdle stabilizers in females, which could be related to both sex- and gender-based factors. This knowledge can help identify side-specific injury risk factors due to overhead work in males and females, and help determine the appropriateness of implementing sex-specific workplace protocols, including alternating arms as fatigue compensatory and recovery strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Lokomat provides task-oriented therapy for patients with gait disorders. This robotic technology drives the lower limbs in the sagittal plane. However, normative gait also involves motions in the coronal and transverse planes. This study aimed to compare the Lokomat with Treadmill gait through three-dimensional (3D)-joint kinematics and inter-joint coordination. Lower limb kinematics was recorded in 18 healthy participants who walked at 3 km/h on a Treadmill or in a Lokomat with nine combinations of Guidance (30%, 50%, 70%) and bodyweight support (30%, 50%, 70%). Compared to the Treadmill, the Lokomat altered pelvic rotation, decreased pelvis obliquity and hip adduction, and increased ankle rotation. Moreover, the Lokomat resulted in significantly slower velocity at the hip, knee, and ankle flexion compared to the treadmill condition. Moderate to strong correlations were observed between the Treadmill and Lokomat conditions in terms of inter-joint coordination between hip-knee (r = 0.67-0.91), hip-ankle (r = 0.66-0.85), and knee-ankle (r = 0.90-0.95). This study showed that some gait determinants, such as pelvis obliquity, rotation, and hip adduction, are altered when walking with Lokomat in comparison to a Treadmill. Kinematic deviations induced by the Lokomat were most prominent at high levels of bodyweight support. Interestingly, different levels of Guidance did not affect gait kinematics. The present results can help therapists to adequately select settings during Lokomat therapy.

During fatiguing piano tasks, muscle fatigue develops differently between expert pianists. Differences in neuromotor strategies employed could explain a slower rate of fatigue development. The objective was to compare muscle activation and kinematic variabilities between ShortDuration (i.e., pianists with less endurance) and LongDuration groups. Results from 49 pianists showed that EMG activation variability of most shoulder and upper limbs muscles was greater for the ShortDuration group with time during two piano fatiguing tasks, namely Digital and Chord tasks. Segment acceleration variability, assessed using inertial measurement units, was also greater with time for the ShortDuration group at the right arm during the Digital task, and at the thorax and head during the Chord task. Finally, thorax lateroflexion variability increased with time for the LongDuration group (but not the ShortDuration group) during the Digital task. During the Chord task, wrist flexion variability was higher for the LongDuration group compared to the ShortDuration group. These results showed a direct effect of time on the pianists' acceleration variability and EMG activation variability. In contrast, a protective effect of fatigue development could be attributed to kinematic variability. Results also suggest a higher risk of injury among pianists in the ShortDuration group., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Introduction: Animal studies have demonstrated that physical exercise can protect memory from the effects of sleep deprivation (SD). We examined whether having a high cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇O 2peak ) is associated with an enhanced capacity to encode episodic memory after one night of SD., Methods: Twenty-nine healthy young participants were allocated into either an SD group ( n = 19) that underwent 30 h of uninterrupted wakefulness, or a sleep control (SC) group ( n = 10) that followed a regular sleep routine. Following either the SD or SC period, participants were asked to view 150 images as the encoding part of the episodic memory task. Ninety-six hours after viewing the images, participants returned to the laboratory to perform the recognition part of the episodic memory task, which required the visual discrimination of the 150 images previously presented from 75 new images introduced as distractors. Cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇O 2peak ) was assessed with a bike ergometer graded exercise test. Group differences in memory performance were assessed with independent t tests and associations between V̇O 2peak and memory with multiple linear regression., Results: The SD group showed a significant increase in subjective fatigue (mean difference [MD] [standard error {SE}] = 38.94 [8.82]; P = 0.0001) and a worse capacity to identify the original 150 images (MD [SE] = -0.18 [0.06]; P = 0.005) and discriminate them from distractors (MD [SE] = -0.78 [0.21] P = 0.001). When adjusted for fatigue, higher V̇O 2peak was significantly associated with better memory scores in the SD (R 2 = 0.41; β [SE] = 0.03 [0.01]; P = 0.015) but not in the SC group ( R2 = 0.23; β [SE] = 0.02 [0.03]; P = 0.408)., Conclusions: These results confirm that SD before encoding impairs the capacity to create robust episodic memories and provide preliminary support to the hypothesis that maintaining high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness could have a protective effect against the disruptive effects of sleep loss on memory., (Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Sports Medicine.)

Objective: Assessing violinists' motor and musical performance adaptations to dynamic assistive support (DAS) provided by a passive device, using a force-field adaptation paradigm., Background: Up to 93% of instrumentalists are affected by musculoskeletal injuries and particularly violinists. The repetitive nature of their work may lead to muscle fatigue, an injury risk factor. DAS has been used in occupational settings to minimize muscle activations and limit fatigue accumulation. DAS may however affect motor and musical performance., Method: Fifteen expert violinists were equipped with reflective markers and surface and intramuscular electromyography (EMG) sensors. Movements, muscle activations, and sound were recorded while participants completed three experimental conditions for which they continuously played a 13-s musical excerpt: Control (no DAS), Adaptation (DAS), and Washout (no DAS). DAS was applied at the left elbow (violin-holding side). Conditions were repeated 1 week later. Participants later listened to their own audio recordings playing with and without DAS and blindly assessed their performances. Linear mixed models were used to compare DAS and no-DAS conditions' kinematic, EMG, and musical performance data., Results: DAS perturbed user kinematics but reduced mean activations of left medial deltoid and superior trapezius. Joint kinematic and muscle activation patterns between DAS and no DAS conditions however remained similar. Musical performance was unchanged with DAS., Conclusion: Though DAS modified violinists' upper-limb configurations, resulting kinematics were not detrimental to musical performance. Reduced muscle activations with DAS could contribute to lessening muscle fatigue., Application: Although its effect on muscle fatigue should be further investigated, DAS might be useful in preventing violinists' injuries.

Muscle fatigue is a risk factor for developing musculoskeletal disorders during low-load repetitive tasks. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of muscle fatigue on power spectrum changes of upper limb and trunk acceleration and angular velocity during a repetitive pointing task (RPT) and a work task. Twenty-four participants equipped with 11 inertial measurement units, that include acceleration and gyroscope sensors, performed a tea bag filling work task before and immediately after a fatiguing RPT. During the RPT, the power spectrum of acceleration and angular velocity increased in the movement and in 6-12 Hz frequency bands for sensors positioned on the head, sternum, and pelvis. Alternatively, for the sensor positioned on the hand, the power spectrum of acceleration and angular velocity decreased in the movement frequency band. During the work task, following the performance of the fatiguing RPT, the power spectrum of acceleration and angular velocity increased in the movement frequency band for sensors positioned on the head, sternum, pelvis, and arm. Interestingly, for both the RPT and work task, Cohens' d effect sizes were systematically larger for results extracted from angular velocity than acceleration. Although fatigue-related changes were task-specific between the RPT and the work task, fatigue systematically increased the power spectrum in the movement frequency band for the head, sternum, pelvis, which highlights the relevance of this indicator for assessing fatigue. Angular velocity may be more efficient to assess fatigue than acceleration. The use of low cost, wearable, and uncalibrated sensors, such as acceleration and gyroscope, in industrial settings is promising to assess muscle fatigue in workers assigned to upper limb repetitive tasks.

Objective: To highlight the working strategies used by expert manual handlers compared with novice manual handlers, based on recordings of shoulder and upper limb kinematics, electromyography (EMG), and estimated muscle forces during a lifting task., Background: Novice workers involved in assembly, manual handling, and personal assistance tasks are at a higher risk of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). However, few studies have investigated the effect of expertise on upper limb exposure during workplace tasks., Method: Sixteen experts in manual handling and sixteen novices were equipped with 10 electromyographic electrodes to record shoulder muscle activity during a manual handling task consisting of lifting a box (8 or 12 kg), instrumented with three six-axis force sensors, from hip to eye level. Three-dimensional trunk and upper limb kinematics, hand-to-box contact forces, and EMG were recorded. Then, joint contributions, activation levels, and muscle forces were calculated and compared between groups., Results: Sternoclavicular-acromioclavicular joint contributions were higher in experts at the beginning of the movement, and in novices at the end, whereas the opposite was observed for the glenohumeral joint. EMG activation levels were 37% higher for novices but predicted muscle forces were higher in experts., Conclusion: This study highlights significant differences between experts and novices in shoulder kinematics, EMG, and muscle forces; hence, providing effective work guidelines to ensure the development of a safe handling strategy is important., Application: Shoulder kinematics, EMG, and muscle forces could be used as ergonomic tools to identify inappropriate techniques that could increase the prevalence of shoulder injuries.

TB Programs should promote the use of digital health platforms, like Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to collect patients' information, thus reducing data incompleteness and low accuracy and eventually improving patients' care. Nevertheless, the potential of digital health systems remains largely unexploited in low-resource settings. Angola is one of the 14 countries with a triple burden of TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB (multidrug-resistant TB) and it is among the three countries, together with Congo and Liberia that have never completed a drug-resistance survey so far. The Sanatorium Hospital of Luanda and the Tuberculosis Dispensary of Luanda are the two reference health facilities in Luanda dealing with most of the TB cases, and they both rely entirely on paper-based data collection. The aim of this paper is to describe a three-stage process for the development of a TB EMR system in these two health facilities of Luanda and to share the lessons learned. The description is focused on the activities that took place from March 2019 to January 2020. Main lessons learned were identified in the importance of engaging all the stakeholders in the development process, in the mainstream of the "think digital" transition, in the promotion of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) culture and in the planning of the system's sustainability. This approach may be replicated in similar contexts where the development of a TB EMR system is sought, and the lessons learned could assist and facilitate the programming of the interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Robbiati, Tosti, Mezzabotta, Dal Maso, Lulua Sachicola, Siene Tienabe, Nsuka, Simonelli, Dente and Putoto.)

Muscle fatigue is a risk factor for developing shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to identify shoulder electromyographic indicators that are most indicative of muscle fatigue during a laboratory simulated manual handling task. Thirty-two participants were equipped with electromyographic electrodes on 10 shoulder muscles and moved boxes for 45-minutes. The modified rate of perceived exertion (mRPE) was assessed every 5-minutes and multivariate linear regressions were performed between myoelectric manifestation of fatigue (MMF) and the mRPE scores. During a manual handling task representative of industry working conditions, spectral entropy , median frequency , and mobility were the electromyographic indicators that explained the largest percentage of the mRPE. Overall, the deltoids, biceps and upper trapezius were the muscles that most often showed significant changes over time in their electromyographic indicators. The combination of these three indicators may improve the accuracy for the assessment of MMF during manual handling. Practitioner Summary: To date, muscle fatigue has primarily been assessed during tasks done to exhaustion, which are not representative of typical working conditions. During a manual handling task representative of industry working conditions, EMG-derived spectral entropy , and median frequency , both extracted from time-frequency analysis, and mobility extracted from time domain, were the best indicators of the manifestation of muscle fatigue.

Background: The Lokomat is a robotic device that has been suggested to make gait therapy easier, more comfortable, and more efficient. In this study, we asked whether the Lokomat promotes physiological muscle activation patterns, a fundamental question when considering motor learning and adaptation., Methods: We investigated lower limb muscles coordination in terms of muscle activity level, muscle activity pattern similarity, and muscle synergy in 15 healthy participants walking at 3 km/h on either a treadmill or in a Lokomat at various guidance forces (GF: 30, 50 or 70%) and body weight supports (BWS: 30, 50 or 70% of participant's body weight)., Results: Walking in the Lokomat was associated with a greater activation level of the rectus femoris and vastus medialis (×2-3) compared to treadmill walking. The level of activity tended to be diminished in gastrocnemius and semi-tendinosus, which particularly affected the similarity with treadmill walking (normalized scalar product NSP = 0.7-0.8). GF and BWS independently altered the muscle activation pattern in terms of amplitude and shape. Increasing BWS decreased the level of activity in all but one muscle (the soleus). Increasing GF slightly improved the similarity with treadmill walking for the tibialis anterior and vastus medialis muscles. The muscle synergies (N = 4) were similar (NSP = 0.93-0.97), but a cross-validation procedure revealed an alteration by the Lokomat. The activation of these synergies differed (NSP = 0.74-0.82)., Conclusion: The effects of GF and BWS are modest compared to the effect of the Lokomat itself, suggesting that Lokomat design should be improved to promote more typical muscle activity patterns., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate kinematic changes and muscle fatigue in jump gait during a walking exercise and the relationship between kinematic changes and muscle fatigue and strength., Design: This preliminary study included 10 children with cerebral palsy who walk with jump gait. Hip and knee maximal isometric muscle strength were measured using a dynamometer. Then, lower-limb kinematics and electromyography were collected while children walked continuously for 6 min at their self-selected speed. Electromyography median frequency and lower-limb joint angles were compared between the first and the sixth minutes of the walking exercise using t test and Wilcoxon rank test. The relationship between kinematic changes and muscle strength and changes in electromyography median frequency were assessed using correlation analyses., Results: During stance, maximal knee flexion significantly increased at the sixth minute (P = 0.01) and was associated with knee extensor muscle weakness (ρ = -0.504, P = 0.03). Muscle fatigue was observed only in the gluteus medius muscle (P = 0.01)., Conclusions: Children with cerebral palsy who walked with jump gait and who had knee extensor weakness were more prone to an increase in knee flexion during a continuous walk. The fatigue in the gluteus medius muscle suggests that physical intervention should target the endurance of this muscle to improve jump gait., Competing Interests: Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Muscle fatigue is considered as a risk factor for developing playing-related muscular disorders among professional pianists and could affect musical performance. This study investigated in 50 pianists the effect of fatiguing repetitive piano sequences on the development of forearm muscle fatigue and on piano performance parameters. Results showed signs of myoelectric manifestation of fatigue in the 42-electromyographic bipolar electrodes positioned on the forearm to record finger and wrist flexor and extensor muscles, through a significant non-constant decrease of instantaneous median frequency during two repetitive Digital (right-hand 16-tones sequence) and Chord (right-hand chords sequence) excerpts, with extensor muscles showing greater signs of fatigue than flexor muscles. In addition, muscle fatigue negatively affected key velocity, a central feature of piano sound intensity, in both Digital and Chord excerpts, and note-events, a fundamental aspect of musicians' performance parameter, in the Chord excerpt only. This result highlights that muscle fatigue may alter differently pianists' musical performance according to the characteristics of the piece played.

Objective: Robotic gait training presents a promising training modality. Nevertheless, evidence supporting the efficacy of such therapy in children with cerebral palsy remains insufficient. This study aimed to assess the effect of robotic gait training in children/adolescents with cerebral palsy., Methods: Twenty-four children/adolescents with bilateral cerebral palsy (12 female, 10.1 ± 3.1 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System II to IV) took part in this study. They received two 30-45 min sessions/week of Lokomat training for 12-weeks. Muscle strengths, 6-min walk exercise and gait parameters were evaluated pre- and post-training and at 6-months-follow-up. Training effect according to the level of impairment severity (moderate vs severe) was analyzed using a change from the baseline procedure., Results: A significant increase in muscle strength was observed after training (p ≤ 0.01). Hip flexors and knee extensors strength changes were maintained or improved at follow-up (p < 0.05). Comfortable walking speed was significantly increased by +20% after training with a slight reduction at follow-up compared to post-training condition (-2.7%, p < 0.05). A significant step length increase was observed after training (14%, p ≤ 0.001). The distance covered in 6 min was higher in post-training (+24%, p ≤ 0.001) and maintained at follow-up compared to pre-training conditions. No significant changes in kinematic patterns were observed. The analysis by subgroup showed that both groups of children (with moderate and severe impairments) improved muscle strength and walking capacities after Lokomat training., Conclusion: The suggested Lokomat training induced improvement in walking capacity of children/adolescents with cerebral palsy whatever the level of severity. Hence, Lokomat training could be viewed as a valuable training modality in this population., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Cardiovascular exercise is known to promote the consolidation of newly acquired motor skills. Previous studies seeking to understand the neural correlates underlying motor memory consolidation that is modulated by exercise, have relied so far on using traditional statistical approaches for a priori selected features from neuroimaging data, including EEG. With recent advances in machine learning, data-driven techniques such as deep learning have shown great potential for EEG data decoding for brain-computer interfaces, but have not been explored in the context of exercise. Here, we present a novel Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based pipeline for analysis of EEG data to study the brain areas and spectral EEG measures modulated by exercise. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first one to demonstrate the ability of CNNs to be trained in a limited sample size setting. Our approach revealed discriminative spectral features within a refined frequency band (27-29 Hz) as compared to the wider beta bandwidth (15-30 Hz), which is commonly used in data analyses, as well as corresponding brain regions that were modulated by exercise. These results indicate the presence of finer EEG spectral features that could have been overlooked using conventional hypothesis-driven statistical approaches. Our study thus demonstrates the feasibility of using deep network architectures for neuroimaging analysis, even in small-scale studies, to identify robust brain biomarkers and investigate neuroscience-based questions., (Copyright © 2019 Ghosh, Dal Maso, Roig, Mitsis and Boudrias.)

Background: A deterioration of crouch gait was found in a group of children with cerebral palsy (CP) after a short walking exercise. The increased knee flexion reported after a continuous walk could be related with muscle fatigue and muscle strength., Aim: Does muscle fatigue appears at the end of a walking exercise in children with CP who walk in a crouch gait?, Methods: Eleven children with cerebral palsy (GMFCS I to III) who walk in a crouch gait were included. Isometric muscle strength was assessed using a handheld dynamometer. Children were asked to walk for 6 min at comfortable speed. Spatio-temporal, kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) measurements were recorded at the first and the last minute of the 6-minute walking exercise. Muscle fatigue was evaluated using the shift of EMG signals median frequency., Results: There was no significant difference in walking speed, cadence, and step length at the end of the 6mwe. Maximal and mean anterior pelvic tilt decreased and knee flexion increased (p < 0.05). Rectus femoris EMG median frequency decreased (p < 0.05). The median frequency in other muscles did not decrease significantly. Greater hip extensor strength was associated with lesser knee flexion at the end of the 6-minute walking exercise (p < 0.05)., Significance: The increase in knee flexion at the end of the 6-minute walking exercise can be explained by muscle fatigue found in rectus femoris. Hip extensor strength can limit the deterioration of crouch gait after a 6-minute walking exercise representative of daily activities., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To this day, how shoulder muscles react to a strong fatigue stimulus during dynamic shoulder rotations remains unknown. The aims of this study were to assess the effect of repeated maximal internal-external isokinetic shoulder rotations on shoulder strength and muscle activity. Twenty-four individuals completed a 50-repetition fatiguing isokinetic protocol while electromyography was recorded on eleven muscles of the shoulder girdle. Time-frequency transformation and an ANOVA model using statistical parametric mapping methods were used to analyze shifts in instantaneous median frequency (MDF) between each 10-repetition Blocks. Peak torques decreased in both internal and external rotation (P < 0.01) by 24.8% on average which indicated the presence of fatigue. Significant decrease in MDF (P < 0.01) was observed for pectoralis, middle deltoid, upper, middle and lower trapezius, infraspinatus and subscapularis muscles. The observed fatigue to the periscapular and rotator cuff muscles suggests that shoulder stability could be compromised during repeated shoulder rotations, which could underlie the increased risk of scapular dyskinesis and shoulder impingement during fatiguing tasks. The present study provides a deeper understanding on the manifestations of fatigue within muscles of the shoulder girdle and the results could be applied toward improvements in athlete shoulder injury prevention and rehabilitation programs.

A single bout of cardiovascular exercise performed immediately after practicing a visuo-motor tracking task has been shown to improve the long-term retention of this motor skill through an optimization of the memory consolidation process. The mechanisms underlying the time-dependent effects of acute cardiovascular exercise on motor memory consolidation, however, remain poorly understood. In this study, we sought to determine the impact of a single bout of cardiovascular exercise performed immediately after motor skill practice on those mechanisms using electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG). Specifically, we assessed exercise-induced changes in the activity and connectivity of cortico-motor networks during early consolidation and the impact of these changes on skill retention. Participants practiced a visuo-motor tracking task followed by either a short bout of intense exercise or a rest period. EEG along with EMG data of hand muscles were collected during the production of low-force isometric contractions. Event-related desynchronization, functional connectivity and corticomuscular coherence were measured at baseline, 30, 60 and 90 min after the bout of exercise or the rest period. Improvements in motor memory were inferred via retention tests of the motor skill performed 8 and 24 h after motor practice. We found that participants who performed the single bout of exercise showed better motor skill retention 24 h after motor practice. This improvement in skill retention in the exercise group was associated with significant decreases in beta-band event-related desynchronization in EEG electrodes located over the left sensorimotor areas. We also found that after exercise, alpha-, and even more significantly, beta-band functional connectivity, increased between EEG electrodes located over left and right sensorimotor areas. The exercise group also showed greater beta-band corticomuscular coherence but only in a small number of electrodes. Neither functional connectivity nor corticomuscular coherence measures correlated with skill retention scores. This is the first study exploring brain mechanisms underlying the summative effects of motor learning and cardiovascular exercise on motor memory consolidation. We have identified potential neural substrates through which a single bout of acute exercise, when performed in close temporal proximity to motor practice, strengthens motor memories. Our findings provide new mechanistic insights into a better understanding of the complex temporal relationship existing between cardiovascular exercise and motor memory consolidation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The choice of the cost-function for predicting muscle forces during a movement remains a challenge, especially in patients with neuromuscular disorders. Forward dynamics-based optimisations mainly track joint kinematics or torques, combined with a least-excitation criterion. Tracking marker trajectories and/or electromyography (EMG) has rarely been proposed. Our objective was to determine the best tracking objective-function to accurately predict the upper-limb muscle forces. A musculoskeletal model was created and EMG was simulated to obtain a reference movement - a shoulder abduction. A Gaussian noise (mean = 0; standard deviation = 15%) was added to the simulated EMG. Another noise - corresponding to the actual soft tissue artefacts (STA) of experimental shoulder abduction movements - was added to the trajectories of the markers placed on the model. Muscle forces were estimated from these noisy data, using forward dynamics assisted by six non-linear least-squared objective-functions. These functions involved the tracking of marker trajectories, joint angles or torques, with and without EMG-tracking. All six approaches used the same musculoskeletal model and were solved using a direct multiple shooting algorithm. Finally, the predicted joint angles, muscle forces and activations were compared to the reference values, using root-mean-square errors (RMSe) and biases. The force RMSe of the approach tracking both marker trajectories and EMG (18.45 ± 12.60 N) was almost five times lower than the one of the approach tracking only joint angles (82.37 ± 66.26 N) or torques (85.10 ± 116.40 N). Therefore, using EMG as a complementary tracking-data in forward dynamics seems to be promising for the estimation of muscle forces., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ensuring glenohumeral stability during repetitive lifting tasks is a key factor to reduce the risk of shoulder injuries. Nevertheless, the literature reveals some lack concerning the assessment of the muscles that ensure glenohumeral stability during specific lifting tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the stabilization function of shoulder muscles during a lifting task. Kinematics and muscle electromyograms (n = 9) were recorded from 13 healthy adults during a bi-manual lifting task performed from the hip to the shoulder level. A generic upper-limb OpenSim model was implemented to simulate glenohumeral stability and instability by performing static optimizations with and without glenohumeral stability constraints. This procedure enabled to compute the level of shoulder muscle activity and forces in the two conditions. Without the stability constraint, the simulated movement was unstable during 74%±16% of the time. The force of the supraspinatus was significantly increased of 107% (p<0.002) when the glenohumeral stability constraint was implemented. The increased supraspinatus force led to greater compressive force (p<0.001) and smaller shear force (p<0.001), which contributed to improved glenohumeral stability. It was concluded that the supraspinatus may be the main contributor to glenohumeral stability during lifting task.

Antagonist muscle co-activation is thought to be partially regulated by cortical influences, but direct motor cortex involvement is not fully understood. Corticomuscular coherence (CMC) measures direct functional coupling of the motor cortex and muscles. As antagonist co-activation differs according to training status, comparison of CMC in agonist and antagonist muscles and in strength-trained and endurance-trained individuals may provide in-depth knowledge of cortical implication in antagonist muscle co-activation. Electroencephalographic and electromyographic signals were recorded, while 10 strength-trained and 11 endurance-trained participants performed isometric knee contractions in flexion and extension at various torque levels. CMC magnitude in 13-21 and 21-31 Hz frequency bands was quantified by CMC analysis between Cz electroencephalographic electrode activity and all electromyographic signals. CMC was significant in both 13-21 and 21-31 Hz frequency bands in flexor and extensor muscles regardless of participant group, torque level, and direction of contraction. CMC magnitude decreased more in antagonist than in agonist muscles as torque level increased. Finally, CMC magnitude was higher in strength-trained than in endurance-trained participants. These findings provide experimental evidence that the motor cortex directly regulates both agonist and antagonist muscles. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying muscle activation may be specific to their function. Between-group modulation of corticomuscular coherence may result from training-induced adaptation, re-emphasizing that corticomuscular coherence analysis may be efficient in characterizing corticospinal adaptations after long-term muscle specialization.

Soft tissue artefact (STA) represents one of the main obstacles for obtaining accurate and reliable skeletal kinematics from motion capture. Many studies have addressed this issue, yet there is no consensus on the best available bone pose estimator and the expected errors associated with relevant results. Furthermore, results obtained by different authors are difficult to compare due to the high variability and specificity of the phenomenon and the different metrics used to represent these data. Therefore, the aim of this study was twofold: firstly, to propose standards for description of STA; and secondly, to provide illustrative STA data samples for body segments in the upper and lower extremities and for a range of motor tasks specifically, level walking, stair ascent, sit-to-stand, hip- and knee-joint functional movements, cutting motion, running, hopping, arm elevation and functional upper-limb movements. The STA dataset includes motion of the skin markers measured in vivo and ex vivo using stereophotogrammetry as well as motion of the underlying bones measured using invasive or bio-imaging techniques (i.e., X-ray fluoroscopy or MRI). The data are accompanied by a detailed description of the methods used for their acquisition, with information given about their quality as well as characterization of the STA using the proposed standards. The availability of open-access and standard-format STA data will be useful for the evaluation and development of bone pose estimators thus contributing to the advancement of three-dimensional human movement analysis and its translation into the clinical practice and other applications., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

After spinal cord injury (SCI), the reorganization of the neuromuscular system leads to increased antagonist muscles' co-activation-that is, increased antagonist vs. agonist muscles activation ratio-during voluntary contractions. Increased muscle co-activation is supposed to result from reduced cortical influences on spinal mechanisms inhibiting antagonist muscles. The assessment of the residual interactions between cortical and muscles activity with corticomuscular coherence (CMC) in participants with SCI producing different force levels may shed new lights on the regulation of muscle co-activation. To achieve this aim, we compared the net joint torque, the muscle co-activation and the CMC ~ 10 and ~ 20 Hz with both agonist and antagonist muscles in participants with SCI and healthy participants performing actual isometric elbow flexion contractions at three force levels. For all participants, overall CMC and muscle co-activation decreased with the increase in the net joint torque, but only CMC ~ 10 Hz was correlated with muscle co-activation. Participants with SCI had greater muscle co-activation and lower CMC ~ 10 Hz, at the highest force levels. These results emphasize the importance of CMC as a mechanism that could take part in the modulation of muscle co-activation to maintain a specific force level. Lower CMC ~ 10 Hz in SCI participants may reflect the decreased cortical influence on spinal mechanisms, leading to increased muscle co-activation, although plasticity of the corticomuscular coupling seems to be preserved after SCI to modulate the force level. Clinically, the CMC may efficiently evaluate the residual integrity of the neuromuscular system after SCI and the effects of rehabilitation., (© 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

One approach to increasing the confidence of muscle force estimation via musculoskeletal models is to minimize the root mean square error (RMSE) between joint torques estimated from electromyographic-driven musculoskeletal models and those computed using inverse dynamics. We propose a method that reduces RMSE by selecting subsets of combinations of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) trials that minimize RMSE. Twelve participants performed 3 elbow MVIC in flexion and in extension. An upper-limb electromyographic-driven musculoskeletal model was created to optimize maximum muscle stress and estimate the maximal isometric force of the biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, and triceps brachii. Maximal isometric forces were computed from all possible combinations of flexion-extension trials. The combinations producing the smallest RMSE significantly reduced the normalized RMSE to 7.4% compared with the combination containing all trials (9.0%). Maximal isometric forces ranged between 114-806 N, 64-409 N, 236-1511 N, and 556-3434 N for the brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, and triceps brachii, respectively. These large variations suggest that customization is required to reduce the difference between models and actual participants' maximal isometric force. While the smallest previously reported RMSE was 10.3%, the proposed method reduced the RMSE to 7.4%, which may increase the confidence of muscle force estimation.

Background: The objective of this study was to provide preliminary measures of the distance between the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis footprints and the acromion, coracoacromial ligament, and coracoid process, during dynamic arm elevations through the entire range-of-motion., Methods: Two healthy men performed maximum adduction, flexion, abduction, and extension with the arm internally, neutrally, and externally rotated. The distance between each rotator cuff footprint and the acromion, coracoacromial ligament, and coracoid process was measured from glenohumeral kinematics obtained from markers fitted to intracortical pins combined with the scapular and humeral 3D geometry obtained from CT-scan., Results: All footprints moved to be less than 10 mm to the acromion, coracoacromial ligament and coracoid process. They got closer to the acromion than to the other parts of the coracoacromial arch. The acromion-supraspinatus and acromion-infraspinatus distances were minimal during abduction and flexion. The acromion-subscapularis distance was minimal when the arm was in external and neutral rotation during both adduction and flexion., Conclusions: The present study provides benchmark results of the distance between the rotator cuff footprints and the coracoacromial arch that may guide future clinical research. Pressure transducers should be positioned throughout the coracoacromial arch to provide comprehensive assessment of the compression undergone by the rotator cuff tendons. Common shoulder examination tests, that require flexion and internal rotation movements, may be refined since the supraspinatus footprint was the closest to the coracoacromial arch during abduction. Larger scale investigations may be needed to identify more accurate shoulder examination tests., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify the smallest combinations of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) tests that produce near-maximum voluntary activation (MVA) for a large proportion of participants for the shoulder girdle muscles., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Research center., Participants: Healthy participants (N=38)., Interventions: Not applicable., Main Outcome Measures: The electromyography of 12 shoulder muscles was recorded while participants performed 15 MVIC tests. The smallest combinations of MVIC tests that met our acceptance criterion (ie, produce 90% of MVA for 90% of participants) were identified. Optimal combinations were identified for each of the 12 muscles individually and for the 12 muscles simultaneously. Electromyographic activation levels of the 95th highest percentile obtained with our optimal combinations and with the Four Normalization Tests previously recommended were compared using paired t tests., Results: Between 2 and 6 MVIC tests were required for each of the 12 muscles, and 12 MVIC tests were required for the 12 muscles to meet the acceptance criterion. These optimal combinations produced electromyographic activation levels of the 95th highest percentile comprised between 97% and 100% of MVA. These electromyographic activation levels were significantly higher than the electromyographic activation levels obtained with the Four Normalization Tests., Conclusions: Although the number of MVIC tests to normalize 12 shoulder muscles was increased compared with previous recommendations, the proposed method ensures that near-MVA (>90%) was obtained for a large proportion of participants (>90%). Moreover, because electromyographic activation levels of the 95th highest percentile were at least 97% of MVA, the identified combinations could reduce the interparticipant variability. The proposed combinations could help to improve electromyographic normalization and therefore reduce the misinterpretations regarding shoulder muscle activation levels., (Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Combination of biplane fluoroscopy and CT-scan provides accurate 3D measurement of the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) during dynamic tasks. However, participants performed only two and six trials in previous experiments to respect the recommended radiation exposure per year. Our objective was to propose a technique to assess the AHD in 3D during dynamic tasks without this limitation. The AHD was computed from glenohumeral kinematics obtained using markers fitted to pins drilled into the scapula and the humerus combined with 3D bone geometry obtained using CT-scan. Four participants performed range-of-motion, daily-living, and sports activities. Sixty-six out of 158trials performed by each participant were analyzed. Two participants were not considered due to experimental issues. AHD decreased with arm elevation. Overall, the smallest AHD occurred in abduction (1.1mm (P1) and 1.2mm (P2)). The smallest AHD were 2.4mm (P1) and 3.1mm (P2) during ADL. It was 2.8mm (P1) and 1.1mm (P2) during sports activities. The humeral head greater and lesser tuberosities came the nearest to the acromion. The proposed technique increases the number of trials acquired during one experiment compared to previous. The identification of movements maximizing AHD is possible, which may provide benefits for shoulder rehabilitation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Arm elevations in different planes are commonly assessed in clinics and are included in rehabilitation protocols for patients with rotator cuff pathology. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of plane and angle of elevation on shoulder muscles activity in patients with symptomatic rotator cuff tear to be used for rehabilitation purposes., Methods: Eight symptomatic patients with rotator cuff tears were assessed by using EMG (11 surface and 2 fine wire electrodes) synchronized with a motion analysis. The subjects completed five elevations in full can position (arm externally rotated and thumb up) in frontal, scapular and sagittal planes. Muscle activity in three elevation arcs of 20° (from 0° to 60°) was presented as the percentage of mean activity. Data were analyzed by mixed linear models (α=0.003), and Tuckey Post-hoc comparisons for significant effects (α=0.05)., Findings: The effect of plane was significant for supraspinatus, middle trapezius, anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid, triceps, and pectoralis major (P<0.001). Supraspinatus was more active during abduction than scaption and flexion (P<0.05), and its activity did not increase significantly after 40° of elevation (P>0.05). Infraspinatus had similar activity pattern in the three planes of elevation (P>0.003) with increasing trend in accordance with the elevation angle., Interpretation: In any rehabilitation protocol, if less activity of supraspinatus is desired, active arm elevation should be directed toward flexion and scaption and postponed abduction to prevent high level of activity in this muscle., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: After spinal cord injury (SCI), the antagonist muscles activation is increased during voluntary contractions and reflex conditioning protocols. This increase can be the result of both muscle atrophy and reciprocal facilitation mechanism. It remains however unclear to what extent increased antagonist muscles activation could be rather attributable to central vs. peripheral changes during voluntary contractions achieved by SCI participants., Methods: We investigated the activations of elbow extensors and flexors during isometric elbow flexion and extension contractions performed at 3 force levels by 10 healthy participants and 8 participants with cervical SCI (cSCI)., Results: At similar force level and absolute net torque in flexion, the antagonist muscles activation was increased for the participants with cSCI. At similar absolute net torque in extension, the activations of agonist and antagonist muscles were increased for the participants with cSCI., Conclusion: During flexion contractions, increased antagonist muscles activation may be explained by extensors atrophy or reciprocal facilitation. During extension contractions, increased antagonist muscles activation may reflect the importance of reciprocal facilitation as antagonist muscles were evaluated as intact by clinical testing and maximal net joint torque recording., Significance: These results in cSCI participants revealed an increased activation of antagonist muscles, which may reflect a reorganization of the spinal reflexes and their supraspinal control involved during isometric elbow contractions., (Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Glenohumeral translations have been mainly investigated during static poses while shoulder rehabilitation exercises, activities of daily living, and sports activities are dynamic. Our objective was to assess glenohumeral translations during shoulder rehabilitation exercises, activities of daily living, and sports activities to provide a preliminary analysis of glenohumeral arthrokinematics in a broad range of dynamic tasks., Methods: Glenohumeral translations were computed from trajectories of markers fitted to intracortical pins inserted into the scapula and the humerus. Two participants (P1 and P2) performed full range-of-motion movements including maximum arm elevations and internal-external rotations rehabilitation exercises, six activities of daily living, and five sports activities., Findings: During range-of-motion movements, maximum upward translation was 7.5mm (P1) and 4.7mm (P2). Upward translation during elevations was smaller with the arm internally (3.6mm (P1) and 2.9mm (P2)) than neutrally (4.2mm (P1) and 3.7mm (P2)) and externally rotated (4.3mm (P1) and 4.3mm (P2)). For activities of daily living and sports activities, only anterior translation during reach axilla for P1 and upward translation during ball throwing for P2 were larger than the translation measured during range-of-motion movements (108% and 114%, respectively)., Interpretation: While previous electromyography-based studies recommended external rotation during arm elevation to minimize upward translation, measures of glenohumeral translations suggest that internal rotation may be better. Similar amplitude of translation during ROM movement and sports activities suggests that large excursions of the humeral head may be caused not only by fast movements, but also by large amplitude movements., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Local and global optimization algorithms have been developed to estimate joint kinematics to reducing soft movement artifact (STA). Such algorithms can include weightings to account for different STA occur at each marker. The objective was to quantify the benefit of optimal weighting and determine if optimal marker weightings can improve humerus kinematics accuracy. A pin with five reflective markers was inserted into the humerus of four subjects. Seven markers were put on the skin of the arm. Subjects performed 38 different tasks including arm elevation, rotation, daily-living tasks, and sport activities. In each movement, mean and peak errors in skin- vs. pins-orientation were reported. Then, optimal marker weightings were found to best match skin- and pin-based orientation. Without weighting, the error of the arm orientation ranged from 1.9° to 17.9°. With weighting, 100% of the trials were improved and the average error was halved. The mid-arm markers weights were close to 0 for three subjects. Weights of a subject applied to the others for a given movement, and weights of a movement applied to others for a given subject did not systematically increased accuracy of arm orientation. Without weighting, a redundant set of marker and least square algorithm improved accuracy to estimate arm orientation compared to data of the literature using electromagnetic sensor. Weightings were subject- and movement-specific, which reinforces that STA are subject- and movement-specific. However, markers on the deltoid insertion and on lateral and medial epicondyles may be preferred if a limited number of markers is used., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)