Journal
NEUROSCIENTIST
Volume 15, Issue 1, Pages 36-46Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/1073858408322674
Keywords
locomotion; interlimb coordination; perturbation; whole-body reactions; rehabilitation
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Funding
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
- Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
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Humans are one of the unique species that utilize bipedal gait to ambulate in our environment. Despite this fact, coordination of the arms with the legs and the rest of body is essential for many daily activities. As such, whole-body responses have emerged as the preferred strategy following perturbations to balance during both standing and walking. Complex neural circuitry may allow for this coordination through the use of propriospinal pathways linking lumbar and cervical pattern generators in the spinal cord, with supraspinal centers altering this control depending on the context of the situation. Based on these findings, we argue that whole-body reactions may be exploited for rehabilitation purposes. Preliminary results have indicated training programs designed to elicit whole-body responses are effective in reducing falls and improving functional mobility in older adults with and without neurological impairment.
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