Monocular vision leads to a dissociation between grip force and grip aperture scaling during reach-to-grasp movements

It has been argued that visual perception and the visual control of action depend upon functionally distinct and anatomically separable brain systems. Electrophysiological evidence indicates that binocular vision may be particularly important for the visuomotor processing within the posterior parietal cortex, and neuropsychological and psychophysical studies confirm that binocular vision is crucial for the accurate planning and control of prehension movements. An unresolved issue concerns the consequences for visuomotor processing of removing binocular vision. By one account, monocular viewing leads to reliance upon pictorial visual cues to calibrate grasping and results in disruption to normal size-constancy mechanisms. This proposal is based on the finding that maximum grip apertures are reduced with monocular vision. By a second account, monocular viewing results in the loss of binocular visual cues and leads to strategic changes in visuomotor processing by way of altered safety margins. This proposal is based on the finding that maximum grip apertures are increased with monocular vision. We measured both grip aperture and grip force during prehension movements executed with binocular and monocular viewing. We demonstrate that each of the above accounts may be correct and can be observed within the same task. Specifically, we show that, while grip apertures increase with monocular vision, consistent with altered visuomotor safety margins, maximum grip force is nevertheless reduced, consistent with a misperception of object size. These results are related to differences in visual processing required for calibrating grip aperture and grip force during reaching.     

Dependence of anticipatory changes in the hand muscle activity and the grip force on the height of the fall when catching a falling object

The time course of changes in the hand muscle activity and the grip force before the hit of an object falling from different heights into a cup held between the thumb and the forefinger was analyzed in three variants of the experiment: (1) the subject saw the object falling; (2) the subject did not see the object falling but initiated the fall; and (3) the subject had no information on either the falling or its start. In the third variant, the muscle activity and the grip force changed in response to the object hitting the cup. In the second variant, the muscle activity and the grip force began to change 200–280 ms before the hit, this time being independent of height from which the object fell. In the first variant, the anticipatory changes began 150 ms after the object started falling and did not depend on the height of the falling within the rage 30–50 cm. If the object fell from a height of 70–105 cm, the changes in the muscle activity and the grip force began a fixed time before the object hit the cup, which did not depend on the height from which the object fell. Thus, when the object fall from small heights, the timing of the increase in the grip force was mainly determined by the moment when the object began moving; at large heights, the increase in the grip force was related to the presumed moment of the hit.     

Dependence of anticipatory changes of hand muscle activity and grip force on the height of the fall during catching of the object

Timing of changes of hand muscle activity and grip force before the impact of the object that fell from different height into the cup held between thumb and index fingers of sitting subject was studied in three variants of experiment: 1) the subject has seen the fall of the object, 2) the subject has not seen the movement of the object but has initiated the fall, 3) the subject has no information about the object fall. In the third variant changes of muscle activity and grip force has occurred in response to the impact of the falling object. In the second variant changes of muscle activity and grip force preceded the impact the falling object by 200-280 MC and this time interval that did not depend on the height of the fall. In the first variant of experiment changes of the muscle activity and grip force has occurred in 150 ms after the start of fall independently of the height of the fall when the height was 30-50 cm. When the height of the fall was 70-105 cm the changes has preceded the impact by the time interval that did not depend on the height of fall. Thus when the height of fall was small the time of the start of the changes of muscle activity and grip force was related to the start of the fall, but when the height was large the start of changes was related to the presumed impact of falling object.     

Examination of the reproducibility of grip force and muscle oxygenation kinetics on maximal repeated rhythmic grip exertion

The contribution of physiological mechanisms involving force-exertion value during maximal repeated rhythmic muscle contraction work changes over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the reproducibility of grip force and muscle oxygenation kinetics with a decrease of the gripping force during maximal repeated rhythmic grip (RRG). Subjects were 10 males, aged 20-26 years (height 173.9+/-7.3 cm, body weight 71.5+/-11.2 kg). Each subject performed maximal repeated rhythmic grip as a target value with a target frequency of 30 grips.min(-1) for 6 min. The trial-to-trial reproducibility of Oxygenated haemoglobin (Oxy-Hb), Deoxygenated haemoglobin (Deoxy-Hb), Total haemoglobin (Total Hb) and grip force during the RRG (6 min) was very high (r(xy)=0.919-0.966) and the decreasing pattern of the force-time curve was consistent. The cross correlation coefficients of the grip force (r(xy)=0.985) and muscle oxygenation kinetics (Total Hb: 0.996, Oxy-Hb: 0.992, Deoxy-Hb: 0.995) in the pre-inflection phase (marked force decreasing phase) were very high, while these coefficients in the post-inflection phase (almost steady state phase) were low as compared with those in the pre-inflection phase. The trial-to-trial reliabilities of any parameter regarding grip were fair or high (ICC=0.686-0.927). The changing points of muscle oxygenation kinetics appeared before reaching an almost steady state, which showed a high reliability and they were considered to reflect the shift of physiological mechanisms. In particular, the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for the time to reach maximum Deoxy-Hb and Oxy-Hb values and regression coefficient in an increasing phase of Oxy-Hb were very high (ICC=0.894-0.947). It was found that the trial-to-trial reproducibility of grip force and muscle oxygenation kinetics is very high during the whole 6 min in RRG, but is poor during the post-inflection phase. The reproducibility of the grip force and muscle oxygenation kinetics in the phase before reaching an almost steady state during RRG is fair, and the decrease of the grip force in this phase may be influenced by the muscle oxygenation kinetics.     

Differential activation of parts of the serratus anterior muscle during push-up variations on stable and unstable bases of support

No studies have examined the effects of an unstable surface on push-up and push-up plus exercises in terms of the two parts of the serratus anterior muscle. We hypothesized that the lower part of the serratus anterior would have greater activity with an unstable surface, which requires stabilizing the scapular position. The present study was performed to investigate the intramuscular differences between parts of the serratus anterior muscle during push-up and push-up plus exercises. Twelve healthy subjects were included in the study. The upper and lower parts of the serratus anterior and upper and lower parts of the trapezius were investigated by surface EMG during four types of exercise. Repeated one-way ANOVA was used for statistical analyses. Maintaining the push-up plus phase caused significant increases in EMG activity of the upper serratus anterior compared with the push-up ascending phase on both of stable and unstable bases (P < 0.05). The lower serratus anterior showed increased activation on an unstable surface, which required more joint stability than did the stable base. Upper trapezius/upper serratus anterior ratio was significantly lower in the PUP than in the PUA phase with both stable and unstable bases of support (P < 0.05).Further studies are required to investigate the intramuscular variation in activation of the serratus anterior during exercises for rehabilitation.     

The role of cutaneous feedback for anticipatory grip force adjustments during object movements and externally imposed variation of the direction of gravity

Grip force adjustments to changes of object loading induced by external changes of the direction of gravity during discrete arm movements with a grasped object were analyzed during normal and anesthetized finger sensibility. Two subjects were seated upright in a rotatable chair and rotated backwards into a horizontal position during discrete movements with a hand-held instrumented object. The movement direction varied from vertical to horizontal inducing corresponding changes in the direction of gravity, but the orientation of the movement in relation to the body remained unaffected. During discrete vertical movements a maximum of load force occurs early in upward and late in downward movements; during horizontal movements two load force peaks result from both acceleratory and deceleratory phases of the movement. During performance with normal finger sensibility grip force was modulated in parallel with fluctuations of load force during vertical and horizontal movements. The grip force profile adopted to the varying load force profile during the transition from the vertical to the horizontal position. The maximum grip force occurred at the same time of maximum load force irrespective of the movement plane. During both subjects' first experience of digital anesthesia the object slipped from the grasp during rotation to the horizontal plane. During the following trials with anesthetized fingers subjects substantially increased their grip forces, resulting in elevated force ratios between maximum grip and load force. However, grip force was still modulated with the movement-induced load fluctuations and maximum grip force coincided with maximum load force during vertical and horizontal movements. This implies that the elevated force ratio between maximum grip and load force does not alter the feedforward system of grip force control. Cutaneous afferent information from the grasping digits seems to be important for the economic scaling of the grip force magnitude according to the actual loading conditions and for reactive grip force adjustments in response to load perturbations. However, it plays a subordinate role for the precise anticipatory temporal coupling between grip and load forces during voluntary object manipulation.     

The role of cutaneous feedback for anticipatory grip force adjustments during object movements and externally imposed variation of the direction of gravity

Grip force adjustments to changes of object loading induced by external changes of the direction of gravity during discrete arm movements with a grasped object were analyzed during normal and anesthetized finger sensibility. Two subjects were seated upright in a rotatable chair and rotated backwards into a horizontal position during discrete movements with a hand-held instrumented object. The movement direction varied from vertical to horizontal inducing corresponding changes in the direction of gravity, but the orientation of the movement in relation to the body remained unaffected. During discrete vertical movements a maximum of load force occurs early in upward and late in downward movements; during horizontal movements two load force peaks result from both acceleratory and deceleratory phases of the movement. During performance with normal finger sensibility grip force was modulated in parallel with fluctuations of load force during vertical and horizontal movements. The grip force profile adopted to the varying load force profile during the transition from the vertical to the horizontal position. The maximum grip force occurred at the same time of maximum load force irrespective of the movement plane. During both subjects' first experience of digital anesthesia the object slipped from the grasp during rotation to the horizontal plane. During the following trials with anesthetized fingers subjects substantially increased their grip forces, resulting in elevated force ratios between maximum grip and load force. However, grip force was still modulated with the movement-induced load fluctuations and maximum grip force coincided with maximum load force during vertical and horizontal movements. This implies that the elevated force ratio between maximum grip and load force does not alter the feedforward system of grip force control. Cutaneous afferent information from the grasping digits seems to be important for the economic scaling of the grip force magnitude according to the actual loading conditions and for reactive grip force adjustments in response to load perturbations. However, it plays a subordinate role for the precise anticipatory temporal coupling between grip and load forces during voluntary object manipulation.     

Effect of haptic supplementation on postural control of younger and older adults in an unstable sitting task

Standing postural control is known to be altered during aging, but age-related changes in sitting postural control have scarcely been explored. The present experiment studied the roles of visual and haptic information in a sitting task in both young and older adults. Fifteen young and fifteen older adults participated in this study. Six experimental conditions were performed with eyes open and eyes closed: quiet sitting, rocker-board sitting, and 4 conditions of haptic supplementation, provided by a hand-held pen, during rocker-board sitting. Classical variables were extracted from the center of pressure (COP) and pen trajectories, and the stabilogram diffusion analysis was performed on the COP data. Three-way ANOVAs (Group × Vision × Condition) were carried out.Postural instability was strongly attenuated by haptic supplementation in both age groups. Furthermore, instability due to visual deprivation was compensated by haptic supplementation. Long- and short-term diffusion coefficients were smaller in conditions of haptic supplementation. The present study confirmed the effect of haptic supplementation on both open-loop and closed-loop mechanisms of postural control and extended it to unstable sitting in young and older adults despite the complex biomechanical systems involved in sitting postural tasks.     

Criterion validity and between-day reliability of an inertial-sensor-based trunk postural stability test during unstable sitting

IntroductionAdequate neuromuscular control of the lumbar spine is required to prevent lumbar injuries. A trunk postural stability test has been proposed earlier, using a chair wobbling on a central pivot and four springs with adjustable positions to modulate task difficulty. An inertial sensor is fixed on the chair to measure postural sway. The aim of this study is to assess the criterion validity and between-day reliability of the calibration and testing components.MethodsThirty six subjects (with and without low back pain) followed a calibration procedure, four practice trials and three 60-s trials on 2 days. The criterion validity of the inertial sensor was tested against an optoelectronic system and a force platform. The reliability of 38 body sway measures obtained from the inertial sensor angular measures was estimated.ResultsThe inertial sensor led to valid estimates of postural sway. The reliability of the calibration procedure was moderate. Practically no learning effect was detected except for a few body sway measures in patients with CLBP. Three 60-s trials provided acceptable reliability for approximately half of the body sway measures, although this is more difficult to achieve in patients with CLBP.DiscussionThe use of an easy to use inertial sensor led to valid measures of postural sway. A number of body sway measures were identified as reliable tools for individual follow-ups but inter-subject comparisons were anticipated as more difficult when patients with CLBP are involved.     

Associations between trunk postural control in walking and unstable sitting at various levels of task demand

Trunk postural control (TPC) has been investigated in several populations and tasks. Previous work observed targeted training of TPC via isolated trunk control tasks may improve performance in other activities (e.g., walking). However, the nature of this relationship remains unknown. We therefore investigated the relationship between TPC, at both the global (i.e., response to finite perturbations) and local (i.e., resistance to continuous perturbations) levels, during walking and unstable sitting, both at varying levels of task demand. Thirteen individuals (11 Male, 2 Female) with no recent history (past 12 months) of illness, injury, or musculoskeletal disorders walked on a dual-belt treadmill at four speeds (−20%, −10%, +10%, and + 20% of self-selected walking speed) and completed an unstable sitting task at four levels of chair instability (100, 75, 60, and 45% of an individual’s “neutral” stability as defined by the gravitational gradient). Three-dimensional trunk and pelvic kinematics were collected. Tri-planar Lyapunov exponents and sample entropy characterized local TPC. Global TPC was characterized by ranges of motion and, for seated trials, metrics derived from center-of-pressure time series (i.e., path length, 95% confidence ellipse area, mean velocity, and RMS position). No strong or significant correlations (−0.057 < ρ < 0.206) were observed between local TPC during walking and unstable sitting tasks. However, global TPC declined in both walking and unstable sitting as task demand increased, with a moderate inter-task relationship (0.336 < ρ < 0.544). While the mechanisms regulating local TPC are inherently different, global TPC may be similarly regulated across both tasks, supporting future translation of improvements in TPC between tasks.     

Phalanx force magnitude and trajectory deviation increased during power grip with an increased coefficient of friction at the hand-object interface

This study examined the effect of friction between the hand and grip surface on a person's grip strategy and force generation capacity. Twelve young healthy adults performed power grip exertions on an instrumented vertical cylinder with the maximum and 50% of maximum efforts (far above the grip force required to hold the cylinder), while normal and shear forces at each phalanx of all five fingers in the direction orthogonal to the gravity were recorded. The cylinder surface was varied for high-friction rubber and low-friction paper coverings. An increase in surface friction by replacing the paper covering with the rubber covering resulted in 4% greater mean phalanx normal force (perpendicular to the cylinder surface) and 22% greater mean phalanx shear force in either the proximal or distal direction of the digits (p<0.05; for both 50% and maximum grip efforts). Consequently, increased friction with the rubber surface compared to the paper surface was associated with a 20% increase in the angular deviation of the phalanx force from the direction normal to the cylinder surface (p<0.05). This study demonstrates that people significantly changed the magnitude and direction of phalanx forces depending on the surface they gripped. Such change in the grip strategy appears to help increase grip force generation capacity. This finding suggests that a seemingly simple power grip exertion involves sensory feedback-based motor control, and that people's power grip capacity may be reduced in cases of numbness, glove use, or injuries resulting in reduced sensation.     

Variability of motoneuron activation and the modulation of force production in a postural reflex of the hermit crab abdomen

The tri-phasic reflex in hermit crab (Pagurus pollicarus) abdomen is triggered by local mechanoreceptors and is essential for postural control. The reflex consists of three stereotypical phases: a brief, high-frequency burst, a transient cessation of firing, and a late-discharge that is much lower in frequency than the initial burst. To better understand the reflex generation of force, variability of motoneuron discharge in each of five parameters of reflex activation was assessed. An intracellular current injection routine was used to correlate each of these parameters with force production. Phase 3 motoneuron firing frequency showed the greatest correlation with force production. Phase 3 spike rate increased as a function of phase 2 duration, but the relationship between phase 2 duration and force produced by the reflex was weak. Junction potential amplitude decreased as phase 2 duration increased, and we hypothesize that this trend counteracts the increased phase 3 frequency, explaining the weak relationship of phase 2 duration and force production. Surprisingly, when phase 3 frequency was held constant and phase 2 was increased in duration, the concurrent decrease in junction potential amplitude did not reduce force production.     

Getting a grip on the CTD of Pol II

The first structure of a pre-mRNA processing factor bound to heptad repeats from the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II is revealed in a crystal of capping guanylyltransferase complexed with a four-repeat phosphopeptide.