Gait Flashcards
what are spatial parameters?
where the limb is moving in space:
step length
stride length
step width
degree of rotation
what are temporal parameters?
-how much time someone is spending on on limb versus the other limb
-double support time
-swing time
-cadence (# of steps per min)
-gait speed
what are central pattern generators?
circuits in the spinal cord and brainstem that are responsible for programmed and rhythmic movements
what can central pattern generators also be used for?
chewing, swallowing, breathing (located in the brainstem)
where are central generator circuits for walking (locomotion) located?
in the spinal cord
CPGs can be:
- spontaneous and rhythmic (breathing)
- triggered by a sensory stimulus (swallowing)
- voluntary and triggered by higher motor centres (locomotion)
how many CPGs per limb?
1 per limb
cats could still walk on a treadmill even though they didn’t have what?
sensory input or descending motor control
what is fictive locomotion?
a little bit clumsy (not a normal gait pattern)
what are pacemaker networks?
a neuron acts as an oscillator that drives other neurons into a rhythmic pattern
what is reciprocal inhibition
two neurons reciprocally inhibit each other
how do we know that humans have CPGs?
newborns demonstrate stepping despite not having mature descending motor tracts
people with SCI taking steps while lying down
stimulation of the epidural spinal cord can induce stepping movements
where are locomotion CPGs likely located?
lower thoracic and lumbar regions of the spina cord
do humans or animals rely more on supra spinal influences?
humans
what is the role/function of supra spinal input?
activates spinal CPGs
controls intensity of CPGs
maintains our balance during walking
adapts limb movements to external conditions
coordinates locomotion with the motor behaviour
what is the control region responsible for locomotion?
mesencephalic locomotion region (MLR)
where is the MLR located?
the reticular formation in the pons and medulla
if we increase the intensity of the MLR what do we see an increase of?
increased gait speed
what extrapyramidal tract does the MLR activate?
reticulospinal tract
what is the MLR important for in terms of gait?
gait initiation, modulation, and termination
what brain area is responsible for initiating and regulating gait?
basal ganglia and MLR
what brain area is responsible for executing movement?
M1, MLR
what brain area is responsible for somatosensory function?
parietal cortex
what part of the brain is responsible for relaying sensory information?
thalamus
