Dynamics of brain-muscle networks reveal effects of age and somatosensory function on gait

Luisa Roeder; Michael Breakspear; Graham K Kerr; Tjeerd W Boonstra

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.109162

Dynamics of brain-muscle networks reveal effects of age and somatosensory function on gait

iScience. 2024 Feb 9;27(3):109162. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109162. eCollection 2024 Mar 15.

Authors

Luisa Roeder^{1

2

3}, Michael Breakspear⁴, Graham K Kerr¹, Tjeerd W Boonstra⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
² School of Information Systems, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
³ Chair of Human Movement Science, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
⁴ College of Engineering Science and Environment, College of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
⁵ Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Walking is a complex motor activity that requires coordinated interactions between the sensory and motor systems. We used mobile EEG and EMG to investigate the brain-muscle networks involved in gait control during overground walking in young people, older people, and individuals with Parkinson's disease. Dynamic interactions between the sensorimotor cortices and eight leg muscles within a gait cycle were assessed using multivariate analysis. We identified three distinct brain-muscle networks during a gait cycle. These networks include a bilateral network, a left-lateralized network activated during the left swing phase, and a right-lateralized network active during the right swing. The trajectories of these networks are contracted in older adults, indicating a reduction in neuromuscular connectivity with age. Individuals with the impaired tactile sensitivity of the foot showed a selective enhancement of the bilateral network, possibly reflecting a compensation strategy to maintain gait stability. These findings provide a parsimonious description of interindividual differences in neuromuscular connectivity during gait.

Keywords: Age; Neuroscience; Techniques in neuroscience.