Action observation with motor simulation of reactive stepping: A randomized study in older adults with a history of falls.

Background: Perturbation-based training improves reactive stepping responses to prevent falling following a loss-of-balance. As there is currently no safe and feasible method for home-based practice, this randomized study investigated whether action observation with motor simulation (AOMS) of balance recovery improves reactive stepping in older adults with a history of falls. Additionally, we evaluated whether effects differ between AOMS of a human actor in the same experimental context or of an avatar in a virtual world.

Personalized Alpha-Motoneuron Pool Models Driven by Neural Data Encode the Mechanisms Controlling Rate of Force Development.

The central nervous system employs distinct motor control strategies depending on task demands. Accordingly, the activity of alpha-motoneuron (MN) pools innervating skeletal muscle fibers is modulated based on muscle force and rate of force development (RFD). In human subjects, biophysical MN models enable inferring in vivo the neural processes (e.

Reframing Whole-Body Angular Momentum: Exploring the Impact of Low-Pass Filtered Dynamic Local Reference Frames During Straight-Line and Turning Gaits.

Accurately estimating whole-body angular momentum (WBAM) during daily activities may benefit from choosing a locally-defined reference frame aligned with anatomical axes, particularly during activities involving body turns. Local reference frames, potentially defined by pelvis heading angles, horizontal center of mass velocity (vCoM), or average angular velocity ( Aω ), can be utilized. To minimize the impact of inherent mediolateral oscillations of these frames, such as those caused by pelvis or vCoM rotation in the transverse plane, a low-pass filter is recommended.

A usability study on the inGAIT-VSO: effects of a variable-stiffness ankle-foot orthosis on the walking performance of children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are commonly used by children with cerebral palsy (CP), but traditional solutions are unable to address the heterogeneity and evolving needs amongst children with CP. One key limitation lies in the inability of current passive devices to customize the torque-angle relationship, which is essential to adapt the support to the specific individual needs. Powered alternatives can provide customized behavior, but often face challenges with reliability, weight, and cost.