Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition
Summary: In humans, moving efficiently along the gravity axis requires shifts in muscular contraction modes. Raising the arm up involves shortening contractions of arm flexors, whereas the reverse movement can rely on lengthening contractions with the help of gravity. Although this control mode is u...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-07-01
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| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223012270 |
| _version_ | 1797774563117891584 |
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| author | Nicolas Gueugneau Alain Martin Jérémie Gaveau Charalambos Papaxanthis |
| author_facet | Nicolas Gueugneau Alain Martin Jérémie Gaveau Charalambos Papaxanthis |
| author_sort | Nicolas Gueugneau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: In humans, moving efficiently along the gravity axis requires shifts in muscular contraction modes. Raising the arm up involves shortening contractions of arm flexors, whereas the reverse movement can rely on lengthening contractions with the help of gravity. Although this control mode is universal, the neuromuscular mechanisms that drive gravity-oriented movements remain unknown. Here, we designed neurophysiological experiments that aimed to track the modulations of cortical, spinal, and muscular outputs of arm flexors during vertical movements with specific kinematics (i.e., optimal motor commands). We report a specific drop of corticospinal excitability during lengthening versus shortening contractions, with an increase of intracortical inhibition and no change in spinal motoneuron responsiveness. We discuss these contraction-dependent modulations of the supraspinal motor output in the light of feedforward mechanisms that may support gravity-tuned motor control. Generally, these results shed a new perspective on the neural policy that optimizes movement control along the gravity axis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:21:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e8b04d715a34f01b2f85bf84fd59c59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:21:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e8b04d715a34f01b2f85bf84fd59c592023-07-23T04:55:44ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422023-07-01267107150Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibitionNicolas Gueugneau0Alain Martin1Jérémie Gaveau2Charalambos Papaxanthis3INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, France; Corresponding authorINSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, FranceINSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, FranceINSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, 21000 Dijon, FranceSummary: In humans, moving efficiently along the gravity axis requires shifts in muscular contraction modes. Raising the arm up involves shortening contractions of arm flexors, whereas the reverse movement can rely on lengthening contractions with the help of gravity. Although this control mode is universal, the neuromuscular mechanisms that drive gravity-oriented movements remain unknown. Here, we designed neurophysiological experiments that aimed to track the modulations of cortical, spinal, and muscular outputs of arm flexors during vertical movements with specific kinematics (i.e., optimal motor commands). We report a specific drop of corticospinal excitability during lengthening versus shortening contractions, with an increase of intracortical inhibition and no change in spinal motoneuron responsiveness. We discuss these contraction-dependent modulations of the supraspinal motor output in the light of feedforward mechanisms that may support gravity-tuned motor control. Generally, these results shed a new perspective on the neural policy that optimizes movement control along the gravity axis.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223012270Space medicineNeuroscience |
| spellingShingle | Nicolas Gueugneau Alain Martin Jérémie Gaveau Charalambos Papaxanthis Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition iScience Space medicine Neuroscience |
| title | Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition |
| title_full | Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition |
| title_fullStr | Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition |
| title_short | Gravity-efficient motor control is associated with contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition |
| title_sort | gravity efficient motor control is associated with contraction dependent intracortical inhibition |
| topic | Space medicine Neuroscience |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223012270 |
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