Gating of sensation and evoked potentials following foot stimulation during human gait

To investigate how gait influences the perceived intensity of cutaneous input from the skin of the foot, the tibial or sural nerves were stimulated at the ankle during walking or running on a treadmill. As compared to standing, the detection threshold for these stimuli was raised by more than 30% during the locomotion tasks. During walking, there was a phase-dependent modulation in perceived intensity of suprathreshold stimuli (1.5, 2, or 2.5×PT). Stimuli given just prior to footfall were perceived as significantly above average (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). In contrast there was a significant phasic decrease in sensitivity for shocks delivered immediately after ipsi- and contralateral footfall. The amplitude of somatosensory evoked potentials (P50–N80 complex), simultaneously evoked from pulse trains to the sural nerve and recorded at scalp level, was, on average, 62% of the level during standing. During gait, the amplitude of this complex was significantly smaller just after footfall than the amplitude during late swing (MANOVA). It is suggested that the reduced sensation and the decreased evoked potentials after touchdown may be due to occlusion or masking by concomitant afferent input from the feet. On the other hand, the phasic increase in sensitivity at the end of swing is thought to result from a centrally generated facilitation of sensory transmission of signals in anticipation of foot-placing.

[1]  C. E. Chapman,et al.  Sensory perception during movement in man , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[2]  J. F. Yang,et al.  Phase-dependent reflex reversal in human leg muscles during walking. , 1990, Journal of neurophysiology.

[3]  S. Knecht,et al.  Facilitation of somatosensory evoked potentials by exploratory finger movements , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[4]  R. Malenka,et al.  Velocity-dependent suppression of cutaneous sensitivity during movement , 1982, Experimental Neurology.

[5]  A Roby-Brami,et al.  Long-latency spinal reflex in man after flexor reflex afferent stimulation. , 1987, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[6]  Jaynie F. Yang,et al.  Reflex Behavior during Walking in Incomplete Spinal-Cord-Injured Subjects , 1994, Experimental Neurology.

[7]  M Lidierth,et al.  Gating in the spino‐olivocerebellar pathways to the c1 zone of the cerebellar cortex during locomotion in the cat. , 1990, The Journal of physiology.

[8]  J. Duysens,et al.  Selective activation of human soleus or gastrocnemius in reflex responses during walking and running , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[9]  V. Dietz,et al.  Bipedal reflex coordination to tactile stimulation of the sural nerve during human running. , 1995, Journal of neurophysiology.

[10]  H. E. Torebjörk,et al.  Gating of tactile input from the hand , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[11]  J. Chapin,et al.  Somatic sensory transmission to the cortex during movement: Gating of single cell responses to touch , 1982, Experimental Neurology.

[12]  W. B. Marks,et al.  The responses of cat motor cortical units to electrical cutaneous stimulation during locomotion and during lifting, falling and landing , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[13]  W. Jiang,et al.  Modulation of lemniscal input during conditioned arm movements in the monkey , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[14]  J. Duysens,et al.  Increased amplitude of cutaneous reflexes during human running as compared to standing , 1993, Brain Research.

[15]  J. Chapin,et al.  Somatic sensory transmission to the cortex during movement: Phasic modulation over the locomotor step cycle , 1982, Experimental Neurology.

[16]  J. Duysens,et al.  Gating and reversal of reflexes in ankle muscles during human walking , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[17]  J. Quintern,et al.  Afferent control of human stance and gait: evidence for blocking of group I afferents during gait , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[18]  Y. Lamarre,et al.  Modulation of the cutaneous responsiveness of neurones in the primary somatosensory cortex during conditioned arm movements in the monkey , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[19]  T. Drew.  Motor cortical activity during voluntary gait modifications in the cat. I. Cells related to the forelimbs. , 1993, Journal of neurophysiology.

[20]  J. Rothwell,et al.  Gating of somatosensory evoked potentials during different kinds of movement in man. , 1981, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[21]  M. Weinrich,et al.  Gating of somatosensory perception following movement , 1985, Experimental Neurology.

[22]  A. Prochazka.  Sensorimotor gain control: A basic strategy of motor systems? , 1989, Progress in Neurobiology.

[23]  R. Cooper,et al.  Inhibition of cortical evoked potentials and sensation by self-initiated movement in man , 1975, Nature.

[24]  C. E. Chapman,et al.  Perception of vibrotactile stimuli during motor activity in human subjects , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[25]  Donald J. Woodward,et al.  Modulation of sensory responsiveness of single somatosensory cortical cells during movement and arousal behaviors , 1981, Experimental Neurology.

[26]  V. Dietz,et al.  Task-dependent gating of somatosensory transmission in two different motor tasks in man: Falling and writing , 1987, Neuroscience Letters.

[27]  M. Hallett,et al.  Differential influence of posture and intentional movement on human somatosensory evoked potentials evoked by different stimuli , 1989, Brain Research.

[28]  J. Massion,et al.  The responses of pericruciate cortical neurones to distal forepaw electrical stimulation in the unanaesthetized, unrestrained cat , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[29]  C. C. Boylls,et al.  Velocity-dependent suppression of somatosensory evoked potentials during movement. , 1985, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[30]  L. Cohen,et al.  ‘Gating’ of somatosensory evoked potentials begins before the onset of voluntary movement in man , 1985, Brain Research.

[31]  C. Randt,et al.  Relation of peripheral nerve fiber size and sensation in man. , 1960, Archives of neurology.

[32]  E Favale,et al.  Proprioceptive modulation of somatosensory evoked potentials during active or passive finger movements in man. , 1981, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[33]  H. E. Torebjörk,et al.  Gating of tactile input from the hand , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[34]  D Burke,et al.  Cutaneous and muscle afferent components of the cerebral potential evoked by electrical stimulation of human peripheral nerves. , 1981, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[35]  S. Gandevia,et al.  Reduction in perceived intensity of cutaneous stimuli during movement: a quantitative study , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[36]  L. Cohen,et al.  Localization, timing and specificity of gating of somatosensory evoked potentials during active movement in man. , 1987, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[37]  G Cheron,et al.  Specific gating of the early somatosensory evoked potentials during active movement. , 1987, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[38]  M. Coulmance,et al.  Modifications des potentiels evoques corticaux somesthesiques durant des mouvements actifs et passifs chez l'homme , 1972 .

[39]  J. Duysens,et al.  Long-Term Unit Recording from Somatosensory Neurons in the Spinal Ganglia of the Freely Walking Cat , 1977 .

[40]  A. Pertovaara,et al.  The movement-induced modulation in discriminability between cutaneous nonpainful stimuli depends on test stimulus intensity , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[41]  J. Duysens,et al.  Phase-dependent reversal of reflexly induced movements during human gait , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[42]  R. B. Stein,et al.  Reflexes induced by nerve stimulation in walking cats with implanted cuff electrodes , 1978, Experimental Brain Research.

[43]  T. Drew,et al.  Motor cortical activity during voluntary gait modifications in the cat. II. Cells related to the hindlimbs. , 1993, Journal of neurophysiology.

[44]  Activity of Feline Motor Cortical Units to Cutaneous Stimuli During Locomotion and Lifting, Falling and Landing , 1983 .