Coupling of breathing and movement during manual wheelchair propulsion.

Abstract

The hypothesis of this study was that stable coordination patterns may be found both within and between physiological subsystems. Many studies have been conducted on both monofrequency and multifrequency coordination, with a focus on both the frequency and phase relations among the limbs. In the present study, locomotor-respiratory coupling was observed in the maintenance of small-integer frequency ratios (2:1, 3:1, and 4:1) and in the consistent placement of the inspiratory phase just after the onset of the movement cycle during wheelchair propulsion. Level of experience and various motor and respiratory parameters were manipulated. Coupling was observed across levels of experience. Increases in movement frequency were accompanied by a shift to larger-integer ratios, suggesting that a single modeling strategy (e.g., the Farey tree; D. L. Gonzalez & O. Piro, 1985) may be used for coordination both within the motor subsystem and between it and other physiological subsystems.Humans and animals alike demonstrate a discrete number of stable coordination patterns. Patterns of locomotion, called gaits, are limited in number and easily recognizable. For quadrupeds, the three most common gaits are the walk, trot, and gallop, although more complex subdivisions of gait are possible (for an overview, see Collins & Stewart, 1993;Schoner, Jiang, & Kelso, 1990). In bipedal locomotion, spontaneously produced patterns are limited to the walk or run (antiphase) and the jump (inphase) patterns. In all of these patterns, the limbs move at the same frequency, so that the different patterns may be characterized by different phase relations between the limbs. When the constraint of postural stability is removed, observed motor patterns become more complex and different phase relations (e.g., 90°, Zanone & Kelso, 1992) can be acquired. The HKB model, a dynamical model first developed by Haken, Kelso, and Bunz (1985), accommodates the different monofrequency coordination patterns observed including the effects of learning, handedness, and attention (see summary in Amazeen, Amazeen, & Turvey, 1998). Multifrequency coordination patterns-in which the limbs move at different frequencies, as in drumming (e.g.,

Stabilizing the Locomotor-Respiratory Coupling Using a Metronome to Save Energy

“…Other studies have shown more stable frequency locking in experts [1,9]. However, more than expertise in term of quantity of practice, the ability to coordinate locomotion and respiration seems to be related to the aerobic capacity of individuals [2,4], a result demonstrating that the coupling between respiration and locomotion plays a role in the energy transfer.…”

Intentional and attentional dynamics of speech–hand coordination

“…However, a functional bidirectional coupling between speech and finger movement has been observed suggesting that the interaction between concurrently active effectors might better be viewed as coordination rather than interference (Chang & Hammond, 1987;Kelso, Tuller, & Harris, 1983;Whitall, 1996). A further advantage of a dynamics perspective on inter-effector coupling is that it can encompass non-intentional movements such as the vegetative processes underlying the coordination of respiration and locomotion (Amazeen, Amazeen, & Beek, 2001;Goldfield, Schmidt, & Fitzpatrick, 1999), as well as a wide range of phenomena involving the coordination of perception and action (Treffner & Morrison, 2001). …”

Energy Expenditure of Two Types of Manual Wheelchair Propulsion

“…No variation in propulsion mechanisms has been studied and up to date studies have focused on the conventional wheelchair propulsion technique and its components [16][17][18][19][20].…”