Biology subjects

Mongold, S. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Mongold, S. J..

10 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Temporal structure of postural sway reveals altered cortical postural coupling in aging and stroke: insights from nonlinear dynamics and state-space analysis

BackgroundBalance maintenance in humans is not only a mechanical process, but it also relies on continuous interactions between cortical activity and body dynamics. Alterations in postural sway are commonly observed in aging and stroke and are frequently used to assess balance impairment. However, similar balance deficits do not necessarily reflect similar underlying sensorimotor control mechanisms. Therefore, investigating brain-body interactions and their relationship to characteristics of postural behavior may provide deeper insights into the neural processes underlying balance dysfunction in these populations. ObjectiveTo determine whether brain-body coupling is associated with characteristics of postural behavior captured by the temporal organization of postural fluctuations beyond conventional magnitude-based measures of postural sway, and whether these relationships differ between stroke survivors, healthy older adults, and young adults. MethodsEEG and center-of-pressure (CoP) signals were recorded simultaneously in stroke survivors (n = 12), healthy older adults (n = 18), and young controls (n = 17) during quiet standing under 4 different manipulated sensory conditions. Sway-based corticokinematic coherence (CKC) as well as linear and nonlinear features (sample entropy, SE; fractal dimension, FD) of CoP were extracted. Linear mixed-effects model assessed associations between features and CKC, and model performance was compared using Akaike Information Criterion. Multidimensional state vectors were constructed from CKC, linear and nonlinear CoP features, and Euclidean distances between consecutive states in the standardized feature space were computed to quantify condition-dependent transitions in brain-body control organization. ResultsNonlinear features showed significant, group- and feature-dependent associations with CKC in the mediolateral direction, driven by significant SE and FD effects in the stroke group and an SE effect in the older group, while no significant associations were observed in the young group. Including nonlinear features in baseline models containing only linear CoP features significantly improved model fit. CKC alone showed low classification performance (AUC 50 to 65), whereas combining CKC with linear and nonlinear features improved group discrimination (AUC up to 0.86). State-space transition analysis revealed larger condition-dependent transitions in stroke participants compared with healthy older adults, particularly going from eyes open to eyes closed when standing on foam. ConclusionBrain-body coupling during standing may be understood more comprehensively by factoring in the temporal structure of fluctuations rather than their amplitude alone. These findings support the use of nonlinear dynamical features, combined with CKC, as potential markers of balance impairment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Assessment of sensorimotor cortical beta oscillations from peripheral electromyography and force recordings

The beta oscillations of the human primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) play a crucial role in regulating motor and cognitive behavior in health and disease. However, their assessment relies on costly and complex neuroimaging techniques, limiting scalability and translational applications. We present a novel method for assessing beta oscillations from easily obtained peripheral electromyography and force recordings. We show that movement-induced modulations in SM1 beta oscillations can be assessed from the electromyography or force recordings of a contracted contralateral hand muscle. We demonstrate the fidelity of this method in young and elderly healthy participants and in Parkinsons disease patients. We also demonstrate that the resting-state SM1 beta interhemispheric coupling can be assessed from an interhand coupling between the electromyography or force of contracted homologous hand muscles. This methodology enables scalable and cost-effective investigations of beta oscillations for all fields of human neuroscience and for the development of accessible disease/therapeutic markers.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Non-focal beta oscillation suppression along the sensorimotor cortex revealed by corticomuscular coherence

An Event-Related Desynchronization (ERD) of the 13-30 Hz sensorimotor (SM1) beta oscillations is commonly observed during movement preparation and execution. Human electrophysiological measurements suggest that such a beta ERD has a wide topographical distribution along the SM1, however, no accessible means of quantifying the degree of its focality exist. Here, we tested the suitability of a method to investigate how the movement-induced beta ERD in one somatotopic SM1 area affects beta oscillations in a neighbouring SM1 area. Thirty-six participants performed right brachium movements while holding a submaximal isometric contraction with their right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. Beta ERD in the left SM1 brachium area was assessed with electroencephalography (EEG). The effect of that ERD on beta activity in the neighbouring SM1 FDI area was assessed through the corticomuscular coherence (CMC) between SM1 EEG signals and the electromyography and force signals recorded from the stationary isometrically contracted right FDI muscle. Our results showed a strong movement-induced beta ERD in the SM1 brachium area that co-occurred with an attenuation of CMC with both FDI signals. These findings imply that beta ERD may not be a strictly focal phenomenon as it could spread to a neighbouring SM1 area. Importantly, we introduced a novel approach that combines a dual motor task paradigm with CMC to assess beta propagatory effects. This approach could allow for investigating the topographical properties of beta oscillations and their role for motor control in healthy and clinical populations.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Proprioceptive and visual motion detection acuity contribute to children dynamic postural control

Acquiring efficient postural control strategies is key to childrens proper motor development. For that, the brain needs to continuously integrate sensory information and convert it into corrective motor commands. Although this entire process naturally hinges on the reliability of early senses, very few studies have investigated early sensory acuity and its role in postural stability during development. Clarifying this could lead to a better understanding of conditions, such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), where the impairment of balance control is substantial. Here, we tested 25 typically developed school-aged children with a Visual Motion Detection test (VMDT), an ankle Joint Position Sense test (aJPST), force-plate assessed posturography, and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second edition (MABC-2). We found a significant correlation between the balance score of the MABC-2 and both VMDT score (r = 0.60, p = 0.003) and aJPST score (r = -0.47, p = 0.02). However, no such relationship was found between the force-plate assessed sway amplitude during upright standing and the two sensory acuity scores. Importantly, the MABC-2 balance scores were associated with upright stability, but only to a limited extent. Given that the MABC-2 balance component factors in static and dynamic balance while posturography focuses only on static balance, our results point at a key role of early sensory acuity for dynamic balance. Together, these findings bring attention to possible clinical tools for motor impairment detection and subsequent rehabilitation strategies during development.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Transcallosal generation of phase aligned beta-bursts underlies TMS-induced interhemispheric inhibition

The excitability of the sensorimotor (SM1) cortices is reflected in the bilateral [~]20 Hz beta oscillations. The extent to which these oscillations subtend the interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) captured by the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) ipsilateral Silent Period (iSP) protocol remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between movement-related beta suppression and the iSP, along with their role for manual dexterity. Forty adults underwent an Electroencephalography assessment of beta suppression during volitional left hand movement and a TMS assessment of iSP recorded from the right hand. In both cases, left SM1 beta oscillations (contralateral to the activated right SM1), were monitored through a proxy signal - the Electromyography of the contracted right hand. Bimanual dexterity was assessed with the Purdue Pegboard. Volitional movement caused significant bilateral SM1 beta suppression in nearly all participants ([≥] 85 %). ISPs were observed in every participant. In the proxy signal for the left SM1, the iSP coincided with TMS-evoked high-amplitude beta bursts. These bursts showed significant phase alignment across participants 10-70 ms after the TMS pulse. There was no significant association between the left-/right-hemisphere beta suppression, iSP, and bimanual dexterity. Our results highlight the distinct nature of beta oscillation changes during volitional movement compared to TMS-iSP and show that TMS induces IHI via transcallosal generation of phase aligned beta bursts. Furthermore, our data suggests that only the initial phase of a beta burst carries an inhibitory effect. It also highlights the possibility of evoking a beta burst with the iSP protocol, opening perspectives for future neuroimaging and modeling studies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

CHANGES IN MUSCLE QUALITY FOLLOWING SHORT-TERM RESISTANCE TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS: A COMPARISON OF ECHO INTENSITY AND TEXTURE ANALYSIS

BackgroundSkeletal muscle echo intensity (EI) is associated with functional outcomes in older adults, but resistance training interventions have shown mixed results. Texture analysis has been proposed as a novel approach for assessing muscle quality, as it captures spatial relationships between pixels. PurposeTo examine changes in first-order (EI) and second-order (texture) features of muscle quality following lower-body resistance training in older adults. MethodsTwelve older adults (2 males, 10 females; mean {+/-} SD age = 70 {+/-} 5 years) completed 6 weeks of progressive resistance training, consisting of twice-weekly sessions at 85% of estimated 1RM. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included ultrasound imaging of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL), 5-repetition maximum (5RM) leg extension strength, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) force. Ultrasound images were analyzed for EI and texture features using gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) analysis. ResultsLarge improvements were observed in 5RM leg extension strength (p < 0.001, d = 2.09), MVIC force (p = 0.006, d = 0.969), and RF EI (uncorrected: p = 0.003, d = 0.727; corrected: p = 0.012, d = 0.864). No significant changes were observed in muscle size, VL EI, or texture features for either muscle. ConclusionsShort-term resistance training improved strength and RF muscle quality as measured by EI. However, texture analysis features were not sensitive to changes following training. These findings suggest that traditional EI measures may be more appropriate than texture analysis for tracking changes in muscle quality following resistance training in older adults. NEW & NOTEWORTHYWe studied muscle quality changes after 6 weeks of resistance training in older adults, comparing traditional EI to texture analysis. Despite significant strength gains, only RF EI improved, with minimal changes in muscle size, VL EI, or texture parameters. Surprisingly, texture analysis was less sensitive than traditional EI in detecting muscle quality changes. Our results suggest that conventional EI measures may be more suitable for evaluating short-term adaptations to resistance training in older adults.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Cortical tracking of postural sways during standing balance.

Maintaining an upright stance requires the integration of sensory inputs from the visual, vestibular and somatosensory-proprioceptive systems by the central nervous system to develop a corrective postural strategy. However, it is unclear whether and how the cerebral cortex monitors and controls postural sways. Here, we asked whether postural sways are encoded in ongoing cortical oscillations, giving rise to a form of corticokinematic coherence (CKC) in the context of standing balance. Center-of-pressure (CoP) fluctuations and electroencephalographic cortical activity were recorded as young healthy participants performed balance tasks during which sensory information was manipulated, by either removal or alteration. We found that postural sways are represented in ongoing cortical activity during challenging balance conditions, in the form of CKC at 1-6 Hz. Time delays between cortical activity and CoP features indicated that both afferent and efferent pathways contribute to CKC, wherein the brain would monitor the CoP velocity and control its position. Importantly, CKC was behaviorally relevant, as it predicted the increase in instability brought by alteration of sensory information. Our results suggest that human sensorimotor cortical areas take part in the closed-loop control of standing balance in challenging conditions. Importantly, CKC could serve as a neurophysiological marker of cortical involvement in maintaining balance.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

An Open-Access Database of Video Stimuli for Action Observation Research in Neuroimaging Settings: Psychometric Evaluation and Motion Characterization

Video presentation has become ubiquitous in paradigms investigating the neural and behavioral responses to observed actions. In spite of the great interest in uncovering the processing of observed bodily movements and actions in neuroscience and cognitive science, at present, no standardized set of video stimuli for action observation research in neuroimaging settings exists. To facilitate future action observation research, we developed an open-access database of 135 high-definition videos of a male actor performing object-oriented actions. Actions from 3 categories: kinematically natural and goal-intact (Normal), kinematically unnatural and goal-intact (How), or kinematically natural and goal-violating (What), directed towards 15 different objects were filmed from 3 angles. Psychometric evaluation of the database revealed high video recognition accuracy (Mean accuracy = 88.61 %) and substantial inter-rater agreement (Fleiss Kappa = 0.702), establishing excellent validity and reliability. Videos exact timing of motion onset was identified using a custom motion detection frame-differencing procedure. Based on its outcome, the videos were edited to assure that motion begins at the second frame of each video. The videos timing of category recognition was also identified using a novel behavioral up-down staircase procedure. The identified timings can be incorporated in future experimental designs to counteract jittered stimulus onsets, thus vastly improving the sensitivity of neuroimaging experiments. All videos, their psychometric evaluations, and the timing of their frame of category recognition, as well as our custom programs for performing these evaluations on our, or on other similar video databases, are available at the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/zexc4/).

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Afferents to Action: Cortical proprioceptive processing assessed with corticokinematic coherence specifically predicts gross motor skills

Voluntary motor control is thought to be predicated on the ability to efficiently integrate and process somatosensory afferent information. However, current approaches in the field of motor control have not factored in objective markers of how the brain actually tracks incoming somatosensory information. Here, we asked whether motor performance relates with such markers obtained with an analysis of the coupling between peripheral kinematics and cortical oscillations during continuous movements, best known as corticokinematic coherence (CKC). Motor performance was evaluated by measuring both gross and fine motor skills using the Box and Blocks Test (BBT) and the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), respectively, and with a biomechanics measure of coordination. Sixty-one participants completed the BBT, while equipped with electroencephalography and electromyography, and the PPT. We evaluated CKC, from the signals collected during the BBT, as the coherence between movement rhythmicity and brain activity, and coordination as the cross-correlation between muscle activity. CKC at movements first harmonic was positively associated with BBT scores, and showed a relationship with PPT scores, but only in synergy with BBT scores, where participants with lower PPT score had higher CKC than expected based on their BBT score. Coordination was not associated with motor performance and at most, weakly related to CKC. These findings demonstrate that cortical somatosensory processing in the form of strengthened brain-peripheral coupling is specifically associated with better gross motor skills. CKC might be considered as a valuable addition to classical tests of proprioceptive acuity, with important perspectives for future clinical studies and practice. Significance StatementWhether standing upright, jogging, or in Olympic competition, our nervous system not only sends out motor commands prompting muscles to contract, but also receives incoming information to fine-tune motor actions. Though the machinery involved in sensing mechanical changes is well-described, the neural processing of this information is not, making its relevance to motor function unresolved. We found that the coupling strength between peripheral kinematics and cortical activity was related to motor function and at most, only weakly related to conventional muscle-only assessments. We present novel behavioral relevance of this coupling and its specific relationship to gross motor skill. Our study paves the way for including novel brain-centered approaches to complement classical assessment sensorimotor functions in health and disease.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Temporally stable beta sensorimotor oscillations and cortico-muscular coupling underlie force steadiness

As humans, we seamlessly hold objects in our hands, and may even lose consciousness of these objects. This phenomenon raises the unsettled question of the involvement of the cerebral cortex, the core area for voluntary motor control, in dynamically maintaining steady muscle force. To address this issue, we measured magnetoencephalographic brain activity from healthy adults who maintained a steady pinch grip. Using a novel analysis approach, we uncovered fine-grained temporal modulations in the [~]20-Hz sensorimotor brain rhythm and its coupling with muscle activity, with respect to several aspects of muscle force (rate of increase/decrease or plateauing high/low). These modulations preceded changes in force features by [~]40 ms and possessed behavioral relevance, as less salient or absent modulation predicted a more stable force output. These findings have consequences for the existing theories regarding the functional role of cortico-muscular coupling, and suggest that steady muscle contractions are characterized by a stable rather than fluttering involvement of the sensorimotor cortex.

neuroscience↗