title: Muscle activation patterns in infants with myelomeningocele stepping on a treadmill.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize how infants with myelomeningocele (MMC) activate lower limb muscles over the first year of life, without practice, while stepping on a motorized treadmill.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve infants with MMC were tested longitudinally at 1, 6, and 12 months. Electromyography was used to collect data from the tibialis anterior, lateral gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, biceps femoris.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across the first year, infants showed no electromyographic activity for approximately 50% of the stride cycle with poor rhythmicity and timing of muscles, when activated. Single muscle activation predominated; agonist-antagonist coactivation was low. Probability of individual muscle activity across the stride decreased with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants with MMC show high variability in timing and duration of muscle activity, few complex combinations, and very little change over time.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Neuromotor Control Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. jksansom@umich.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Sansom
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teulier
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moerchen
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muraszko
authors.forename: Beverly D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ulrich
mesh_terms: D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*