title: Regional neuromuscular regulation within human rectus femoris muscle during gait.
abstract: The spatial distribution pattern of neuromuscular activation within the human rectus femoris (RF) muscle was investigated during gait by multi-channel surface electromyography (surface EMG). Eleven healthy men walked on a treadmill with three gait speeds (4, 5, and 6 km/h) and gradients (0°, 12.5°, and 25°). The spatial distribution of surface EMG was tested by central locus activation (CLA), which is calculated from 2-D multi-channel surface EMG with 46 surface electrodes. For all conditions, CLA was around the middle regions during the swing-to-stance transition and moved in a proximal direction during the stance phase and stance-to-swing transition (p<0.05). CLA during the stance-to-swing transition and early swing phase significantly moved to proximal site with increasing gait speed (p<0.05). During the early stance and swing phases, with increasing grade, CLA significantly moved distally (p<0.05). These results suggest that the RF muscle is regionally activated during a gait cycle and is non-uniformly regulated longitudinally.
authors.affiliation: School of International Liberal Studies, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouzaki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Physiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moritani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005080:Exercise Test; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Bi-articular muscles; Multi-channel surface electromyography; Neuromuscular compartment