Dietz
Fakultäten » Medizinische Fakultät » Universitätsklinik Balgrist und Schweizerisches Paraplegikerzentrum » Paraplegikerzentrum » Prof. Dr. Volker Dietz (emeritiert) » Dietz
Completed research project
| Title / Titel | Neuronal control of movements: Reflexes, programs and supraspinal control | ||||
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| Abstract (PDF, 14 KB) | |||||
| Summary / Zusammenfassung | A basic aspect of the neronal control of bipedal stance and gait represents the antigravity function of leg extensors. Proprioceptive reflexes involved in the maintenance of body equilibrium depend on the presence of contact forces opposing gravity. Extensor load receptors are thought to signal changes of the projection of the body’s centre of the mass with respect to the feet. According to recent observations in the spinal cat, this afferent input probably arises from Golgi tendon organs and represents a newly discovered function of these receptors in the regulation of stance and gait. In human, evidence for a significant contribution of the load receptor to leg muscle activation depends on the actual body weight. Furthermore, recent experiments in paraplegic patients showed that the beneficial effects of al locomotor training critically depends on the initial degree of body unloading and reloading during the course of the training period. Impaired function of load receptors obviously does also contribute to the movement disorder of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, this mechanism represents obviously a basic function of normal and impaired human motor control. | ||||
| Publications / Publikationen | Van Hedel HJA, Biedermann M, Erni T, Dietz V (2002) Obstacle avoidance during human walking: Transfer of motor skill from one leg to the other. Journal of Physiology (London) 543: 709-717.Dietz V (2002) Do human bipeds use quadrupedal co-ordination? Trends in Neurosciences 25: 462-467.Hess F, Van Hedel HJA, Dietz V (2003) Obstacle avoidance during human walking: H-reflex modulation during motor learning. Exp Brain Res 151: 82-89. | ||||
| Keywords / Suchbegriffe | Quadrupedal-bipedal Locomotion, Load Receptor Function, Locomotor Learning | ||||
| Project leadership and contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte |
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| Funding source(s) / Unterstützt durch |
SNF (Personen- und Projektförderung) |
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| Duration of Project / Projektdauer | Jan 2002 to Dec 2004 |