The accomplishment of mature locomotor movements relies upon the integrated coordination of the lower and upper limbs and the trunk. Human adults normally swing their arms and a quadrupedal limb coordination persists during bipedal walking despite a strong corticospinal control of the upper extremities that allows to uncouple this connection during voluntary activities. Here we investigated arm-leg coordination during stepping responses on a surface in human neonates. In eight neonates, we found the overt presence of alternating arm-leg oscillations, the arms moving up and down in alternation with ipsilateral lower limb movements. These neonates moved the diagonal limbs together, and the peak of the arm-to-trunk angle (i.e., maximum vertical excursion of the arm) occurred around the end of the ipsilateral stance phase, as it occurs during typical adult walking. Although episodes of arm-leg coordination were sporadic in our sample of neonates, their presence provides significant evidence for a neural coupling between the upper and lower limbs during early ontogenesis of locomotion in humans.

Ivanenko, Y., Fabiano, A., Sylos-Labini, F., Cappellini, G., Picone, S., Paolillo, P., et al. (2018). Early manifestation of arm–leg coordination during stepping on a surface in human neonates. EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 236(4), 1105-1115 [10.1007/s00221-018-5201-y].

Early manifestation of arm–leg coordination during stepping on a surface in human neonates

Cappellini G.;Di Paolo A.;Lacquaniti F.;La Scaleia V.
2018-01-01

Abstract

The accomplishment of mature locomotor movements relies upon the integrated coordination of the lower and upper limbs and the trunk. Human adults normally swing their arms and a quadrupedal limb coordination persists during bipedal walking despite a strong corticospinal control of the upper extremities that allows to uncouple this connection during voluntary activities. Here we investigated arm-leg coordination during stepping responses on a surface in human neonates. In eight neonates, we found the overt presence of alternating arm-leg oscillations, the arms moving up and down in alternation with ipsilateral lower limb movements. These neonates moved the diagonal limbs together, and the peak of the arm-to-trunk angle (i.e., maximum vertical excursion of the arm) occurred around the end of the ipsilateral stance phase, as it occurs during typical adult walking. Although episodes of arm-leg coordination were sporadic in our sample of neonates, their presence provides significant evidence for a neural coupling between the upper and lower limbs during early ontogenesis of locomotion in humans.
2018
Pubblicato
Rilevanza internazionale
Articolo
Esperti anonimi
Settore BIO/09 - FISIOLOGIA
English
Con Impact Factor ISI
Arm–leg coordination; Early development; Human locomotion; Neonatal stepping
Ivanenko, Y., Fabiano, A., Sylos-Labini, F., Cappellini, G., Picone, S., Paolillo, P., et al. (2018). Early manifestation of arm–leg coordination during stepping on a surface in human neonates. EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 236(4), 1105-1115 [10.1007/s00221-018-5201-y].
Ivanenko, Y; Fabiano, A; Sylos-Labini, F; Cappellini, G; Picone, S; Paolillo, P; Di Paolo, A; Lacquaniti, F; La Scaleia, V
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/193583
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