Motor learning in multijoint virtual arm movements with novel kinematics.

Humans move their hands toward precise positions, a skill supported by the coordination of multiple joint movements, even in the presence of inherent redundancy. However, it remains unclear how the central nervous system learns the relationship between redundant joint movements and hand positions when starting from scratch. To address this question, a virtual-arm reaching task was performed in which participants were required to move a cursor corresponding to the hand of a virtual arm to a target. The joint angles of the virtual arm were determined by the heights of the participants' fingers. The results demonstrated that the participants moved the cursor to the target straighter and faster in the late phase than they did in the initial phase of learning. This improvement was accompanied by a reduction in the amount of angular changes in the virtual limb joint, predominantly characterized by an increased reliance on the virtual shoulder joint as opposed to the virtual wrist joint. These findings suggest that the central nervous system selects a combination of multijoint movements that minimize motor effort while learning novel upper-limb kinematics.

Using a golf specific functional movement screen to predict golf performance in collegiate golfers.

Background: This study aims to examine the relationship between functional movements and golf performance using the Golf Specific Functional Movement Screen (GSFMS). Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 56 collegiate golfers (aged 20.89 ± 0.99 years, height of 174.55 ± 7.76 cm, and weight 68.48 ± 9.30 kg) who met the criteria, and were recruited from Hainan Normal University in June 2022. The participants' golf motor skills (1-yard putt, 10-yard putt, 25-yard chip, 130/100-yard set shot, driver, and 9-hole stroke play) were tested and the GSFMS (e.g., pelvic tilt, pelvic rotation, and torso rotation) was used. Results: There were significant weak or moderate correlations between the variables. Furthermore, a multiple linear regression analysis found that pelvic rotation and lower-body rotation abilities can significantly predict golf skill levels, which collectively explain 31.2% of the variance in golf skill levels among collegiate golfers (Adjusted R2 = 0.312, F = 2.663, p < 0.05). Standardised ß values indicate that pelvic rotation (ß = 0.398) has a more substantial impact on golf skill levels than lower-body rotation (ß = 0.315). Conclusions: This study found the weak to moderate correlations between the GSFMS and golf performance, and pelvic rotation and lower-body rotation abilities, thus predicting golf skills. Our findings provide novel insights into the relationship between functional abilities and comprehensive skill performance within the context of the Gray Cook's Movement Pyramid model, and provide theoretical support and practical reference for collegiate golf motor-skill learning and sports injury prevention.

Electromyography as a tool to motion analysis for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A protocol for a systematic review.

Biomechanical analysis of human movement plays an essential role in understanding functional changes in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), providing information on muscle impairment. Studies suggest that surface electromyography (sEMG) may be able to quantify muscle activity, identify levels of fatigue, assess muscle strength, and monitor variation in limb movement. In this article, a systematic review protocol will analyze the psychometric properties of the sEMG regarding the clinical data on the skeletal muscles of people with ALS. This protocol uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodological tool. A specific field structure was defined to reach each phase. Nine scientific databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Elsevier, IEEE, Google Scholar, SciELO, PEDro, LILACS E CENTRAL) were searched. The framework developed will extract data (i.e. study information, sample information, sEMG information, intervention, and outcomes) from the selected studies using a rigorous approach. The data will be described quantitatively using frequency and trend analysis methods, and heterogeneity between the included studies will be assessed using the I2 test. The risk of bias will be summarized using the most recent prediction model risk of bias assessment tool. Be sure to include relevant statistics here, such as sample sizes, response rates, P values or Confidence Intervals. Be specific (by stating the value) rather than general (eg, "there were differences between the groups"). This protocol will map out the construction of a systematic review that will identify and synthesize the advances in movement analysis of people with ALS through sEMG, using data extracted from articles.

Assistance force-line of exosuit affects ankle multidimensional motion: a theoretical and experimental study.

BACKGROUND: The talocrural joint and the subtalar joint are the two major joints of the ankle-joint complex. The position and direction of the exosuit force line relative to these two joint axes can influence ankle motion. We aimed to understand the effects of different force-lines on ankle multidimensional motion. METHODS: In this article, three assistance force line schemes for ankle exosuits were proposed: perpendicular to the talocrural joint axis (PT), intersecting with the subtalar joint axis (IS), and parallel to the triceps surae (PTS). A theoretical model was proposed to calculate the exosuit's assistance moment. Seven participants completed four experimental tests of ankle plantarflexion, including three passive motions assisted by the PT, PTS and IS schemes, and one active motion without exosuit assistance (Active). RESULTS: The simulation results demonstrated that all three exosuits were able to produce significant moments of ankle plantarflexion. Among these, the PT scheme exhibited the highest moments in all dimensions, followed by the PTS and IS schemes. The experimental findings confirmed the effectiveness of all three exosuit schemes in assisting ankle plantarflexion. Additionally, as the assistive force lines approached the subtalar joint, there was a decrease in ankle motion assisted by the exosuits in non-plantarflexion directions, along with a reduction in the average distance of ankle angle curves relative to active ankle motion. Furthermore, the linear correlation coefficients between inversion and plantarflexion, adduction and plantarflexion, and adduction and inversion gradually converged toward active ankle plantarflexion motion. CONCLUSIONS: Our research indicates that the position of the exosuit force line to the subtalar joint has a significant impact on ankle inversion and adduction. Among all three schemes, the IS, which has the closest distance to the subtalar joint axes, has the greatest kinematic similarity to active ankle plantarflexion and might be a better choice for ankle assistance and rehabilitation.

Deep squat test - Functional movement Screen: Convergent validity and ability to discriminate subjects with different levels of joint mobility.

BACKGROUND: Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is an important tool in the assessment of exercise practice. Assuming FMS lacks precise validity for assessing postural deficits, further research is needed to assess whether it is a sufficiently precise tool for analysing joint mobility. Research aims were to evaluate: convergent validity of Deep Squat (DS) - one of FMS tests - regarding joint mobility, using data from a three-dimensional motion analysis as a comparable method; DS's ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels. METHODS: Sixty subjects were selected (23.6 ± 3.8 years). DS was performed according to FMS guidelines. Subjects' performance in frontal and sagittal planes was recorded by two video cameras and subsequently scored by two FMS-certified evaluators. Three-dimensional motion analyses of DS were acquired by a Vicon Motion Capture System (200 Hz). Ten trials were acquired for each subject. Ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder angular positions in sagittal plane were determined from the FullBody PlugInGait model. Spearman's coefficient examined the correlation between angular positions and DS score. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the DS ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels by comparing different scores. RESULTS: Negligible to moderate correlations were found between DS score and angular positions (-0.5 < r < 0.5). Only shoulder angular positions showed differences between score "1" and "2" (p < 0.05). Shoulder and hip angular positions showed no differences between score "2" and "3" (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DS yielded low convergent validity regarding joint mobility and did not show the ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels.

Effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment based on movement system impairment in individuals with cervical pain: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Movement System Impairment (MSI) classification and treatment effectively diagnose and treat the individual with neck pain. There is a lacuna in the current neck pain management guidelines addressing movement-specific mechanical diagnosis. MSI is based on the movement-specific mechanical diagnosis and kinesiopathologic model. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the movement system impairment model among neck pain individuals. METHODS: This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Eighty-two participants were screened for eligibility; Sixty individuals fulfilling the inclusion criteria were randomized into the experimental group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30). A total of 52 individuals completed the study, 26 in both groups. The experimental and the control group received treatment as recommended by the MSI model and clinical practice guideline (CPG) for neck pain with mobility deficits. All participants were assessed for pain intensity, cervical range of motion, deep cervical muscle strength, endurance, and disability at baseline and the end of 3rd week of treatment. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in pain intensity, cervical range of motion, cervical muscle strength, endurance, and disability with both groups at the end of 10 sessions of treatment spread over three weeks (p < 0.05). However, the experimental group (MSI) demonstrated more clinical benefits than CPG based neck mobility deficits treatment. CONCLUSION: The movement system impairment model may effectively diagnose and treat neck pain in individuals with mobility deficits. Future research is warranted to establish its long-term effect.

Investigation of the relationship between functional movement and respiratory muscle strength in professional football players and sedentary individuals: A controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Functional Movement Screening (FMS) is a battery used for injury prediction, identifying asymmetry and weak connections in basic functional movement patterns. The muscles assessed in FMS are also respiratory muscles. Therefore, FMS scores were thought to be related to respiratory muscle strength. The aim of our study was to examine the relationship between Functional Movement Screen and respiratory muscles strength in professional football players and sedentary individuals. METHODS: The study included 23 male professional football players (mean age: 25 ± 6.22 years) and 22 sedantery healthy volunteers (mean age: 24.54 ± 2.75 years). Functional Movement Screen tests were applied by the certified researcher. Respiratory muscle strength measurement were measured with an additional mouth apparatus attached to the portable spirometer 'Pony FX Desktop Spirometry' device. RESULTS: Trunk stability push-up (p = 0.01; r = 0.490), rotational stability (p = 0.025; r = 0,519), and Functional Movement Screen total score (p = 0.02; r = 0.568) with maximum expiratory pressure were moderately positive correlated in professional football players. In the sedantery group, Functional Movement Screen sub-parameters were not correlated respiratory muscle strength (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: The higher Functional Movement Screen total score in professional football players and their skills in functional movements that require trunk and core stabilization increase expiratory muscle strength were found compared to sedentary individuals. CONCLUSION: Increase of expiratory muscle strength may be useful in the treatment program when the aim was to Improving functional movement patterns, trunk and core stabilization.

Active workstations: A literature review on workplace sitting.

The purpose of this paper is to further understand current literature on prolonged sitting, sitting posture and active sitting solutions. This paper is divided into three sections: The first section (Part I) is a comprehensive overview of the literature on how a static prolonged seated posture can affect: spinal health, trunk posture, contact pressure/discomfort development and vascular issues. The second section (Part II) reviews and qualitatively compares the four working postures recognized in ANSI/HFES 100-2007: reclined sitting, upright sitting, declined sitting and standing. The final section (Part III) is a summary of research on active chairs that revolves around the two types of movement patterns: 1- sustaining continual movement over a range of postures, occasionally reaching neutral lordosis, and 2- maintaining high frequency and duration of daily light contractile activity in the legs (or lower limbs).

Measurement properties of the Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality (BAS MQ) in persons on the autism spectrum: A preliminary Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND: Persons on the autism spectrum exhibit poorer body awareness than neurotypical persons. Since movement quality may be regarded as an expression of body awareness, assessment of movement quality is important. Sound assessments of measurement properties are essential if reliable decisions about body awareness interventions for persons on the autism spectrum are to be made, but there is insufficient research. OBJECTIVE: To assess measurement properties of the Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality (BAS MQ) in an autism and a neurotypical reference group. METHODS: Persons on the autism spectrum (n=108) and neurotypical references (n=32) were included. All were assessed with BAS MQ. Data were analyzed according to the Rasch model. RESULTS: BAS MQ was found to have acceptable unidimensionality, supported by the fit statistics. The hierarchical ordering showed that coordination ability was the most difficult, followed by stability and relating. Response category functioning worked as intended for 19 out of 23 items. There were few difficult items, which decreased targeting. Reliability measures were good. BAS MQ discriminated between the autism and the reference groups, with the autism group exhibiting poorer movement quality, reflecting clinical observations and previous research. CONCLUSIONS: BAS MQ was found to have acceptable measurement properties, though suffering from problems with targeting item difficulty to person ability for persons on the autism spectrum. The BAS MQ may, along with experienced movement quality, contribute to clinically relevant information of persons on the autism spectrum, although we encourage refinements and further analyses to improve its measurement properties.

The effects of two different fatigue protocols on movement quality during anticipated and unanticipated change of directions in female soccer players.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared neuromuscular control under two fatigue protocols during anticipated and unanticipated change of direction (COD) maneuvers and evaluated their effects on the risk of non-contact ACL injuries. METHOD: Forty-five female soccer players (mean age: 22.22 ± 2.24 years; mean height: 166.24 ± 3.33 cm; mean mass: 59.84 ± 5.03 kg) were divided into three groups: functional fatigue (Soccer specific fatigue ptotocol-SOFT90), non-functional fatigue (Bruce protocol), and control group. Before and after the implementation of neuromuscular control fatigue protocols were evaluated using the cutting motion assessment score tool (CMAS). Two-dimensional (2D) videos were recorded during anticipated and unanticipated COD trials for both dominant and non-dominant legs. RESULTS: Significant time effects (p < 0.05) and group-time interactions (p < 0.05) were observed in both anticipated and unanticipated conditions for both dominant and non-dominant legs after the fatigue protocols. The functional fatigue group exhibited higher CMAS changes, indicating poorer movement quality following fatigue. Notably, the non-dominant leg displayed amplified deficits during unanticipated COD maneuvers following the functional fatigue protocol. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue significantly impairs neuromuscular control, particularly in unanticipated COD situations, which increases the risk of non-contact ACL injuries. To mitigate this risk, coaches, trainers, and medical professionals should prioritize targeted training and injury prevention strategies, focusing on the non-dominant leg during unanticipated COD maneuvers.

Opening the dialogue: A preliminary exploration of hair color, hair cleanliness, light, and motion effects on fNIRS signal quality.

INTRODUCTION: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising tool for studying brain activity, offering advantages such as portability and affordability. However, challenges in data collection persist due to factors like participant physiology, environmental light, and gross-motor movements, with limited literature on their impact on fNIRS signal quality. This study addresses four potentially influential factors-hair color, hair cleanliness, environmental light, and gross-motor movements-on fNIRS signal quality. Our aim is to raise awareness and offer insights for future fNIRS research. METHODS: Six participants (4 Females, 2 Males) took part in four different experiments investigating the effects of hair color, hair cleanliness, environmental light, and gross-motor movements on fNIRS signal quality. Participants in Experiment 1, categorized by hair color, completed a finger-tapping task in a between-subjects block design. Signal quality was compared between each hair color. Participants in Experiments 2 and 3 completed a finger-tapping task in a within-subjects block design, with signal quality being compared across hair cleanliness (i.e., five consecutive days without washing the hair) and environmental light (i.e., sunlight, artificial light, no light, etc.), respectively. Experiment 4 assessed three gross-motor movements (i.e., walking, turning and nodding the head) in a within-subjects block design. Motor movements were then compared to resting blocks. Signal quality was evaluated using Scalp Coupling Index (SCI) measurements. RESULTS: Lighter hair produced better signals than dark hair, while the impact of environmental light remains uncertain. Hair cleanliness showed no significant effects, but gross motor movements notably reduced signal quality. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that hair color, environmental light, and gross-motor movements affect fNIRS signal quality while hair cleanliness does not. Nevertheless, future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to fully understand these effects. To advance future research, comprehensive documentation of participant demographics and lab conditions, along with signal quality analyses, is essential.

Feature analysis of joint motion in paralyzed and non-paralyzed upper limbs while reaching the occiput: A cross-sectional study in patients with mild hemiplegia.

The reaching motion to the back of the head with the hand is an important movement for daily living. The scores of upper limb function tests used in clinical practice alone are difficult to use as a reference when planning exercises for movement improvements. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify in patients with mild hemiplegia the kinematic characteristics of paralyzed and non-paralyzed upper limbs reaching the occiput. Ten patients with post-stroke hemiplegia who attended the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Jikei University Hospital and met the eligibility criteria were included. Reaching motion to the back of the head by the participants' paralyzed and non-paralyzed upper limbs was measured using three-dimensional motion analysis, and the motor time, joint angles, and angular velocities were calculated. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance was performed on these data. After confirming the fit to the binomial logistic regression model, the cutoff values were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Pattern identification using random forest clustering was performed to analyze the pattern of motor time and joint angles. The cutoff values for the movement until the hand reached the back of the head were 1.6 s for the motor time, 55° for the maximum shoulder joint flexion angle, and 145° for the maximum elbow joint flexion angle. The cutoff values for the movement from the back of the head to the hand being returned to its original position were 1.6 s for the motor time, 145° for the maximum elbow joint flexion angle, 53°/s for the maximum angular velocity of shoulder joint abduction, and 62°/s for the maximum angular velocity of elbow joint flexion. The numbers of clusters were three, four, and four for the outward non-paralyzed side, outward and return paralyzed side, and return non-paralyzed side, respectively. The findings obtained by this study can be used for practice planning in patients with mild hemiplegia who aim to improve the reaching motion to the occiput.

Auditory neuroscience: Sounds make the face move.

Animals including humans often react to sounds by involuntarily moving their face and body. A new study shows that facial movements provide a simple and reliable readout of a mouse's hearing ability that is more sensitive than traditional measurements.

Inter-rater reliability and agreement of the General Movement Assessment and Motor Optimality Score-Revised in a large population-based sample.

BACKGROUND: Prechtl's General Movement Assessment (GMA) at fidgety age (3-5 months) is a widely used tool for early detection of cerebral palsy. Further to GMA classification, detailed assessment of movement patterns at fidgety age is conducted with the Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R). Inter-rater reliability and agreement are properties that inform test application and interpretation in clinical and research settings. This study aims to establish the inter-rater reliability and agreement of the GMA classification and MOS-R in a large population-based sample. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 773 infants from birth-cohort in Perth, Western Australia. GMA was conducted on home-recorded videos collected between 12 + 0 and 16 + 6 weeks post term age. Videos were independently scored by two masked experienced assessors. Inter-rater reliability and agreement were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient and limits of agreement respectively for continuous variables, and Cohen's Kappa and Gwet's Agreement Coefficient, and percentage agreement respectively for discrete variables. RESULTS: The classification of GMA showed almost perfect reliability (AC1 = 0.999) and agreement (99.9 %). Total MOS-R scores showed good-excellent reliability (ICC 0.857, 95 % CI 0.838-0.876) and clinically acceptable agreement (95 % limits of agreement of ±2.5 points). Substantial to almost perfect reliability and agreement were found for all MOS-R domain subscores. While MOS-R domains with higher redundancy in their categorisation have higher reliability and agreement, inter-rater reliability and agreement are substantial to almost perfect at the item level and are consistent across domains. CONCLUSION: GMA at fidgety age shows clinically acceptable inter-rater reliability and agreement for GMA classification and MOS-R for population-based cohorts assessed by experienced assessors.

Identification of pattern mining algorithm for rugby league players positional groups separation based on movement patterns.

The application of pattern mining algorithms to extract movement patterns from sports big data can improve training specificity by facilitating a more granular evaluation of movement. Since movement patterns can only occur as consecutive, non-consecutive, or non-sequential, this study aimed to identify the best set of movement patterns for player movement profiling in professional rugby league and quantify the similarity among distinct movement patterns. Three pattern mining algorithms (l-length Closed Contiguous [LCCspm], Longest Common Subsequence [LCS] and AprioriClose) were used to extract patterns to profile elite rugby football league hookers (n = 22 players) and wingers (n = 28 players) match-games movements across 319 matches. Jaccard similarity score was used to quantify the similarity between algorithms' movement patterns and machine learning classification modelling identified the best algorithm's movement patterns to separate playing positions. LCCspm and LCS movement patterns shared a 0.19 Jaccard similarity score. AprioriClose movement patterns shared no significant Jaccard similarity with LCCspm (0.008) and LCS (0.009) patterns. The closed contiguous movement patterns profiled by LCCspm best-separated players into playing positions. Multi-layered Perceptron classification algorithm achieved the highest accuracy of 91.02% and precision, recall and F1 scores of 0.91 respectively. Therefore, we recommend the extraction of closed contiguous (consecutive) over non-consecutive and non-sequential movement patterns for separating groups of players.

Unsupervised machine learning for clustering forward head posture, protraction and retraction movement patterns based on craniocervical angle data in individuals with nonspecific neck pain.

OBJECTIVES: The traditional understanding of craniocervical alignment emphasizes specific anatomical landmarks. However, recent research has challenged the reliance on forward head posture as the primary diagnostic criterion for neck pain. An advanced relationship exists between neck pain and craniocervical alignment, which requires a deeper exploration of diverse postures and movement patterns using advanced techniques, such as clustering analysis. We aimed to explore the complex relationship between craniocervical alignment, and neck pain and to categorize alignment patterns in individuals with nonspecific neck pain using the K-means algorithm. METHODS: This study included 229 office workers with nonspecific neck pain who applied unsupervised machine learning techniques. The craniocervical angles (CCA) during rest, protraction, and retraction were measured using two-dimensional video analysis, and neck pain severity was assessed using the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). CCA during sitting upright in a comfortable position was assessed to evaluate the resting CCA. The average of midpoints between repeated protraction and retraction measures was considered as the midpoint CCA. The K-means algorithm helped categorize participants into alignment clusters based on age, sex and CCA data. RESULTS: We found no significant correlation between NPQ scores and CCA data, challenging the traditional understanding of neck pain and alignment. We observed a significant difference in age (F = 140.14, p < 0.001), NPQ total score (F = 115.83, p < 0.001), resting CCA (F = 79.22, p < 0.001), CCA during protraction (F = 33.98, p < 0.001), CCA during retraction (F = 40.40, p < 0.001), and midpoint CCA (F = 66.92, p < 0.001) among the three clusters and healthy controls. Cluster 1 was characterized by the lowest resting and midpoint CCA, and CCA during pro- and -retraction, indicating a significant forward head posture and a pattern of retraction restriction. Cluster 2, the oldest group, showed CCA measurements similar to healthy controls, yet reported the highest NPQ scores. Cluster 3 exhibited the highest CCA during protraction and retraction, suggesting a limitation in protraction movement. DISCUSSION: Analyzing 229 office workers, three distinct alignment patterns were identified, each with unique postural characteristics; therefore, treatments addressing posture should be individualized and not generalized across the population.

Classification of motor imagery using chaotic entropy based on sub-band EEG source localization.

Objective.Electroencephalography (EEG) has been widely used in motor imagery (MI) research by virtue of its high temporal resolution and low cost, but its low spatial resolution is still a major criticism. The EEG source localization (ESL) algorithm effectively improves the spatial resolution of the signal by inverting the scalp EEG to extrapolate the cortical source signal, thus enhancing the classification accuracy.Approach.To address the problem of poor spatial resolution of EEG signals, this paper proposed a sub-band source chaotic entropy feature extraction method based on sub-band ESL. Firstly, the preprocessed EEG signals were filtered into 8 sub-bands. Each sub-band signal was source localized respectively to reveal the activation patterns of specific frequency bands of the EEG signals and the activities of specific brain regions in the MI task. Then, approximate entropy, fuzzy entropy and permutation entropy were extracted from the source signal as features to quantify the complexity and randomness of the signal. Finally, the classification of different MI tasks was achieved using support vector machine.Main result.The proposed method was validated on two MI public datasets (brain-computer interface (BCI) competition III IVa, BCI competition IV 2a) and the results showed that the classification accuracies were higher than the existing methods.Significance.The spatial resolution of the signal was improved by sub-band EEG localization in the paper, which provided a new idea for EEG MI research.

Wearable Motion Analysis System for Thoracic Spine Mobility With Inertial Sensors.

This study presents a wireless wearable portable system designed for the automatic quantitative spatio-temporal analysis of continuous thoracic spine motion across various planes and degrees of freedom (DOF). This includes automatic motion segmentation, computation of the range of motion (ROM) for six distinct thoracic spine movements across three planes, tracking of motion completion cycles, and visualization of both primary and coupled thoracic spine motions. To validate the system, this study employed an Inter-days experimental setting to conduct experiments involving a total of 957 thoracic spine movements, with participation from two representatives of varying age and gender. The reliability of the proposed system was assessed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Standard Error of Measurement (SEM). The experimental results demonstrated strong ICC values for various thoracic spine movements across different planes, ranging from 0.774 to 0.918, with an average of 0.85. The SEM values ranged from 0.64° to 4.03°, with an average of 1.93°. Additionally, we successfully conducted an assessment of thoracic spine mobility in a stroke rehabilitation patient using the system. This illustrates the feasibility of the system for actively analyzing thoracic spine mobility, offering an effective technological means for non-invasive research on thoracic spine activity during continuous movement states.

Consistent movement of viewers' facial keypoints while watching emotionally evocative videos.

Neuropsychological research aims to unravel how diverse individuals' brains exhibit similar functionality when exposed to the same stimuli. The evocation of consistent responses when different subjects watch the same emotionally evocative stimulus has been observed through modalities like fMRI, EEG, physiological signals and facial expressions. We refer to the quantification of these shared consistent signals across subjects at each time instant across the temporal dimension as Consistent Response Measurement (CRM). CRM is widely explored through fMRI, occasionally with EEG, physiological signals and facial expressions using metrics like Inter-Subject Correlation (ISC). However, fMRI tools are expensive and constrained, while EEG and physiological signals are prone to facial artifacts and environmental conditions (such as temperature, humidity, and health condition of subjects). In this research, facial expression videos are used as a cost-effective and flexible alternative for CRM, minimally affected by external conditions. By employing computer vision-based automated facial keypoint tracking, a new metric similar to ISC, called the Average t-statistic, is introduced. Unlike existing facial expression-based methodologies that measure CRM of secondary indicators like inferred emotions, keypoint, and ICA-based features, the Average t-statistic is closely associated with the direct measurement of consistent facial muscle movement using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). This is evidenced in DISFA dataset where the time-series of Average t-statistic has a high correlation (R2 = 0.78) with a metric called AU consistency, which directly measures facial muscle movement through FACS coding of video frames. The simplicity of recording facial expressions with the automated Average t-statistic expands the applications of CRM such as measuring engagement in online learning, customer interactions, etc., and diagnosing outliers in healthcare conditions like stroke, autism, depression, etc. To promote further research, we have made the code repository publicly available.

Post-task responses following working memory and movement are driven by transient spectral bursts with similar characteristics.

The post-movement beta rebound has been studied extensively using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and is reliably modulated by various task parameters as well as illness. Our recent study showed that rebounds, which we generalise as "post-task responses" (PTRs), are a ubiquitous phenomenon in the brain, occurring across the cortex in theta, alpha, and beta bands. Currently, it is unknown whether PTRs following working memory are driven by transient bursts, which are moments of short-lived high amplitude activity, similar to those that drive the post-movement beta rebound. Here, we use three-state univariate hidden Markov models (HMMs), which can identify bursts without a priori knowledge of frequency content or response timings, to compare bursts that drive PTRs in working memory and visuomotor MEG datasets. Our results show that PTRs across working memory and visuomotor tasks are driven by pan-spectral transient bursts. These bursts have very similar spectral content variation over the cortex, correlating strongly between the two tasks in the alpha (R2 = .89) and beta (R2 = .53) bands. Bursts also have similar variation in duration over the cortex (e.g., long duration bursts occur in the motor cortex for both tasks), strongly correlating over cortical regions between tasks (R2 = .56), with a mean over all regions of around 300 ms in both datasets. Finally, we demonstrate the ability of HMMs to isolate signals of interest in MEG data, such that the HMM probability timecourse correlates more strongly with reaction times than frequency filtered power envelopes from the same brain regions. Overall, we show that induced PTRs across different tasks are driven by bursts with similar characteristics, which can be identified using HMMs. Given the similarity between bursts across tasks, we suggest that PTRs across the cortex may be driven by a common underlying neural phenomenon.