Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The issue of coordination between the arms and between the arms and legs of humans during walking has been addressed by my research. The overall picture suggests that control mechanisms contribute to the pattern and structure of coordination of rhythmic movement seen during human walking from networks of neurons in the spinal cord called central pattern generators (CPG). As a neuroscientists, the focus is on the neural networks and structural pathways that underlie coordination but physicists think about coordination from the perspective of mechanical equations of dynamic motion. Using a model from physics, the Haken Kelso Bunz (HKB) model, this work aims to extend HKB to increase our understanding of nervous systems control of walking generated by CPG elements. The focus of my research is on understanding the specific way in which the nervous system coordinates the arms and legs during rhythmic movement tasks like walking and examines the dynamics of coordination at the behavioural level. Projects are divided into three related, but distinct objectives and all projects are designed to be carried out by trainees in my lab at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The first objective is to examine dynamical changes in coordination dynamics that arise from task modifications. The second objective is to examine synchronization of coordination with external stimuli. The third objective is to examine inter-social coordination in walking. Findings from this research program are applicable to many fields of science, from physics to biology, and eventually new knowledge gained could lead to more effective ways of understanding coordination in general and may also lead to more effective methods of improving motor coordination following brain or spinal cord injury. Outcomes of the proposed training include development of data and intellectual property, publications in peer-reviewed journals and undergraduate and graduate theses, and most importantly training of diverse, highly qualified personal through research in the Natural Sciences.