TY - JOUR
T1 - Early manifestation of arm–leg coordination during stepping on a surface in human neonates
AU - la Scaleia, Valentina
AU - Ivanenko, Y.
AU - Fabiano, A.
AU - Sylos-Labini, F.
AU - Cappellini, G.
AU - Picone, S.
AU - Paolillo, P.
AU - Di Paolo, A.
AU - Lacquaniti, F.
PY - 2018/2/13
Y1 - 2018/2/13
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Arm–leg coordination
KW - Early development
KW - Human locomotion
KW - Neonatal stepping
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041913779&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85041913779&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00221-018-5201-y
DO - 10.1007/s00221-018-5201-y
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85041913779
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Experimental Brain Research
JF - Experimental Brain Research
SN - 0014-4819
ER -