Estimation of the firing behaviour of a complete motoneuron pool by combining electromyography signal decomposition and realistic motoneuron modelling
Author(s)
Caillet, Arnault H
Phillips, Andrew TM
Farina, Dario
Modenese, Luca
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Our understanding of the firing behaviour of motoneuron (MN) pools during human voluntary muscle contractions is currently limited to electrophysiological findings from animal experiments extrapolated to humans, mathematical models of MN pools not validated for human data, and experimental results obtained from decomposition of electromyographical (EMG) signals. These approaches are limited in accuracy or provide information on only small partitions of the MN population. Here, we propose a method based on the combination of high-density EMG (HDEMG) data and realistic modelling for predicting the behaviour of entire pools of motoneurons in humans. The method builds on a physiologically realistic model of a MN pool which predicts, from the experimental spike trains of a smaller number of individual MNs identified from decomposed HDEMG signals, the unknown recruitment and firing activity of the remaining unidentified MNs in the complete MN pool. The MN pool model is described as a cohort of single-compartment leaky fire-and-integrate (LIF) models of MNs scaled by a physiologically realistic distribution of MN electrophysiological properties and driven by a spinal synaptic input, both derived from decomposed HDEMG data. The MN spike trains and effective neural drive to muscle, predicted with this method, have been successfully validated experimentally. A representative application of the method in MN-driven neuromuscular modelling is also presented. The proposed approach provides a validated tool for neuroscientists, experimentalists, and modelers to infer the firing activity of MNs that cannot be observed experimentally, investigate the neuromechanics of human MN pools, support future experimental investigations, and advance neuromuscular modelling for investigating the neural strategies controlling human voluntary contractions.
Date Issued
2022-09
Date Acceptance
2022-09-08
Citation
PLoS Computational Biology, 2022, 18 (9)
ISSN
1553-734X
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Journal / Book Title
PLoS Computational Biology
Volume
18
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
Copyright: © 2022 Caillet et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000892094000004&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
Biochemical Research Methods
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
COMMON SYNAPTIC INPUT
CONDUCTION-VELOCITY
ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES
LATERAL GASTROCNEMIUS
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Mathematical & Computational Biology
MEDIAL GASTROCNEMIUS-MUSCLE
MOTOR-UNIT TYPE
MUSCULOSKELETAL MODEL
NUMBER ESTIMATION
Science & Technology
SYSTEMATIC VARIATIONS
TIBIALIS ANTERIOR MUSCLE
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e1010556
Date Publish Online
2022-09-29