Neuromechanics Course MEDI258 Overview
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Neuromechanics Course MEDI258 Overview

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Questions and Answers

What does the field of neuromechanics primarily focus on?

  • Studying the biochemical processes within muscles
  • Understanding human motion through body dynamics and control systems (correct)
  • Analyzing external mechanical forces applied to the body
  • Investigating the psychological aspects of motor learning

    • Which application of neuromechanics is designed for restoring movement function?

  • Exercise prescription to limit ageing effects
  • Prosthetic design
  • Exercise prescription to restore lost movement function after disuse (correct)
  • Exercise prescription for performance enhancement

    • How does MEDI258 integrate with MEDI222 in terms of focus?

  • Focus on muscle recovery and rehabilitation strategies
  • Emphasis on muscle mechanics and force production (correct)
  • Study of cognitive learning and motor skills
  • Concentration on cardiovascular health and endurance

    • Which statement correctly describes a concept related to neuromechanics?

    <p>Neural adaptations can influence both acute and chronic movement changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of electromyography in neuromechanics?

    <p>It analyzes the electrical activity of muscles to understand motion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In relation to aging, neuromechanics can be applied to which of the following?

    <p>Limiting or reversing the neuromuscular effects</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which muscle among the following is associated with a higher innervation number?

    <p>Masseter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement accurately describes the relationship between muscle size and innervation?

    <p>Smaller muscles can demonstrate high innervation due to increased dexterity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which muscle demonstrated the highest innervation number among all listed?

    <p>Masseter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which muscle is associated with low dexterity and high innervation number?

    <p>Medial gastrocnemius</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of the First lumbrical muscle in relation to its innervation?

    <p>Its innervation number is considerably low at 108.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Among the following, which muscle had an innervation number recorded in stillborn infants?

    <p>Masseter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What initiates the power stroke during the cross-bridge cycle?

    <p>ATP hydrolysis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which component binds to calcium and triggers a structural change in actin filaments during contraction?

    <p>Troponin</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of electromyography (EMG)?

    <p>Assessing the activation of multiple muscle fibers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    During excitation-contraction coupling, what occurs immediately after the muscle fiber action potential enters the fiber?

    <p>Calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process is closely linked to the activation of motor units for smooth muscle contraction?

    <p>Synchronization of firing rate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of ATP in the cross-bridge cycle?

    <p>To bind to myosin heads for detachment from actin</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to calcium after it is released into the sarcoplasm during muscle contraction?

    <p>It is reabsorbed after muscle contraction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between EMG signals and muscle force?

    <p>EMG is correlated with muscle force but not the same</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What constitutes a motor unit?

    <p>1 motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which component is primarily responsible for integrating commands from the nervous system to the muscle?

    <p>Motor neuron</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the distribution of motor units in relation to muscle fiber innervation?

    <p>It likely follows an exponential relation across most muscles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'innervation number' refer to?

    <p>The number of muscle fibers innervated by a single motor neuron</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might the innervation number be different across various muscles?

    <p>Different muscles require varying levels of coordination and strength.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In relation to the abductor digiti minimi muscle, what is the innervation number based on anatomical estimates?

    <p>190</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many motor units participate in innervating approximately 48,000 fibers in a hand muscle?

    <p>120</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the alpha motor axon play in muscle innervation?

    <p>It serves as the path for motor commands to reach muscles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between motor unit size and muscle function?

    <p>Smaller motor units typically provide finer control.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic of motor units relates to their function in muscle movement?

    <p>Motor units can vary in size, impacting force output.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Neuromechanics

    • Neuromechanics attempts to understand how body dynamics, muscles, sensory organs, and the central nervous system interact to create human movement.

    Applications of Neuromechanics

    • Applied to exercise prescription for performance enhancement, reducing or reversing age-related neuromuscular decline, restoring function after injury or disuse, and designing prosthetics, exoskeletons, and humanoid robots.

    Neuromechanics @ UOW

    • This course (MEDI258) is part of a larger framework of biomechanics courses offered at UOW, from introductory to advanced levels.

    How does MEDI258 relate to MEDI222?

    • Builds upon concepts from the Foundations of Biomechanics course (MEDI222), including muscle mechanics, force production, moment arms and torque, momentum, work, energy, and power, as well as analysis of movement in different situations, including fatigue, aging, and strength training.
    • Expands on understanding of simple reflex control, spinal cord control of locomotion, cortical control of voluntary movement, and neural adaptations driving movement changes.

    Generating Force with Muscle

    • Muscle force fluctuations during fatigue: During an activity like squatting to fatigue, muscle strength diminishes due to factors such as depletion of energy stores and accumulation of waste products.

    Muscle Structure/Function

    • Excitation/contraction coupling: How electrical signals trigger muscle contraction.
      • Muscle fiber action potential travels into a fiber, activating the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
      • Calcium is released, and then reuptake into the sarcoplasm.
      • Calcium binds to troponin molecules, altering the structure of the actin filament.
      • ATP binds to myosin heads, allowing them to detach from actin.

    Cross-Bridge Cycle

    • This explains how myosin and actin interact to generate muscle force.
      • Myosin head attaches to actin filament.
      • ATP binds to the myosin head, detaching it from actin.
      • Calcium binds to troponin, enabling myosin heads to re-attach to actin.
      • ATP is hydrolyzed, initiating the power stroke (2 pN of force).
      • ADP is released, returning myosin to its base state.

    Measuring Muscle Activity: Electromyography (EMG)

    • EMG is used to measure the electrical activity of muscles.
      • Uses differential electrodes placed over a muscle.
      • Captures activation of many muscle fibers at a time.
      • Is related to, but not identical to, muscle force.
      • Can be used to assess relative muscle activity levels over time.

    Motor Units - Structure

    • Motor unit: a single motor neuron plus all of the muscle fibers it innervates.
      • The motor neuron is the final common pathway for motor commands, integrating signals from different levels of the nervous system and sending them to the muscle.

    Motor Units - How Many in a Muscle?

    • The number of motor units in a muscle varies depending on its size and function.
      • Larger muscles have more motor units.
      • Muscles with high dexterity have fewer motor units.
      • Muscles with low dexterity have more motor units.

    Motor Units - Types

    • Muscle fibers are classified based on myosin heavy chain isoform.
      • Type I: slow oxidative
      • Type IIA: fast oxidative
      • Type IIX: fast glycolytic
    • Each motor unit is associated with a specific muscle fiber type.
      • Type S: slow twitch, fatigue-resistant
      • Type FR: fast twitch, fatigue-resistant
      • Type FF: fast twitch, fatigable

    Motor Units - Recruitment

    • Muscle force output is controlled by the recruitment and firing rate of motor units.
      • Henneman size principle: Small, slow-twitch motor units are recruited first, followed by larger, fast-twitch units as force demand increases.
      • Rate coding: Force output of a single motor unit can be increased by increasing its firing rate (frequency of action potentials).

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    Week 1 PDF Neuromechanics PDF

    Description

    Explore the fundamentals of Neuromechanics and its applications in human movement. This course, MEDI258, builds on earlier concepts from MEDI222, focusing on muscle dynamics and the interplay between the nervous system and body mechanics. Understand how this information is applied in fields like exercise prescription and rehabilitation.

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