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Motor Unit Lab
Supervisors
Carlo J. De Luca,
Director, NeuroMuscular Research Center
Description
In the Motor Unit Laboratory, we have focused our efforts on
understanding the strategies that the central nervous system employs in
controlling muscle fibers in order to produce smooth muscle force. Our
studies have revealed that the central nervous system controls groups of
muscle fibers (referred to as motor units) in a very efficient manner
whereby a common drive to the motoneuron pool is employed to express the
desired motion and the responses of individual motor units to this common
drive are prescribed in a very orderly fashion that is extremely well
matched to their mechanical and fatigue properties.
In the recent years, we have focused our attention on the effects of the
natural aging process on these control strategies. We have found that the
known age-related changes in muscle morphology and innervation are indeed
accompanied by significant modifications in control properties. We have
observed considerable disturbances to the orderly activation patterns of
motor units in the elderly, which are most likely associated with the
age-related decline in motor function.
Our ongoing work is geared toward understanding how participation in
exercise programs effects motor unit control in the elderly. It is our goal
to determine the effects of exercise programs on the control of motor units
so that smart exercise regimens can be designed specifically for the
elderly. Furthermore, we hope to achieve objective measures of the
effectiveness of an exercise or rehabilitation intervention, in addition to
determining the individuals who are most likely to benefit from an exercise
program.
- "Harnessing Motoneuron Activity: From Lab to Clinic"
- "Wearable-Sensor System for Monitoring Motor Function"
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