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Neuromuscular control of goal-directed ankle movements differs for healthy children and adults

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose was to compare neuromuscular control of rapid ankle goal-directed movements in healthy preadolescent children and young adults.

Methods

Ten young adults (20.0 ± 0.9 years) and ten children (9.5 ± 0.7 years) attempted to accurately match the peak displacement of the foot to a spatiotemporal target with an ankle dorsiflexion movement. The targeted displacement was 9° of ankle dorsiflexion, and the targeted time was 180 ms. Surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from the tibialis anterior (TA; agonist) and soleus (SOL; antagonist) muscles. Ankle movement control was quantified with endpoint accuracy and variability. The activation of the involved muscles was quantified with an EMG burst analysis.

Results

Children exhibited decreased endpoint accuracy and control compared with young adults, as indicated by greater endpoint errors (47.6 ± 15.2 vs. 25.8 ± 9.0 %) and position variability (29.5 ± 5.7 vs. 15.2 ± 6.1 %). In addition, children exhibited differences in muscle activation, as evidenced by greater TA (53.2 ± 19.1 vs. 33.0 ± 19.0 %) and SOL (19.9 ± 12.0 vs. 9.6 ± 5.4 %) amplitudes of EMG burst, shorter TA duration (251.3 ± 43.6 vs. 296.1 ± 27.6 %), and greater variability in the activation of these muscles. The endpoint error (R 2 = 0.7) and position variability (R 2 = 0.67) were predicted from the TA burst amplitude variability and TA burst duration.

Conclusion

The differences in muscle activation and deficient control of rapid goal-directed ankle movements exhibited by children are likely due to their incomplete development of higher centers.

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Abbreviations

TA:

Tibialis anterior

EMG:

Electromyography

SOL:

Soleus

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Hannah Mora, Ericka Miller, Brittany Forster, and Mark Costanzo for their help with data collection. This study was supported by R01 AG031769 to Evangelos A. Christou.

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest for any of the co-authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Emily J. Fox, Hwasil Moon, MinHyuk Kwon, Yen-Ting Chen & Evangelos A. Christou

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Emily J. Fox & Evangelos A. Christou

  3. Brooks Rehabilitation, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Emily J. Fox

Authors
  1. Emily J. Fox
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  2. Hwasil Moon
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  3. MinHyuk Kwon
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  4. Yen-Ting Chen
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  5. Evangelos A. Christou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Evangelos A. Christou.

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Communicated by Fausto Baldissera.

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Fox, E.J., Moon, H., Kwon, M. et al. Neuromuscular control of goal-directed ankle movements differs for healthy children and adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 114, 1889–1899 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2915-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2915-9

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