HMS NEWS
New Equipment Aids Neuromechanical Research into Balance
Research into the neuromechanics of balance and falls has received a boost with the purchase of new equipment in the School of Human Movement Studies’ Neuromechanics Laboratory. Head of the Neuromechanics Group, Associate Professor Andrew Cresswell said the group used the disciplines of biomechanics and neurophysiology to understand the neural control of human movement. He said the isokinetic dynamometer would enable an increased focus on basic research into balance and mobility in the healthy and elderly, as well as new projects applying that research to the general population.
“The equipment enables us to accurately control movement of a limb or provide resistance to an exercising muscle group. This enables us to measure strength and also to control the limb while we look at how neural processes in the brain and spinal chord are regulated during movement. The new equipment complements a dedicated unit that we had built ourselves that is currently on loan from The Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The new machine is more flexible in its use and we will now be able to investigate the control of other joints and muscle groups,”Andrew said.
The new machine is shown (above) being used to test spinal and cortical excitability during precise controlled movements of the ankle joint. PhD candidate Craig Tokuno (left) is controlling the ankle movement with the Biodex dynamometer, while MPhil candidate Ben Hoffman (far right) stimulates the motor cortex using transcranial magnetic stimulation. The subject, PhD candidate Tomomichi Oya (seated) is also having his lower leg electrically stimulated to induce a reflex response in electrodes, which are recording his ongoing muscle activity in the lower leg. This project along with others in the neuromechanics laboratory is linked to measuring spinal and cortical contributions to postural control – a focus of current research applications to the ARC and NHMRC.
The purchase was funded by a UQ Infrastructure Grant and is attracting interest from other researchers within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and other areas of the Faculty. Research projects to benefit from access to the Biodex System 3 include a range of projects that could for example reduce the rate of falls in the elderly and improve strength and mobility in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Andrew said the group was also working hard to refurbish the biomechanics teaching laboratory for the teaching of undergraduate students. This would allow human movement studies students the opportunity to gain first hand experience into state-of-the-art methods used to measure and quantify human movement. [Story and photo courtesy of the Faculty of Health Sciences Bulletin]