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Use-dependent learning, not error-based learning, occurs during perturbed recumbent stepping

Seyed Yahya Shirazi

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of Central Florida
seyed@knights.ucf.edu

Helen J. Huang

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Disability, Aging, and Technology (DAT) cluster
University of Central Florida
hjhuang@ucf.edu

Purpose: To investigate motor error and mechanical work during perturbed recumbent stepping.

Hypothesis: Both stepping error and mechanical work will decrease as subjects adapt to perturbed recumbent stepping.

Background

Locomotor adaptation is usually an error-based experience in which humans modify their walking behavior to reduce errors (e.g. prediction errors) [1] and energy expenditure in response to perturbations [2].

Adapted behavior often washes out soon after the perturbations are removed [3] but modified behaviors do not wash out if use-dependent learning occurred [4-5].

During error-based learning:

• Perturbations hinder task completion.

• Subjects reduce motor cost (error or energetic) during perturbations.

• Adapted behavior rapidly washes out.

In use-dependent learning:

• Perturbations do not hinder but modify task completion.

• Subjects modify motor patterns and increase motor cost during perturbations.

• Learned behavior does NOT wash out.

Note: Scroll to the bottom for detailed methods about setup, protocol, and calculation of error and mechanical work

stepping errors and mechanical work post- did not wash out back to levels at pre-

• Stepping errors did not continue to decrease after the first few perturbations.

• Mechanical work increased during the perturbations phase and did not wash out to pre-perturbation levels.

• Both stepping error and mechanical work during post seem to continue at catch strides levels

final thoughts

Subjects demonstrated use-dependent learning based on the continual increase in mechanical work, unchanging errors, and sustained post-perturbation errors and mechanical work.

Catch strides could be useful indicators of modified locomotor behavior.

Potential application: This protocol could be tuned to enhance use-dependent learning to sustain locomotor modifications that could potentially help restore “normal” lower limb coordination patterns.