Neurophysiological correlates of passive movements are speed- and type-dependent

Menno Veldman; J. Kwant; J. Lommerse; Marlies Feenstra; Claudine Lamoth; A. Volkers; Hans Drenth; Sytse Zuidema; Ivan Bautmans; Johannes Hobbelen

doi:10.1007/s00421-026-06172-2

Neurophysiological correlates of passive movements are speed- and type-dependent

Vertaalde titel van de bijdrage: Neurofysiologische samenhang van passieve bewegingen zijn afhankelijk van de snelheid en het type

Menno Veldman, J. Kwant, J. Lommerse, Marlies Feenstra, Claudine Lamoth, A. Volkers, Hans Drenth, Sytse Zuidema, Ivan Bautmans, Johannes Hobbelen

Onderzoeksoutput: Article › Academic › peer review

Samenvatting

Doel
De betrokkenheid van supraspinale structuren bij de controle van passieve bewegingen is nog onvoldoende opgehelderd. Eerdere studies leverden elektromyografisch bewijs voor snelheids- en type-afhankelijke veranderingen in spieractiviteit. Op basis van eigenschappen van mechanoreceptoren, leeftijdsgerelateerde veranderingen daarin, en de somatotopisch georganiseerde verbindingen tussen sensorische en motorische systemen, had deze studie als doel elektrofysiologisch bewijs te leveren voor de betrokkenheid van frontale cortexinhibitie en corticomotorische interacties bij de controle van passieve bewegingen.

Methoden
Twintig gezonde jongere en oudere volwassenen voerden passieve flexie- en extensiebewegingen van de elleboog uit bij drie door een metronoom bepaalde snelheden (20, 60 en 100 slagen per minuut), zowel in een continue als discontinue uitvoering. De continue conditie bestond uit bewegingen zonder pauzes tussen opeenvolgende bewegingen, terwijl de discontinue conditie pauzes bevatte tussen de overgangen van flexie naar extensie. De volgorde van de bewegingssnelheden werd geleidelijk opgevoerd om overdrachteffecten (carry-over) in veronderstelde weerstand tegen passieve bewegingen van hogere naar lagere snelheden te voorkomen. In alle condities werden elektro-encefalografische en elektromyografische gegevens verzameld. Alphakracht werd gebruikt als maat voor frontale cortexinhibitie en bèta corticomusculaire coherentie als maat voor hersen-spierconnectiviteit.

Resultaten
De inhibitie van de frontale cortex nam af (p = 0,036) en de hersen-spierconnectiviteit nam toe (p < 0,001) bij toenemende bewegingssnelheid. Daarnaast was de frontale cortexinhibitie 17% hoger in de discontinue conditie ten opzichte van de continue conditie (p = 0,005), terwijl de corticomusculaire coherentie 25,9% hoger was in de continue dan in de discontinue conditie (p < 0,001). Deze effecten waren onafhankelijk van leeftijd.

Conclusie
Frontale cortexinhibitie en hersen-spierinteracties zijn afhankelijk van de snelheid en het type passieve beweging. De huidige gegevens kunnen inzicht bieden in de processen die ten grondslag liggen aan pathologische spierspanning tijdens passieve bewegingen.

Vertaalde titel van de bijdrage	Neurofysiologische samenhang van passieve bewegingen zijn afhankelijk van de snelheid en het type
Originele taal-2	English
Aantal pagina's	10
Tijdschrift	European Journal of Applied Physiology
DOI's	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-026-06172-2
Status	Published - 2 mrt. 2026

Keywords

Hersen-spierconnectiviteit
Spier Tonus
Frontale Inhibitie
Passief Bewegen
Elektro-encefalografie (EEG)
Veroudering
Corticomusculaire Coherentie
Inhibitie

Research Focus Areas Hanze University of Applied Sciences

Healthy Ageing

Research Focus Areas Research Centre or Centre of Expertise

Kwetsbaarheid en passende zorg

Publinova thema's

Overig
Gezondheid

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10.1007/s00421-026-06172-2Licentie: CC BY

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@article{a6b890ad9e794daeae5c0e2826d2aca8,

title = "Neurophysiological correlates of passive movements are speed- and type-dependent",

abstract = "Purpose: The supraspinal involvement in the control of passive movements remains elusive. Previous studies provided electromyographic evidence for speed and –type dependent changes in muscle activity. Based on mechanoreceptor properties, their age-related changes and the somatotopically organized connections between sensory and motor systems, this study aimed to provide electrophysiological evidence for the involvement of frontal cortex inhibition and corticomotor interactions in the control of passive movements. Methods: Twenty healthy younger and older adults performed passive elbow flexion and extension movements at three metronome-based speeds (20, 60, and 100 beats per minute) in continuous and discontinuous fashion. The continuous condition included movements with no inter-movement pauses and the discontinuous conditions with pauses between flexion–extension transitions. The order of movement speeds increased progressively to prevent carryover effects in hypothesized resistance to passive movements from higher to lower speeds. In all conditions, electro-encephalographic and electromyographic data were acquired. Alpha power and beta corticomuscular coherence were used to quantify frontal cortex inhibition and brain-muscle connectivity, respectively. Results: Frontal cortex inhibition decreased (p = 0.036) and brain-muscle connectivity increased (p < 0.001) with increasing movement speeds. In addition, frontal cortex inhibition was 17\% higher in the discontinuous condition as compared to the continuous condition (p = 0.005) while corticomuscular coherence was 25.9\% higher in the continuous vs. the discontinuous condition (p < 0.001). These effects were independent of age. Conclusion: Frontal cortex inhibition and brain-muscle interactions depend on passive movement speed and -type. The current data may provide insights into the processes underlying pathological muscle tone during passive movements.",

keywords = "Hersen-spierconnectiviteit, Spier Tonus, Frontale Inhibitie, Passief Bewegen, Elektro-encefalografie (EEG), Veroudering, Corticomusculaire Coherentie, Inhibitie, Brain-muscle connectivity, Muscle Tone, Frontal Inhibition, Passive Movement, Electroencephalography, Aging, Inhibition, Corticomuscular Coherence",

author = "Menno Veldman and J. Kwant and J. Lommerse and Marlies Feenstra and Claudine Lamoth and A. Volkers and Hans Drenth and Sytse Zuidema and Ivan Bautmans and Johannes Hobbelen",

note = "The authors wish to specifically acknowledge prof. dr. Sytse Zuidema who provided invaluable contributions to the development of the project and manuscript and sadly passed away on April 25th, 2025.",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1007/s00421-026-06172-2",

language = "English",

journal = "European Journal of Applied Physiology",

issn = "1439-6319",

publisher = "Springer",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neurophysiological correlates of passive movements are speed- and type-dependent

AU - Veldman, Menno

AU - Kwant, J.

AU - Lommerse, J.

AU - Feenstra, Marlies

AU - Lamoth, Claudine

AU - Volkers, A.

AU - Drenth, Hans

AU - Zuidema, Sytse

AU - Bautmans, Ivan

AU - Hobbelen, Johannes

N1 - The authors wish to specifically acknowledge prof. dr. Sytse Zuidema who provided invaluable contributions to the development of the project and manuscript and sadly passed away on April 25th, 2025.

PY - 2026/3/2

Y1 - 2026/3/2

N2 - Purpose: The supraspinal involvement in the control of passive movements remains elusive. Previous studies provided electromyographic evidence for speed and –type dependent changes in muscle activity. Based on mechanoreceptor properties, their age-related changes and the somatotopically organized connections between sensory and motor systems, this study aimed to provide electrophysiological evidence for the involvement of frontal cortex inhibition and corticomotor interactions in the control of passive movements. Methods: Twenty healthy younger and older adults performed passive elbow flexion and extension movements at three metronome-based speeds (20, 60, and 100 beats per minute) in continuous and discontinuous fashion. The continuous condition included movements with no inter-movement pauses and the discontinuous conditions with pauses between flexion–extension transitions. The order of movement speeds increased progressively to prevent carryover effects in hypothesized resistance to passive movements from higher to lower speeds. In all conditions, electro-encephalographic and electromyographic data were acquired. Alpha power and beta corticomuscular coherence were used to quantify frontal cortex inhibition and brain-muscle connectivity, respectively. Results: Frontal cortex inhibition decreased (p = 0.036) and brain-muscle connectivity increased (p < 0.001) with increasing movement speeds. In addition, frontal cortex inhibition was 17% higher in the discontinuous condition as compared to the continuous condition (p = 0.005) while corticomuscular coherence was 25.9% higher in the continuous vs. the discontinuous condition (p < 0.001). These effects were independent of age. Conclusion: Frontal cortex inhibition and brain-muscle interactions depend on passive movement speed and -type. The current data may provide insights into the processes underlying pathological muscle tone during passive movements.

AB - Purpose: The supraspinal involvement in the control of passive movements remains elusive. Previous studies provided electromyographic evidence for speed and –type dependent changes in muscle activity. Based on mechanoreceptor properties, their age-related changes and the somatotopically organized connections between sensory and motor systems, this study aimed to provide electrophysiological evidence for the involvement of frontal cortex inhibition and corticomotor interactions in the control of passive movements. Methods: Twenty healthy younger and older adults performed passive elbow flexion and extension movements at three metronome-based speeds (20, 60, and 100 beats per minute) in continuous and discontinuous fashion. The continuous condition included movements with no inter-movement pauses and the discontinuous conditions with pauses between flexion–extension transitions. The order of movement speeds increased progressively to prevent carryover effects in hypothesized resistance to passive movements from higher to lower speeds. In all conditions, electro-encephalographic and electromyographic data were acquired. Alpha power and beta corticomuscular coherence were used to quantify frontal cortex inhibition and brain-muscle connectivity, respectively. Results: Frontal cortex inhibition decreased (p = 0.036) and brain-muscle connectivity increased (p < 0.001) with increasing movement speeds. In addition, frontal cortex inhibition was 17% higher in the discontinuous condition as compared to the continuous condition (p = 0.005) while corticomuscular coherence was 25.9% higher in the continuous vs. the discontinuous condition (p < 0.001). These effects were independent of age. Conclusion: Frontal cortex inhibition and brain-muscle interactions depend on passive movement speed and -type. The current data may provide insights into the processes underlying pathological muscle tone during passive movements.

KW - Hersen-spierconnectiviteit

KW - Spier Tonus

KW - Frontale Inhibitie

KW - Passief Bewegen

KW - Elektro-encefalografie (EEG)

KW - Veroudering

KW - Corticomusculaire Coherentie

KW - Inhibitie

KW - Brain-muscle connectivity

KW - Muscle Tone

KW - Frontal Inhibition

KW - Passive Movement

KW - Electroencephalography

KW - Aging

KW - Inhibition

KW - Corticomuscular Coherence

U2 - 10.1007/s00421-026-06172-2

DO - 10.1007/s00421-026-06172-2

M3 - Article

SN - 1439-6319

JO - European Journal of Applied Physiology

JF - European Journal of Applied Physiology

ER -

Neurophysiological correlates of passive movements are speed- and type-dependent

Samenvatting

Keywords

Research Focus Areas Hanze University of Applied Sciences

Research Focus Areas Research Centre or Centre of Expertise

Publinova thema's

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