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B Nienhuis

Publications and source records attributed to B Nienhuis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Older women strongly prefer stride lengthening to shortening in avoiding obstacles.

In the present study the obstacle avoidance strategy during treadmill walking was investigated in ten young (aged 19-32) and ten older females (aged 65-78). Minimisation of displacement of the foot from its original landing position has been proposed to be the main criterion for the selection of alternate foot placement. Each participant performed 60 obstacle avoidance trials. Foot-obstacle configurations were varied in order to obtain both lengthening and shortening avoidance reactions. For each trial it was calculated how much lengthening and how much shortening of the stride was required minimally for successful avoidance. The difference between required lengthening and required shortening was expressed as a percentage of the control stride length and was used as a measure of minimal displacement. The behavior of young females was in agreement with the minimal displacement criterion. The older females, however, exhibited a strong preference for stride lengthening, even in situations in which stride shortening would be highly favorable. The explanation for the long step strategy preference of the older females is discussed in terms of age-related changes in decision-making, differences between young and older persons in the unobstructed gait pattern, and safety considerations.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Gait adjustments in response to an obstacle are faster than voluntary reactions.

It has been reported that obstacle avoidance reactions during gait have very short latencies. This raises the question whether the cortex can be involved, as it is in voluntary reactions. In this study, latencies of obstacle avoidance (OA) reactions were determined and related to latencies of voluntary stride modifications and simple reaction times (SRT) of hand and foot. Twenty-five healthy young adults participated in this study. While they were walking on the treadmill, an obstacle suddenly fell in front of their left leg. The first reaction to the obstacle was the moment at which the differentiated acceleration curve of the foot deviated from the control signal. Latencies of OA reactions were 122 ms (SD 14 ms) on average. Two very different avoidance reactions (lengthening and shortening of the stride) were noticed, but there was no avoidance strategy effect on OA latencies. OA latencies were significantly shorter as compared to latencies of voluntary stride modifications and simple reaction times of hand and foot. The short OA latencies could not only be explained from the dynamic nature of the task. It is suggested that subcortical pathways might be involved in obstacle avoidance.

Cues↗
PubMed2002

Adaptations in arm movements for added mass to wrist or ankle during walking.

The aim of the present study was to answer the question whether adaptations to local perturbations are restricted to the perturbed limb or whether they induce a reorganization of all co-moving limbs. Specifically, we studied the adaptations in arm movements to mass perturbations in seven healthy adults during walking on a treadmill. Four different perturbation conditions were employed in random order (no perturbation, mass added to both wrists, to the right wrist, and to the right ankle). During each experimental condition ten different belt speeds (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 km/h) were successively offered, while the arm movements and the electromyographic activity of the musculus deltoid posterior and anterior were measured. The results indicated that cadence was not affected by adding mass to the wrist or ankle. However, adding mass to a wrist not only resulted in an increase in muscle activity and a decrease of movement amplitude of the perturbed arm, but also in alterations in the non-perturbed arm. Notably, adding mass to one ankle induced adaptive changes in both arms, in that both muscle activity and arm movement increased. The present results indicate that during walking the loading of one of the limbs induces a general reorganization, involving all participating bodily segments, presumably to maintain balance while providing rhythm constancy.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2001

Bethe ansatz solution of triangular trimers on the triangular lattice.

Recently, a model consisting of triangular trimers covering the triangular lattice was introduced and its exact free energy given. In this paper we present the complete calculation leading to this exact result. The solution involves a coordinate Bethe ansatz with two kinds of particles. It is similar to that of the square-triangle random tiling model by Widom and Kalugin. The connection of the trimer model with related solvable models is discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Exact and numerical results for a dimerized coupled spin- 1/2 chain

We establish exact results for coupled spin-1/2 chains for special values of the four-spin interaction V and dimerization parameter delta. The first exact result is at delta = 1/2 and V = -2. Because we find a very small but finite gap in this dimerized chain, this can serve as a very strong test case for numerical and approximate analytical techniques. The second result is for the homogeneous chain with V = -4 and gives evidence that the system has a spontaneously dimerized ground state. Numerical diagonalization and bosonization techniques indicate that the interplay between dimerization and interaction could result in gapless phases in the regime 0</=V<-2.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Exact stationary state for an asymmetric exclusion process with fully parallel dynamics.

The exact stationary state of an asymmetric exclusion process with fully parallel dynamics is obtained using the matrix product ansatz. We give a simple derivation for the deterministic case by a physical interpretation of the dimension of the matrices. We prove the stationarity via a cancellation mechanism, and by making use of an explicit representation of the matrix algebra we easily find closed expressions for the correlation functions in the general probabilistic case. Asymptotic expressions, obtained by making use of earlier results, allow us to derive the exact phase diagram.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Evidence against a three-phase point in a binary hard-core lattice model.

Using Monte Carlo simulation, Van Duijneveldt and Lekkerkerker [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 4264 (1993)] found gas-liquid-solid behavior in a simple two-dimensional lattice model with two types of hard particles. The same model is studied here by means of numerical transfer-matrix calculations, focusing on the finite-size scaling of the gaps between the largest few eigenvalues. No evidence for a gas-liquid transition is found. We discuss the relation of the model with a solvable restricted solid-on-solid model of which the states obey the same exclusion rules. Finally, a detailed analysis of the relation with the dilute three-state Potts model strongly supports the tricritical point rather than a three-phase point.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Clinical gait analysis in a rehabilitation context: some controversial issues.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the focus of clinical gait analysis in order to explain the observed mismatch between the available technology for movement analysis and the aims of clinical rehabilitation medicine. DESIGN: Literature search using two different interactive computerized search systems. OUTCOME MEASURES: The selected studies on clinical gait analysis were screened on the type of tasks they employed in the assessment of gait. The tasks were divided into impairment-orientated and disability-orientated. RESULTS: The results indicated a dominance of simple motor tasks focusing at the level of impairments. In only 15 out of the 96 reviewed articles were tasks used that were aimed at the level of disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: A gap exists between the conceptual frameworks used in clinical rehabilitation medicine and those used in clinical movement analysis.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

The effect of a plaster cast on lumbosacral joint motion. An in vivo assessment with precision motion analysis system.

STUDY DESIGN: This study was conducted to assess the effect of a plaster cast on the mobility of the lumbosacral joint in 10 patients with chronic low back pain. During static and dynamic exercises, movements between the proximal vertebra (L4 or L5) and the sacrum were registered in 10 patients without a support and after the application of a plaster cast, and with and without unilateral hip immobilization, respectively. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether plaster casts actually immobilize the lumbosacral joint. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The presumed stabilizing effect of a lumbar orthosis on the lumbosacral joint has been the subject of many studies in the past years, and contradictory reports have been published. METHODS: The measurements were performed by means of Precision Motion Analysis System, an optoelectronic three-dimensional motion analysis system using infrared light. The patients were asked to perform maximal spinal flexion to extension, maximal pelvic tilt (static test conditions), and to walk within the measurement volume (dynamic test condition). This procedure was repeated with the patients wearing a plaster cast with and without unilateral hip fixation. Mobility was expressed in translations and rotations around three axes. For statistical analysis, repeated measurements two-way analysis of variance was used. RESULTS: Considerable rotations were found only in the sagittal plane. Both plaster casts appeared to decrease mobility during the static test conditions. During the dynamic test condition, however, no significant decrease of mobility of the lumbosacral joint by either of the casts could be observed. In both cast conditions, considerably more sagittal rotation was found during walking than with the other two exercises. CONCLUSION: In the sagittal plane, a plaster cast with or without unilateral hip immobilization can decrease motion during spinal flexion-extension. This stabilizing effect on the lumbosacral joint could not be observed during walking.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Pattern recognition in the neocognitron is improved by neuronal adaptation.

We demonstrate that equipping the neurons of Fukushima's neocognitron with the phenomenon that a neuron decreases its activity when repeatedly stimulated (adaptation) markedly improves the pattern discriminatory power of the network. By means of adaptation, circuits for extracting discriminating features develop preferentially. In the original neocognitron, in contrast, features shared by different patterns are preferentially learned, as connections required for extracting them are more frequently reinforced.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1993

Intrasubject variability of selected force-platform parameters in the quantification of postural control.

Platform stabilometry is increasingly applied to monitor or re-educate standing balance in clinical rehabilitation. Consequently, insight is needed into the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of different force-platform parameters. This study focuses on the intrasubject variability as the major source of variance (unreliability) in the study of human motor skills. The intrasubject variability of several, commonly applied force-platform parameters was determined across ten repeated tests of quiet two-legged standing in healthy subjects to identify the most consistent and stable parameters in the quantification of postural control. The variability of the root mean square (RMS) amplitude, peak-to-peak amplitude, mean frequency, and RMS velocity of the fore-aft and lateral components of the center-of-pressure fluctuations was investigated under varying (visual and cognitive) task conditions. The results indicate that all selected parameters show considerable intrasubject variability irrespective of the task context. Nonetheless, both the RMS amplitude and RMS velocity in either direction of sway do not demonstrate a significant trend across repeated tests. Among the selected parameters, the RMS velocity in the fore-aft direction shows the greatest intrasubject consistency, as well as a high sensitivity to, for example, visual deprivation. These findings support the reliability and validity of this parameter in the clinical quantification of postural control.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Postural reorganization following lower limb amputation. Possible motor and sensory determinants of recovery.

Postural control was assessed in persons with a unilateral lower limb amputation before and after their rehabilitation. The centre-of-pressure fluctuations during quiet upright standing on a dual-plate force platform were registered with and without visual information in order to identify relevant determinants of balance restoration. In addition, static (weight distribution) as well as dynamic (control activity) asymmetry characteristics were examined. Besides a small improvement in balance control with full visual information (fore-aft sway, p less than 0.06; lateral sway, p less than 0.05), there was a major decrease in visual dependency (fore-aft and lateral sway, p less than 0.05) indicating a somatosensory re-integration process. Postural asymmetry in comparison with matched control subjects was most apparent and only significant in dynamic terms and remained constant across rehabilitation. It is concluded that after a lower limb amputation a central reorganization of postural control takes place, in which sensory determinants of motor recovery may play a critical role.

Aged↗