Papers

Peer-reviewed International journal
Jul, 2020

Entrainment of chewing rhythm by gait speed during treadmill walking in humans.

Neuroscience research
  • Hitoshi Maezawa
  • ,
  • Satoko Koganemaru
  • ,
  • Masao Matsuhashi
  • ,
  • Masayuki Hirata
  • ,
  • Makoto Funahashi
  • ,
  • Tatsuya Mima

Volume
156
Number
First page
88
Last page
94
Language
English
Publishing type
Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI
10.1016/j.neures.2020.02.008

It remains unclear whether the rhythmic processes of chewing and gait synchronize during concurrent execution in humans. To evaluate the entrainment of chewing rhythm by gait speed, we measured electromyography from the masseter and tibialis anterior muscles during chewing at a habitual rhythm while walking on a linear treadmill in 12 healthy volunteers. Vertical movement of the head was also measured using an accelerometer. Each 5-min session included gait tasks using a treadmill at three speeds: Auto: the participant's self-selected gait speed, High: Auto × 1.3, and Low: Auto ÷ 1.3. Electromyography from the masseter muscles were also measured during chewing while stationary (Chew-Only). Chewing rhythm during walking was the same as that for head movement, occurring at twice the speed of the walking rhythm, in nine participants (Low), eight participants (Auto), and eight participants (High). For these participants, chewing rhythm in the Auto and High conditions differed significantly from that in the Chew-Only condition. Significant differences in chewing rhythm were also observed among gait speeds (Low vs. Auto vs. High). Our findings demonstrate that entrainment of habitual chewing rhythm to gait speed is a significant phenomenon, and that the dominant ratio of chewing-walking-head movement rhythms is 2:1:2.

Link information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2020.02.008
PubMed
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32097675
ID information
  • DOI : 10.1016/j.neures.2020.02.008
  • Pubmed ID : 32097675

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