Article

Several studies have shown that learning a motor skill in one limb can transfer
to the opposite limb-a phenomenon called as interlimb transfer. The transfer of
motor skills between limbs, however, has shown to be asymmetric, where one side
benefits to a greater extent than the other.
While this phenomenon has been
well-documented in the upper-extremity, evidence for interlimb transfer in the
lower-extremity is limited and mixed. This study investigated the extent of
interlimb transfer during walking, and tested whether this transfer was
asymmetric using a foot trajectory-tracking paradigm that has been specifically
used for gait rehabilitation. The paradigm involved learning a new gait pattern
which required greater hip and knee flexion during the swing phase of the gait
while walking on a treadmill. Twenty young adults were randomized into two equal
groups, where one group (right-to-left: RL) practiced the task initially with the
dominant right leg and the other group (left-to-right: LR) practiced the task
initially with their non-dominant left leg. After training, both groups practiced
the task with their opposite leg to test the transfer effects.
The changes in
tracking error on each leg were computed to quantify learning and transfer
effects. The results indicated that practice with one leg improved the motor
performance of the other leg; however, the amount of transfer was similar across
groups, indicating that there was no asymmetry in transfer.
This finding is
contradictory to most upper-extremity studies (where asymmetric transfer has been
reported) and points out that both differences in neural processes and types of
tasks may mediate interlimb transfer.
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Langue : ANGLAIS