I Can Step Clearly Now, the TENS Is On: Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation Decreases Sensorimotor Uncertainty during Stepping Movements

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is a method of electrical stimulation that elicits activity in sensory nerves and leads to improvements in the clinical metrics of mobility. However, the underlying perceptual mechanisms leading to this improvement are unknown. The aim of this study w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-07, Vol.22 (14), p.5442
Main Authors: Whittier, Tyler T., Weller, Zachary D., Fling, Brett W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Balance
Bayesian analysis
Bayesian inference
Electrodes
Estimates
Gait
Hypotheses
Injuries
Laboratories
Mobility
Muscle contraction
Nervous system
proprioception
Software
Stimulation
TENS
transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation
Uncertainty
Virtual reality
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Summary:Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is a method of electrical stimulation that elicits activity in sensory nerves and leads to improvements in the clinical metrics of mobility. However, the underlying perceptual mechanisms leading to this improvement are unknown. The aim of this study was to apply a Bayesian inference model to understand how TENS impacts sensorimotor uncertainty during full body stepping movements. Thirty healthy adults visited the lab on two occasions and completed a motor learning protocol in virtual reality (VR) on both visits. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: TENS on first visit only (TN), TENS on second visit only (NT), or a control group where TENS was not applied on either visit (NN). Using methods of Bayesian inference, we calculated the amount of uncertainty in the participants’ center of mass (CoM) position estimates on each visit. We found that groups TN and NT decreased the amount of uncertainty in the CoM position estimates in their second visit while group NN showed no difference. The least amount of uncertainty was seen in the TN group. These results suggest that TENS reduces the amount of uncertainty in sensory information, which may be a cause for the observed benefits with TENS.
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s22145442