348C Centennial Research Building
Phone:404-894-9985, Fax:404-894-7593
Research Interests
Human movement is dependent on the neural strategy in activating skeletal muscles that have variable mechanical properties. Neuromuscular Physiology Lab identifies the neural and mechanical mechanisms underlying motor skills. For this purpose, we look at variability in neural signals and motor output (e.g., fluctuations in neural excitation, muscle activity, muscle force, and movement) in young and old individuals.
Personnel
- Director: Minoru "Shino" Shinohara, PhD
- PhD Students: Vasiliy Buharin, BS, Ashley Johnson, MS, Shikhar Vohra, MS
- Undergraduate Students: Nhi Le, JingJing Sun, Freddie Rankin
- Collaborators:
- Andrew Butler, PhD, Atlanta VA Medical Center: Brain Activity (TMS)
- Deborah Backus, PhD, Shepherd Research Institute: Autonomic Control in Spinal Cord Injury
- Maysam Ghovanloo, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology: Tongue Drive System
- Jorge Juncos, MD, Emory University
- Ryuta Kinugasa, PhD, Waseda University, Japan: functional MRI
- Motoki Kouzaki, PhD, Kyoto University, Japan
- Karim Sabra, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology: Mechanomyogram
- Lena Ting, PhD, Emory/Georgia Tech: Posture control
- Jun Ueda, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology: Robotics (Exoskeleton)
- Lewis Wheaton, PhD, Georgia Tech: Brain activity (EEG)
- Yasuhide Yoshitake, PhD, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, Japan
Research Opportunities
We welcome undergraduate/graduate students and research scholars in Neuromuscular Physiology Lab. The participation can be short, long, internship, or sabbatical stay. Research activity may include development of experimental apparatus and software (Labview or Matlab), data collection & analysis (Matlab, Labview, or SPIKE2), conference presentation, and manuscript writing. Graduate students and research scholars from other institutions/countries are also welcome. Dr. Shino is a program faculty for Bioengineering and IGERT (Hybrid Neural Microsystems) at Georgia Tech. Undergraduate students at Georgia Tech can apply for President’s Undergraduate Research Awards for funding (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program).
Current Research Projects
Neuromechanical Mechanisms of Motor Skills
- Sympathetic nerve activity and motor output variability
- Sympathetic nerve activity and spinal reflex
- Sympathetic nerve activity and cortical excitability
- Noise-induced sensory enhancement and motor performance
- Sensory input and postural sway
Neuromuscular Plasticity with Development and Aging
- Oscillatory input from brain to muscle in elderly adults
- Contralateral effects on force fluctuations in old adults
- Force fluctuations and postural sway in elderly adults
Neuromuscular Mechanisms of Muscle Fatigue
- Changes in force direction with muscle fatigue
- Alternate muscle activity during prolonged contractions
- Assessment of muscle recruitment with fMRI
Funding
- 2006-2009, NIH NS052480 "Sympathetic nerve activity and fine motor skills"
- 2008-2009, Atlanta VA Medical Center "Effects of visual feedback and sympathetic nerve activity on cortical excitability during a hand motor task"
Recent Publications
- Shinohara M. Muscle activation strategies in multiple muscle systems. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 41:181-183, 2009.
- Shinohara M, Yoshitake Y, Kouzaki M. Alterations in synergistic muscle activation impact fluctuations in net force. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 41:191-197, 2009.
- Shinohara M, Keenan KG, Enoka RM. Fluctuations in motor output of a hand muscle can be altered by the mechanical properties of the position sensor. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 168: 164-173, 2008.
- Yoshitake Y, Masani K, Shinohara M. Laser-detected lateral muscle displacement is correlated with force fluctuations during voluntary contractions in humans. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 173:271-8, 2008.
- Heise G, Shinohara M, Binks L. Biarticular leg muscles and links to running economy. International Journal of Sports Medicine 29: 688-691, 2008.
- Shinohara M, Keenan KG, Enoka RM. Fluctuations in motor output of a hand muscle can be altered by the mechanical properties of the position sensor. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 168: 164-173, 2008.
- Yoshitake Y, Kouzaki M, Fukuoka H, Fukunaga T, Shinohara M. Modulation of muscle activity and force fluctuations in the plantarflexors after bedrest depends on the knee position. Muscle & Nerve 35: 745-55, 2007.
- Kouzaki M, Shinohara M. The frequency of alternate muscle activity is associated with the attenuation in muscle fatigue. Journal of Applied Physiology 101: 715-720, 2006.
- Shinohara M, Yoshitake Y, Kouzaki M, Fukunaga T. The medial gastrocnemius muscle attenuates force fluctuations during plantar flexion. Experimental Brain Research 169: 15-23, 2006.
- Shinohara M, Sogaard K. Mechanomyography for studying force fluctuations and muscle fatigue. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews 34: 59-64, 2006.