Universität Stuttgart

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Chemo-electro-mechanical modelling of the neuromuscular system
(2015) Heidlauf, Thomas; Röhrle, Oliver (Prof., PhD)
Body movement is the result of cascades of complex chemical, electrical, and mechanical processes taking place at different length and time scales. This thesis deals with the biophysical modelling of these processes. In detail, the generation of electrical signals in spinal motor neurons is investigated based on the Hodgkin-Huxley formalism. Next, the complex signaling pathway leading from electrical excitation to contraction and force generation of the muscle fibres is modelled. Based on a structural model of the muscle and the bidomain equations, a method is proposed to predict electromyographic signals, which are frequently recorded in the clinic and result from the propagation of electrical signals along the muscle fibres to induce the contraction. Extending this model by a continuum-mechanical approach, a multiscale model of the neuromuscular system is obtained that considers chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties and allows to predict force generation, muscle deformation, and the EMG signal during fixed-length and non-isometric contractions. The proposed framework can potentially be used as an in-silico laboratory to investigate changes in the behaviour resulting from pathological conditions or drug treatment.