Papers
4
Total Citations
42
H-Index
4
About
Taku Kitamura investigates the neural mechanisms underlying spinal reflex modulation, with a focus on how robotic-assisted movement and electrical stimulation can reshape motor pathways. His research centers on understanding how passive rhythmic limb movements—particularly stepping—influence spinal excitability in both the legs and distant forearm muscles, offering potential therapeutic avenues for conditions like spasticity after stroke or spinal cord injury. Kitamura’s most cited work (2011, 19 citations) demonstrated that robotic-assisted stepping suppresses monosynaptic H-reflexes in forearm muscles, challenging assumptions about the role of movement-related afferent feedback versus body loading. He further showed that electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve enhances reciprocal inhibition during passive stepping (2015, 10 citations), and that continuous passive stepping induces short-term plasticity in reflex pathways (2016, 7 citations). His velocity-dependent suppression study (2014, 6 citations) clarified how stepping speed modulates spinal reflexes. Collectively, Kitamura’s work bridges rehabilitation engineering and neurophysiology, providing foundational evidence for using robotic devices to non-invasively modulate pathological hyperreflexia. His findings have implications for designing targeted interventions that leverage passive movement to restore motor function, making his research valuable for clinicians and neuroscientists exploring activity-dependent plasticity.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4