Biology subjects

Davoodi, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Davoodi, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

More Efficient Walking via Temporal and Spatial Energy Transfer in a Passive Biarticular Exosuit

Evaluating bioinspired design principles in wearable assistive devices provides a unique opportunity to interrogate our understanding of the critical factors that enable agile, stable, and economical human movement. We introduce the BiArticular Thigh EXosuit (BATEX), a wearable device integrating two morphological features found in biological legged systems: biarticular muscles and elastic tissues. BATEX employs two biarticular springs spanning the hip and knee to emulate the human rectus femoris and hamstring muscles, creating beneficial synergy to enhance walking economy. This design enables two energy-shuffling mechanisms: temporal (spring-like storage/return at a joint) and spatial (strut-like transfer across joints). In walking experiments at 1.3 m/s with N = 9 participants, a single compliant biarticular spring yielded a 7% metabolic cost reduction compared to walking without BATEX. Individually optimized configurations further improved metabolic reduction to 9%. BATEX morphology allowed users not only to off-load biological joint power (Assist) but also to increase total power (Augment). Across all exosuit configurations, the mechanical impact of the exosuit was reflected by a significant correlation between changes in users biarticular muscles activity and changes in net metabolic rate. In sum, compliant-biarticular exosuit architectures can concurrently assist and augment human lower-limb joint function, providing significant metabolic savings during walking.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2026

Graph-Based EEG Symmetry Features from the Temporal Lobe as Markers of Antidepressant Treatment Response

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder that affects millions globally and has highly individualized responses to antidepressant treatment. Identifying objective early markers that can distinguish responders from non-responders remains a critical challenge in personalized psychiatry. In this study, we investigate the role of brain symmetry in EEG-derived functional connectivity as a potential early marker of treatment response. Using resting-state EEG recordings from 176 patients diagnosed with MDD at baseline (Visit 1) and after one week of treatment (Visit 2), we construct graph-based representations of functional connectivity and define region-wise and electrode-wise temporal-lobe symmetry features. We focus on symmetry change scores (Visit 2 - Visit 1) across typical EEG frequency bands in both weighted and binary forms. Statistical analyses reveal a consistent group-level pattern in the and {beta} bands: responders show negative symmetry change scores, whereas non-responders show relative stability or weakly positive change scores. The contrast is strongest in the {beta}1 band and is more pronounced for binary symmetry metrics, while the band shows the same direction with slightly weaker significance. Physiologically, these opposite trajectories are consistent with a treatment-related shift toward more lateralized temporal-lobe network organization in responders and a more bilateral coupling pattern in nonresponders; however, these neurophysiological interpretations remain hypothesis-generating given the resting-state design and the absence of direct behavioral or task-based validation. To quantify whether temporal symmetry change scores contain reproducible discriminative signal under strict validation, we benchmark the proposed features in a supervised classification pipeline using repeated nested cross-validation. The best-performing configuration achieved a median out-of-sample AUC of 0.690 with a 95% bootstrap confidence interval of [0.611, 0.711], indicating modest but reproducible separability. Overall, temporal-lobe symmetry change features provide interpretable candidate markers of early antidepressant-related neurophysiological change that may complement existing EEG predictors in future multi-marker models, but they are not yet sufficient for standalone clinical decision support and require external validation in independent cohorts.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

From a biological template model to gait assistance with an exosuit

By invention of soft wearable assistive devices, known as exosuits, a new aspect in assisting unimpaired subjects is introduced. In this study, we designed and developed an exosuit with compliant biarticular thigh actuators, called BAExo. Unlike common method of using rigid actuators in exosuits, the BAExo is made of serial elastic actuators (SEA) resembling artificial muscles (AM). This bioinsipred design is complemented by the novel control concept of using the ground reaction force to adjust these AMs stiffness in the stance phase. By locking the motors in the swing phase the SEAs will be simplified to passive biarticular springs, which is sufficient for leg swinging. The key concept in our design and control approach is synthesizing human locomotion to develop assistive device, instead of copying the outputs of human motor control. Analysing human walking assistance using an experiment-based OpenSim model demonstrates the advantages of the proposed design and control of BAExo, regarding metabolic cost reduction and efficiency of the system. In addition, pilot experiments with the recently developed BAExo hardware support the applicability of the introduced method. Author summaryAging and mobility of elderly people are of crucial concern in developed countries. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that by the middle of the 21st century, about 80 million Americans will be 65 or older. According to the groups research, medical costs resulting from falls by the elderly are expected to approach $32.4 billion by 2020. Therefore, assistance of elderly people and making the assistive devices more intelligent is a need in near future. However, this is not the only application of assistive devices. Exosuits, as soft wearable robots, introduced a new aspect in assisting a large range of population, even healthy young people. We introduce a novel design and control method for a new exosuit. As the research in the field of wearable assistive devices is growing in recent years and its application in daily life becomes more evident for the society, such studies with a unique view in design and control could have a significant impact. Our proposed biologically inspired approach could be potentially applied to other exosuits.

bioengineering↗