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Portrait of Kevin Keenan

Kevin Keenan, PhD

  • Associate Professor, Kinesiology

Education

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Sibley School of Mechanical and Aeropsace Engineering Cornell University 2008
Ph D Integrative Physiology University of Colorado 2005
MS Kinesiology University of Michigan 1998
BS Kinesiology University of Michigan 1992

Speaker Topics

  • Motor Control
  • Neurophysiology

Interests & Expertise

Kevin Keenan’s work is dedicated to understanding the interplay between motor function, physical activity and health. Experimental procedures used in the laboratory include high-density surface EMG arrays (up to 256 EMG recordings), long-term (>6 hrs) EMG recordings, indwelling EMG recordings, force sensors, motion capture and computational modeling.

Current collaborative projects being pursued in the lab include the role of physical activity on motor function in older adults; assessment of muscle coordination during finger pressing tasks in young and older adults; the role of EMG biofeedback to improve chronic neck pain; the change in neuromuscular control in stroke survivors; and the noninvasive assessment of neuromuscular properties using high-density EMG arrays.

Selected Publications

Gerstle, Emily, O'Connor, Kristian M., Keenan, Kevin, Slavens, Brooke A., and Cobb, Stephen C. “The Effect of Age and Fall History on Lower Extremity Neuromuscular Function During Descent of a Single Transition Step.” Journal of aging and physical activity. (2022): 1-8.
Heintz Walters, Brittany, Huddleston, Wendy E., O'Connor, Kristian M., Wang, Jinsung, Hoeger Bement, Marie, and Keenan, Kevin. “The role of eye movements, attention, and hand movements on age-related differences in pegboard tests.” Journal of Neurophysiology 126.5 (2021): 1710-1722.
Gerstle, Emily, O'Connor, Kristian M., Keenan, Kevin, Slavens, Brooke A., and Cobb, Stephen C. “The influence of age and fall history on single transition step kinematics.” Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) 89. (2021): 105456.
Keenan, Kevin, Senefeld, Jonathon W., and Hunter, Sandra K. “Girls in the boat: Sex differences in rowing performance and participation.” PLOS ONE 13.1 Ed. Sandbakk, Øyvind. (2018): e0191504.
Gerstle, Emily E., O’Connor, Kristian, Keenan, Kevin, and Cobb, Stephen C. “Foot and Ankle Kinematics During Descent From Varying Step Heights.” Journal of Applied Biomechanics 33.6 (2017): 453-459.
Keenan, Kevin, Huddleston, Wendy E., and Ernest, Bradley E. “Altered visual strategies and attention are related to increased force fluctuations during a pinch grip task in older adults.” Journal of Neurophysiology 118.5 (2017): 2537-2548.
Dondzila, Christopher J., Swartz, Ann M., Keenan, Kevin, Harley, Amy, Azen, Razia, and Strath, Scott J. “Translating exercise interventions to an in-home setting for seniors: preliminary impact on physical activity and function.” Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 28.6 (2016): 1227-1235.
Lerma, Nicholas L., Keenan, Kevin, Strath, Scott J., Forseth, Bethany M., Cho, Chi C., and Swartz, Ann M. “Muscle activation and energy expenditure of sedentary behavior alternatives in young and old adults.” Physiological Measurement 37.10 (2016): 1686-1700.
Hunter, Sandra K., Pereira, Hugo M., and Keenan, Kevin. “The aging neuromuscular system and motor performance.” Journal of Applied Physiology 121.4 (2016): 982-995.
Strath, Scott J., Kate, Rohit J., Keenan, Kevin, Welch, Whitney A., and Swartz, Ann M. “Ngram Time Series Model to Predict Activity Type and Energy Cost from Wrist, Hip and Ankle Accelerometers: Implications of Age.” Physiological Measurement 36.11 (2015): 2335-2351.
Dondzila, C J., Swartz, Ann M., Keenan, Kevin, Harley, Amy, Azen, R, and Strath, Scott J. “Geospatial relationships between awareness and utilization of community exercise resources and physical activity levels in older adults.” J Aging Research 2014. (2014).
Huddleston, Wendy E., Ernest, B E., and Keenan, Kevin. “Selective age effects on attentional components of a cued saccade task.” Journal of Ophthalmology 2014. (2014): 1-11.
Huddleston, Wendy E., Keenan, Kevin, and Ernest, B E. “Relations among visual strategies, force fluctuations, and attention during a pinch grip task.” Perceptual & Motor Skills 117.3 (2013): 775-800.
Walters, T J., Kaschinske, K A., Strath, Scott J., Swartz, Ann M., and Keenan, Kevin. “Validation of a portable EMG device to assess muscle activity during free-living situations.” Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology 23.5 (2013): 1012-1019.
Keenan, Kevin, Massey, W V., Collins, J D., and Walters, T. “Sensitivity of EMG-EMG coherence to detect the common oscillatory drive to hand muscles in young and older adults.” J Neurophysiol 107.10 (2012): 2866-2875.
Keenan, Kevin, and Enoka, R M. Electromyography. Ed. Mooren, F C. Encyclopedia of Exercise Medicine in Health and Disease, 2012: 276-279.
Keenan, Kevin, and Massey, W V. “Control of fingertip forces in young and older adults pressing against fixed low- and high-friction surfaces.” PLoS One 7.10 (2012): e48193.
Jesunathadas, M, Aidoor, S S., Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, and Enoka, R M. “Influence of amplitude cancellation on the accuracy of determining the onset of muscle activity from the surface electromyogram.” J Electromyogr Kinesio 22.3 (2012): 494-500.
Keenan, Kevin, Collins, J D., Massey, W V., Walters, T, and Gruzska, H. “Coherence between surface EMGs is influenced by electrode placement in hand muscles.” J Neurosci Methods 195.1 (2011): 10-4.
Laughlin, W A., Weinhandl, J T., Kernozek, T W., Cobb, Stephen C., Keenan, Kevin, and O'Connor, Kristian M. “The effects of single-leg landing technique on ACL loading.” J Biomech 44.10 (2011): 1845-1851.
Keenan, Kevin. “Computational modeling as support for the interpolated twitch technique.” J Appl Physio 107. (2009): 364-365.
Keenan, Kevin, Santos, V J., Venkadesan, M, and Valero-Cuevas, F J. “Maximal voluntary force production is not limited by voluntary movement speed in combined motion and force tasks.” J Neurosci 29.27 (2009): 8784-8789.
Keenan, Kevin, and Valero-Cuevas, F J. “Epoch length to accurately estimate the amplitude of interference EMG is likely the result of unavoidable amplitude concellation.” Biomed Signal Process Control 3. (2008): 154-162.
Keenan, Kevin, Shinohara, M, and Enoka, R M. “Fluctuations in motor output of a hand muscle can be altered by the mechanical properties of the position sensor.” J Neurosci Methods 2.168 (2008): 164-73.
Keenan, Kevin, Ashley, D, McNamara III, R V., Song, S, Kanar, F J., and Valero-Cuevas, F J. Muscle mechanics do not suffice to explain the reduction in maximal voluntary fingertip force in combined motion and force tasks. 2007.
Medina, F A., Venkadesan, M, Keenan, Kevin, McNamara III, R V., Backus, S L., Song, S, Price, C, and Valer-Cuevas, F J. The transition between muscle coordination patterns is context dependent. 2007.
Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, Meyer, F, Merletti, R, and Enoka, R M. “Sensitivity of the cross-correlation between simulated surface EMGs for two muscles to detect motor unit synchronization.” J Appl Physiol 102.3 (2007): 1193-1201.
Keenan, Kevin, and Valero-Cuevas, F J. Improving models of motor unit function is best done by refining their neural mechanisms. 2007.
Keenan, Kevin, and Valero-Cuevas, F J. Identification of parameter sets for experimentally-valid simulation of motor units. 2007.
Keenan, Kevin, and Valero-Cuevas, F J. “Experimentally valid predictions of muscle force and EMG in models of motor unit function are most sensitive to neural properties.” J Neurophysiol 98. (2007): 1581-1590.
Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, Merletti, R, and Enoka, R M. “Amplitude cancellation reduces the size of motor unit potentials averaged from the surface EMG.” J Appl Physio 100. (2006): 1928-1937.
Keenan, Kevin, and Valero-Cuevas, F J. EMG amplitude is most sensitive to the range in innervation numbers: a large-scale computational sensitivity analysis. Limb Motor Function: Synergies, 2006: D-05.
Keenan, Kevin, McNamara III, R V., Backus, S I., Schieber, M H., and Valero-Cuevas, F J. Index finger abduction is a complex motor task. 2006.
Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, Merletti, R, and Enoka, R M. “Influence of motor unit properties on the size of the simulated evoked surface EMG potential.” Exp Brain Res 169. (2006): 37-49.
Keenan, Kevin, , and . Motor unit synchronization and the cross-correlation of simulated surface EMGs for two muscles. 2005.
Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, Maluf, K S., Merletti, R, and Enoka, R M. “Influence of amplitude cancellation on the simulated surface electromyogram.” J Appl Physiol 98. (2005): 120-131966-974.
Shinohara, M, Keenan, Kevin, and Enoka, R M. “Fluctuations in motor output during steady contractions are weakly related across contraction types and between hands.” Muscle Nerve 31. (2005): 741-750.
Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, Merletti, R, and Enoka, R M. Detection of motor-unit activity in the spike-triggered average of the simulated electromyogram before and after rectification. 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, 2004.
Keenan, Kevin, Shinohara, M, and Enoka, R M. Measures of steadiness are influenced by the frequency content of the signals. 36.5 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), 2004: Suppl:S6.
Keenan, Kevin, Aidoor, S S., Farina, D, Jesunathadas, M, and Enoka, R M. The accuracy of detecting onset of muscle activity from the surface electromyogram during gait. 2004.
Keenan, Kevin, Farina, D, and Maluf, K S. Age-associated changes in motor unit properties reduce signal cancellation in the simulated electromyogram. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, 2003.
Shinohara, M, Keenan, Kevin, and Enoka, R M. “Contralateral activity in a homologous hand muscle during voluntary contractions is greater in old adults.” J Appl Physio 94. (2003): 966-974.
Shinohara, M, Keenan, Kevin, and Enoka, R M. Fluctuations in motor output by a hand muscle are not strongly correlated between hands or contraction types in young and old adults. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, 2003.
Shinohara, M, Keenan, Kevin, and Enoka, R M. Contralateral activity in a homonymous hand muscle during ipsilateral contractions differs in young and old adults. 32rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, 2002.

Honors & Awards

Research Fellows Program (2010) University of Wisconsin Libraries.
Visits to Sponsors or Collaborators Travel Awards (VISTA) (2010) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.