Neuromuscular-skeletal origins of predominant patterns of coordination in rhythmic two-joint arm movement.

Full Abstract

The authors tested for predominant patterns of coordination in the combination of rhythmic flexion-extension (FE) and supination- (SP) at the elbow-joint complex. Participants (N=10) spontaneously established in-phase (supination synchronized with flexion) and antiphase (pronation synchronized with flexion) patterns. In addition, the authors used a motorized robot arm to generate involuntary SP movements with different phase relations with respect to voluntary FE. The involuntarily induced in-phase pattern was accentuated and was more consistent than other patterns. The result provides evidence that the predominance of the in-phase pattern originates in the influence of neuromuscular-skeletal constraints rather than in a preference dictated by perceptual-cognitive factors implicated in voluntary control. Neuromuscular-skeletal constraints involved in the predominance of the in-phase and the antiphase patterns are discussed.

Author information

Author/s: de Rugy, Aymar (A); Riek, Stephan (S); Carson, Richard G (RG);

Affiliation: Perception and Motor Systems Laboratory, School of Human Movement Studies, Room, 424, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 424, Australia. aymar(-atsign-)hms.uq.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of motor behavior (J Mot Behav), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jan; vol 38 (issue 1) : pp 7-14

Dates: Created 2006/01/26; Completed 2006/03/09; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16436358, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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