title: Synchronizing movements with the metronome: nonlinear error correction and unstable periodic orbits.
abstract: The control of human hand movements is investigated in a simple synchronization task. We propose and analyze a stochastic model based on nonlinear error correction; a mechanism which implies the existence of unstable periodic orbits. This prediction is tested in an experiment with human subjects. We find that our experimental data are in good agreement with numerical simulations of our theoretical model. These results suggest that feedback control of the human motor systems shows nonlinear behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Potsdam, Germany. engbert@rz.uni-potsdam.de
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Engbert
authors.forename: Ralf Th
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Krampe
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kurths
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kliegl
mesh_terms: D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013997:Time Factors