Neuromuscular-skeletal origins of predominant patterns of coordination in rhythmic two-joint arm movement.
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.
de Rugy
Aymar
A
Perception and Motor Systems Laboratory, School of Human Movement Studies, Room, 424, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 424, Australia. aymar@hms.uq.edu.au
Riek
Stephan
S
Carson
Richard G
RG
D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D010507:Periodicity; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values