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A central back-coupling hypothesis on the organization of motor synergies: a physical metaphor and a neural model

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Abstract.

We offer a hypothesis on the organization of multi-effector motor synergies and illustrate it with the task of force production with a set of fingers. A physical metaphor, a leaking bucket, is analyzed to demonstrate that an inanimate structure can show apparent error compensation among its elements. A neural model is developed using tunable back-coupling loops as means of assuring error compensation in a task-specific way. The model demonstrates non-trivial features of multi-finger interaction such as delayed emergence of force stabilizing synergies and simultaneous stabilization of the total force and total moment produced by the fingers. The hypothesis suggests that neurophysiological structures involving short-latency feedback may play a central role in the formation of motor synergies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, Rec.Hall-268N, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Mark L. Latash, Jae Kun Shim & Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky

  2. Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    Andrei V. Smilga

Authors
  1. Mark L. Latash
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  2. Jae Kun Shim
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  3. Andrei V. Smilga
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  4. Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky
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Correspondence to Mark L. Latash.

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Latash, M., Shim, J., Smilga, A. et al. A central back-coupling hypothesis on the organization of motor synergies: a physical metaphor and a neural model. Biol Cybern 92, 186–191 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-005-0548-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-005-0548-0

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