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

J Mot Behav. 2006 Jan;38(1):7-14. doi: 10.3200/JMBR.38.1.7-14.

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.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arm / innervation
  • Arm / physiology*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Electromyography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Joints / innervation
  • Joints / physiology
  • Male
  • Models, Neurological
  • Motor Skills / physiology*
  • Movement / physiology*
  • Muscle Contraction / physiology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / innervation
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiology*
  • Periodicity
  • Proprioception / physiology*
  • Reference Values