09.08.2009: Lena Ting at Georgia State

Motor Intention VS Motor Implementation

• How do we go from intention to implementation?
• There are many different pathways to the same goal
• Observing motor behaviors
  • Do we need a brain to stand/walk?
  • Physics provides framework, neural components shape the observed motion
• Synergies are a grouping of neuro-muscular constraints for a particular task
• Four variables can describe the neural command for standing balance: CoM position, velocity, acceleration and feedback delay.
• Low-dimension variables mediate input-to-output control
• Solutions are not necessarily energetically optimal
  • Optimization is dependent on the criteria selected for minimization.
• More synergies are observed for people with "greater skill"
• Synergies are unique to the individual as the "goal" is a moving target. The goal might mean different things to different people.

Questions

• What about inducing postural responses through visual feedback? Doesn't affect APR, so outside of the time period we are studying.
• Visual feedback, how does this affect synergies? Same as above, doesn't affect APR.
• Do the forelimbs and hindlimbs have similar synergies for cats? Would like to check this out.
• How do you get synergies? NMF