Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Primate upper limb muscles exhibit activity patterns that differ from their anatomical action during a postural task.

Isaac Kurtzer1, J Andrew Pruszynski, Troy M Herter

  • 1Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Botterell Hall, Rm 232, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|October 28, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The interaction of biomechanical demands and the speed-accuracy trade-off for the control of multi-directional, three-dimensional targeted reaching movements.

Human movement science·2026
Same author

Online planning of sequential actions.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same author

Evaluating the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of markerless motion capture for static postural control assessment.

Journal of biomechanics·2026
Same author

Reducing robotic upper-limb assessment time while maintaining precision: a time series foundation model approach.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Sequence preparation is not always associated with a reaction time cost.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same author

Brain connectivity signatures of cognitive impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy identified by robotic assessment.

Neuroimage. Reports·2026

Primate forelimb muscles adjust activity based on loads at unengaged joints, optimizing movement. This muscle coordination, seen in both individual and multi-joint muscles, is mirrored in the brain's motor cortex.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Primate motor control

Background:

  • Understanding muscle coordination is key to motor control.
  • The primate proximal forelimb's complex structure presents unique biomechanical challenges.
  • Previous research has not fully elucidated how muscles adapt to loads across multiple joints.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate muscular activity in the primate proximal forelimb during postural tasks.
  • To determine how loads applied to one joint affect muscle activity at other joints.
  • To explore the relationship between muscle activity patterns and neural representations in the primary motor cortex.

Main Methods:

  • Applied selective loads to the shoulder, elbow, or both joints in primates.
  • Recorded and analyzed muscular activity of monoarticular and biarticular muscles.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined the preferred torque directions of muscles and arm-related neurons in the primary motor cortex.

    • Main Results:

    • Monoarticular shoulder and elbow muscles altered activity in response to loads at the non-loaded joint.
    • Both monoarticular and biarticular muscles showed deviations in preferred torque directions.
    • A model of minimizing global muscle activity could explain the observed distribution of preferred torque directions.
    • Primary motor cortex neurons exhibited similar biases in preferred torque directions.

    Conclusions:

    • Primate proximal forelimb muscles exhibit coordinated activity patterns influenced by loads across joints.
    • This inter-joint muscle modulation is essential for efficient postural control.
    • The observed muscle activity patterns are reflected in the neural representations within the primary motor cortex, suggesting a close link between motor commands and peripheral muscle function.