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 Concept Videos

Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
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
Same author

Infinite Horizon Control With Nonlinear Dynamics Models Reproduces Temporal Modulation of Reaching Movements.

Neural computation·2026
Same journal

Deep Learning Reveals Cross-Modal Neural Representations of Auditory and Visual Mental Imagery in MEG.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Speech sensorimotor adaptation in young adult cochlear implant users with early implantation.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

How Visual Context Influences Lateral Stepping Regulation While Walking on Winding Paths.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Simultaneous neuron evidence for much higher covariation with saccadic reaction time of superior colliculus than primary visual cortex visual responses.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Separate Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Regions Participate in Distinct Large-Scale Networks Differentially Recruited for Social and Cognitive Control Functions.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Comprehensive Analysis of Auditory Nerve Fiber Responses using Fiber-Specific Modeling.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles
09:27

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles

Published on: August 25, 2020

Complex spatiotemporal tuning in human upper-limb muscles.

J Andrew Pruszynski1, Timothy P Lillicrap, Stephen H Scott

  • 1Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|November 20, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Motor cortex pathlets may reflect peripheral musculoskeletal system complexity rather than direct movement commands. This study extracts muscle pathlets to reveal these peripheral influences on neural activity.

More Related Videos

Multifunctional Setup for Studying Human Motor Control Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electromyography, Motion Capture, and Virtual Reality
08:09

Multifunctional Setup for Studying Human Motor Control Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electromyography, Motion Capture, and Virtual Reality

Published on: September 3, 2015

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles
09:27

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles

Published on: August 25, 2020

Multifunctional Setup for Studying Human Motor Control Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electromyography, Motion Capture, and Virtual Reality
08:09

Multifunctional Setup for Studying Human Motor Control Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electromyography, Motion Capture, and Virtual Reality

Published on: September 3, 2015

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Neural activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) shows complex correlations with arm kinematics, suggesting M1 encodes high-level movement trajectories called "pathlets."
  • The indirect link between M1 activity and actual movement, mediated by spinal circuitry and the musculoskeletal system, complicates the interpretation of these pathlets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the musculoskeletal system's inherent complexities can generate the observed extensive spatiotemporal correlations in neural activity.
  • To test the hypothesis that peripheral factors, not just central motor commands, contribute to the complex nature of pathlets.

Main Methods:

  • Extended computational and experimental methods used for M1 pathlet extraction to analyze muscle activity.
  • Extracted pathlets from muscle activity, hypothesizing that any correlations found would be attributable to musculoskeletal properties.

Main Results:

  • Muscle pathlet extraction proved robust and repeatable across different subjects and time points.
  • Muscle pathlets exhibited significant spatiotemporal complexity, including kinematic features preceding and following muscle activity.
  • These muscle pathlets were mechanically appropriate for the specific muscle's action.

Conclusions:

  • The filter-like properties of the musculoskeletal system can generate complex spatiotemporal correlations similar to those observed in M1 pathlets.
  • M1 pathlets may, in part, reflect the inherent complexities of the peripheral motor system rather than purely high-level motor commands.