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Differences in adaptation rates after virtual surgeries provide direct evidence for modularity.

Denise J Berger1, Reinhard Gentner, Timothy Edmunds

  • 1Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|July 26, 2013
PubMed
Summary

The nervous system uses muscle synergies as building blocks for motor control. Adapting to changes that align with these synergies is faster than adapting to incompatible changes, supporting a modular control system.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • The role of modularity in motor skill acquisition and control is debated.
  • Existing evidence for modularity is indirect, relying on statistical patterns in muscle synergies.
  • Direct evidence is needed to confirm if the nervous system employs modular control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide direct evidence for modularity in motor control.
  • To test if adaptation to perturbations incompatible with muscle synergies is more difficult.
  • To investigate the relationship between muscle synergies and motor adaptation.

Main Methods:

  • Human subjects performed a reaching task using myoelectric control in a virtual environment.
  • Virtual surgeries altered the muscle-to-force mapping, creating compatible and incompatible perturbations.

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  • Adaptation rates were compared after compatible and incompatible virtual surgeries.

    • Main Results:

    • Adaptation was significantly faster after compatible virtual surgeries compared to incompatible ones.
    • Incompatible surgeries required new or modified muscle synergies for adaptation.
    • Compatible surgeries allowed movement with existing synergies.

    Conclusions:

    • Muscle synergies are fundamental components of a modular motor control architecture.
    • The findings support a modular system where adaptation is easier when compatible with existing modules.
    • This provides direct evidence for modularity in the nervous system's control of movement.