Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 4, 2026

Combining Multiple Data Acquisition Systems to Study Corticospinal Output and Multi-segment Biomechanics
Published on: January 9, 2016
Beta Band Corticomuscular Drive Reflects Muscle Coordination Strategies
Alexander Reyes1, Christopher M Laine1, Jason J Kutch2
1Brain-Body Dynamics Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract:
During force production, hand muscle activity is known to be coherent with activity in primary motor cortex, specifically in the beta-band (15-30 Hz) frequency range. It is not clear, however, if this coherence reflects the control strategy selected by the nervous system for a given task, or if it instead reflects an intrinsic property of cortico-spinal communication. Here, we measured corticomuscular and intermuscular coherence between muscles of index finger and thumb while a two-finger pinch grip of identical net force was applied to objects which were either stable (allowing synergistic activation of finger muscles) or unstable (requiring individuated finger control). We found that beta-band corticomuscular coherence with the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles, as well as their beta-band coherence with each other, was significantly reduced when individuated control of the thumb and index finger was required. We interpret these findings to show that beta-band coherence is reflective of a synergistic control strategy in which the cortex binds task-related motor neurons into functional units.
Related Concept Videos
Motor Unit Stimulation
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 Coordination and Action
Agonists
Agonist muscles, often called prime movers, are the primary muscles responsible for producing a specific movement....
Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles
When an action...
Motor Units
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
Direct Motor Pathways
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and...
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

