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Spatially Specific Changes in Infants' Muscle Coactivity as They Learn to Reach.

John P Spencer¹, Esther Thelen²

¹Department of Psychology University of Iowa.

Infancy : the Official Journal of the International Society on Infant Studies

|July 19, 2020

Summary

Infants develop new muscle coordination patterns when learning to reach for objects between 3 and 5 months. This transition involves significant changes in how muscles like the biceps and deltoids work together.

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Area of Science:

Developmental motor control
Infant motor development
Biomechanics of reaching

Background:

Infants develop the ability to reach and touch objects between 3 and 5 months of age.
Motor control involves complex muscle coordination.
Understanding the developmental trajectory of motor skills is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate changes in muscle coactivity during the transition to reaching in infants.
To analyze the kinematic and electromyographic data associated with prereaching and reaching movements.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal observation of 4 infants from 3 to 52 weeks.
Collection of hand kinematics for prereaching and reaching movements.
Electromyographic (EMG) recordings of trapezius, deltoid, biceps, and triceps muscles.

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Main Results:

Before reaching, infants used biceps and triceps for hand movements towards objects.
After the transition to reaching, infants utilized trapezius and deltoid muscles.
Complex muscle combinations were observed in later stages, particularly with extended arms.

Conclusions:

Infants exhibit a significant shift in muscle recruitment patterns during the development of reaching.
The transition to reaching involves a refinement of motor control strategies.
Despite similar spatial hand movements, the underlying muscle synergies change dramatically.