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Useful and Useless Misnomers in Motor Control.

Mark L Latash1

  • 1Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.

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Summary

This study examines poorly defined terms in motor control, advocating for definitions grounded in natural science laws. It proposes precise definitions for some terms while identifying others as potentially misleading for scientific discourse.

Keywords:
efference copyimpedanceinternal modellaw of naturemotor programpostureredundancyreferent coordinatereflexsynergytone

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Area of Science:

  • Motor control research
  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Many terms in motor control lack precise definitions or are borrowed from nonbiological fields.
  • This ambiguity can lead to unproductive, nonscientific discussions.
  • Existing terminology requires critical evaluation for scientific rigor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the problem of ill-defined and imported terminology in motor control.
  • To differentiate between terms needing precise definition and those that are fundamentally flawed.
  • To promote a scientific approach to motor control based on natural laws.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of motor control terminology, categorizing terms based on their scientific utility.
  • Examination of example terms like "reflex," "synergy," "posture," "motor program," "efference copy," "internal model," "muscle tone," "stiffness and impedance," and "redundancy."
  • Evaluating terms within the framework of natural science and established theories of movement control.

Main Results:

  • Identified three categories of terms: those needing precise definition, those potentially useful if defined, and those misleading.
  • Demonstrated how specific terms fit into these categories, highlighting their current limitations.
  • Proposed that motor control should be analyzed using natural laws, not solely control theory.

Conclusions:

  • Clear, scientifically grounded definitions are crucial for advancing motor control research.
  • Adopting a natural science framework, such as the theory of movement control with spatial referent coordinates, enhances physiological and physical understanding.
  • Refining or discarding ambiguous terms is essential for productive scientific discourse in motor control.