Abstract
The coordination dynamics (e.g., stability, loss of stability, switching) of multijoint arm movements are studied as a function of forearm rotation. Rhythmical coordination of flexion and extension of the right elbow and wrist was examined under the following conditions: (1) forearm supine (forearm angle 0°), simultaneous coordination of wrist flexion/elbow flexion and wrist extension/elbow extension (termed in-phase); and (2) forearm prone (forearm angle 160°), simultaneous coordination of wrist flexion/elbow extension and wrist extension/elbow flexion (termed anti-phase). Starting in either pattern, subjects rotated the forearm in nine 20° steps, producing 15 cycles of motion per step at a frequency of 1.25 Hz. Spontaneous transitions from pattern 1 to pattern 2 and from pattern 2 to pattern 1 were observed at a critical forearm angle. The critical angle depended on the direction of forearm rotational change, thus revealing the hysteretic nature of the switching process. En route to the transition, regardless of direction of forearm rotation, enhancement of phase fluctuations and an increase in perturbation response times (critical slowing down) were observed in the relative phasing between the joints. Such observations support loss of stability as a central, self-organizing process underlying coordinative change. Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting multijoint coordinative dynamics are discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Abend W, Bizzi E, Morasso P (1982) Human arm trajectory formation. Brain 105:331–348
Baldissera F, Cavallari P, Civaschi P (1982) Preferential coupling between voluntary movements of ipsilateral limbs. Neurosci Lett 34:95–100
Berkenblit MB, Feldman AG, Fukson OI (1986) Adaptability of innate motor patterns and motor control mechanisms. Behav Brain Sci 9:585–638
Bizzi E, Mussa-Ivaldi FA, Giszter S (1991) Computations underlying execution of a movement: a biological perspective. Science 253:287–291
Bullock D, Grossberg S (1991) Adaptive neural networks for control of movement trajectories invariant under speed and force rescaling. Hum Mov Sci 10:3–53
Flash T, Hogan N (1985) The coordination of arm movements: an experimentally confirmed mathematical model. J Neurosci 5:1688–1703
Georgopoulos AP (1990) Neurophysiology of reaching. In: Jeannerod M (ed) Attention and performance XIII. Erlbaum, New ersey, pp 227–263
Georgopoulos AP, Grillner S (1989) Visuomotor coordination in reaching and grasping. Science: 1209–1210
Haken H (1983) Synergetics, an introduction: non-equilibrium phase transitions and self-organization in physics, chemistry and biology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Haken H, Wunderlin A (1991) Synergetics and its paradigm of self-organization in biological systems. In: Whiting HTA, Meijer OG, Wieringen PCW van (eds) The natural-physical approach to movement control. VU University Press, Amsterdam, pp 1–36
Haken H, Kelso JAS, Bunz H (1985) A theoretical model of phase transitions in human hand movements. Biol Cybern 51:347–356
Hollerbach JM, Atkeson CG (1987) Deducing planning variables from experimental arm trajectories: pitfalls and possibilities. Biol Cybern 56:279–272
Hoyt DF, Taylor CR (1981) Gait and the energetics of locomotion in horses. Nature 292:239–240
Jeannerod M (1988) The neural and behavioral organization of goal-directed movements. Clarendon, Oxford
Jordan MI (1990) Motor learning and the degrees of freedom problem. In: Jeannerod M (ed) Attention and performance XIII. Erlbaum, New Jersey, pp 796–836
Katchalsky AK, Rowland V, Blumenthal R (1974) Dynamic patterns in brain cell assemblies. Neurosci Res Prog Bull 12
Kelso JAS (1977) Motor control mechanisms underlying human movement reproduction. J Exp Psychol [Hum Percept] 4:529–543
Kelso JAS (1984) Phase transitions and critical behavior in human bimanual coordination. Am J Physiol [Reg Integ Comp] 15:R1000-R1004
Kelso JAS, Jeka JJ (1992) Symmetry breaking dynamics of human multilimb coordination. J Exp Psychol [Hum Percept] 18:645–668
Kelso JAS, Southard DL, Goodman D (1979) On the nature of human interlimb coordination. Science 203:1029–1031
Kelso JAS, Putnam CA, Goodman D (1983) On the space-time structure of human interlimb co-ordination. Quar J of Exp Psychol [A] 35:347–375
Kelso JAS, Buchanan JJ, Wallace SA (1991) Order parameters for the neural organization of single, multijoint limb movement patterns. Exp Brain Res 85:432–445
Kelso JAS, Bressler SL, Buchanan S, Ding M, Deguzman GC, Fuchs A, Holroyd T (1992) A phase transition in human brain and behavior. Phys Lett A 169:134–144
Kots YM, Krinskiy VI, Naydin VL, Shik ML (1971) The control of movements of the joints and kinesthetic afferentation. In: Gelfand IM, Gurfinkel VS, Fomin SV, Tsetlin ML (eds) Models of structural functional organization of certain biological systems. MIT, Cambridge, pp 373–381
Polit A, Bizzi E (1979) Characteristics of motor programs underlying arm movements in monkeys. J Neurophysiol 204:443–460
Schmidt RC, Carello C, Turvey MT (1990) Phase transitions and critical fluctuations in the visual coordination of rhythmic movements between people. J Exp Psychol [Hum Percept] 16:227–247
Scholz JP, Kelso JAS (1989) A quantitative approach to understanding the formation and change of coordinated movement patterns. J Mot Behav 21:122–144
Scholz JP, Kelso JAS (1990) Intentional switching between patterns of bimanual coordination is dependent on the intrinsic dynamics of the patterns. J Mot Behav 22:98–124
Scholz JP, Kelso JAS, Schöner G (1987) Non-equilibrium phase transitions in coordinated biological motion: critical slowing down and switching time. Phys Lett A 123:390–394
Schöner G (1990) A dynamic theory of coordination of discrete movement. Biol Cyber 63:257–270
Schöner G, Kelso JAS (1988) Dynamic pattern generation in behavioral and neural systems. Science 239:1513–1520
Schöner G, Haken H, Kelso JAS (1986) A stochastic theory of phase transitions in human hand movement. Biol Cybern 53:442–452
Soechting JF, Terzuolo CA (1986) An algorithm for the generation of curvilinear wrist motion in an arbitrary plane in three dimensional space. Neuroscience 19:1393–1406
Soechting JF, Terzuolo CA (1987a) Organization of arm movements. Motion is segmented. Neuroscience 23:39–51
Soechting JF, Terzuolo CA (1987b) Organization of arm movements in three dimensional space. Wrist motion is piecewise planar. Neuroscience 23:53–61
Soechting JF, Lacquaniti F, Terzuolo CA (1986) Coordination of arm movements in three dimensional space: sensorimotor mapping during drawing movement. Neuroscience 17:295–311
Turvey MT (1990) Coordination. Am Psychol 45:938–953
Viviani P, Schneider R (1991) A developmental study of the relationship between the geometry and kinematics in drawing movements. J Exp Psychol [Hum Percept] 17:198–218
Walter CB, Swinnen SP (1990) Kinetic attraction during bimanual coordination. J Mot Behav 22:451–473
Wimmers RH, Beek PJ, Wieringen PCW van (1992) Phase transition in rhythmic tracking movements: a case of unilateral coupling. Hum Mov Sci 11:217–226
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Buchanan, J.J., Kelso, J.A.S. Posturally induced transitions in rhythmic multijoint limb movements. Exp Brain Res 94, 131–142 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00230476
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00230476