Dynamics of effortful touch and interlimb coordination.

Abstract

In biological movement systems, the level of muscular-articular links is responsible for assembling highly reliable, stable, and reproducible coordination patterns involving very many joints and muscles. Research shows that the important perceptual capabilities of this level arise from the bulk sensitivity of muscles and tendons, so-called effortful or dynamic touch, to the quantities of rotational dynamics that remain invariant (such as the inertia tensor) over variations in rotational forces and motions. The power laws characterizing this sensitivity point to underlying fractal (self-similar) processes. Other research shows that the hallmark ability of this level to produce repetitive interlimb coordinations can be addressed through a dynamics of coordination in which equations express the time-evolution of collective neuromuscular states. This research also suggests that the assembled rhythms exploit the unique blend of stability and variability characteristic of low-dimensional chaotic motion on strange attractors. In overview, research into the capabilities of the level of muscular-articular links highlights the importance of applying classical and modern (nonlinear) dynamics to understanding the assembly and perceptual control of biological movements.