Abstract
A nonlinear model for the stretch reflex has recently been used to study the interactions between voluntary and reflex controls during fast, targeted movements. The present study explores the topography of a ‘behaviour space’ generated by computer simulations of this model under various combinations of values for the gain parameters and time constants in the model's feedback loops. In general, we define a behaviour space to be any set of behavioural characteristics of the simulated movement, such as movement time, peak acceleration or peak velocity. The mathematical model can therefore be viewed as an M×N dimensional map from its parameter space N to a behaviour space M. Here, a one-dimensional behaviour space is explored. This provides a method for quantitatively comparing the different control strategies that might be employed by the nervous system for integrating reflex and descending signals during fast, voluntary movements. The results indicate that an optimal strategy will employ proprioceptive feedback as a means of fine-tuning the braking and clamping activities of fast, goal-directed movements and that descending signals are primarily important for initiating the movement and for controlling reciprocal patterns of muscle activity during the end phase of the movement.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bizzi, E., Polit, A. andMorasso, P. (1976) Mechanisms underlying achievement of final head position.J. Neurophysiol.,39, 435–444.
Bremermann, H. J. (1970) A method for unconstrained global optimization.Math. Biosci.,9, 1–15.
Cobelli, C. andDiStefano, J. (1980) Parameter and structural identifiability concepts and ambiguities: a critical review and analysis.Am. J. Physiol.,239, (Regulatory, Integrative & Comp. Physiol.,8), R7-R24.
Cuttler, A. (1988) A sequential minimax procedure for global optimisation. Ph.D., Thesis, Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.
Forget, R. andLamarre, Y. (1987) Rapid elbow flexion in the absence of proprioceptive and cutaneous feedback.Human Neurobiol.,6, 27–37.
Ghez, C. andMartin, J. H. (1982) The control of rapid limb movement in the cat III Agonist-antagonist coupling.45, 115–125.
Gielen, C. C. A. M., van den Oosten, K. andPull ter Gunne, F. (1985) Relation between EMG activation patterns and kinematic properties of aimed arm movements.J. Motor Behav.,17, 421–442.
Hannaford, B., Lakshminarayanan, V. andStark L., (1984) Electromyographic evidence of neurological controller signals with viscous load. —Ibid.,16, 255–274.
Hannaford, B., Cheron, G. andStark, L. (1985) Effects of applied vibration on the triphais EMG pattern in neurologically ballistic head movements.Exp. Neurol.,88, 447–460.
Hannaford, B. andStark, L. (1985) Roles of the elements of the triphasic control signal. —Ibid.90, 619–634.
Hannaford, B. andStark, L. (1987) Late agonist activation burst (PC) required for optimal control of head movement: a simulation study.Biol. Cybern.,57, 321–330.
Lestienne, F. (1979) Effects of inertial load velocity on the braking process of voluntary limb movements.Exp. Brain Res.,35, 407–418.
Mustard, B. E. andLee, R. G. (1987) Relationship between EMG patterns and kinematic properties for flexion movements at the human wrist —Ibid.,66, 247–256.
Polit, A. andBizzi E. (1979) Characteristics of motor programs underlying arm movements in monkeys.J. Neurophysiol.,42, 183–194.
Ramos, C. F. andStark, L. W. (1987) Simulation studies of descending and reflex control of fast movements.J. Motor Behav.,19, 38–62.
Sanes, J. N. andJennings, V. A. (1984) Centrally programmed patterns of muscle activity in voluntary motor behavior of humans.Exp. Brain Res.,54, 23–32.
Wadman, W. J., Denier van der Gon, J. J., Genze, R. H. andMol, C. R. (1979) The control of fast goal-directed arm movements.J. Motor Behav.,5, 3–17.
Wadman, W. J., Boerhout, W. andDenier van der Gon, J. J. (1980) Responses of the arm movement control system to force impulses.J. Human Movement Studies,6, 280–302.
Wallace, S. A. (1981) An impulse-timing theory for reciprocal control of muscular activity in rapid, discrete movements.J. Motor Behav.,13, 144–160.
Walter, E. andPronzato, L. (1988)Modeling and Control in Biomedical systems. Preprints of IFAC Symp., Venice, Italy, 6th–8th April 1988,Cobelli, C. andMariani, L. (Eds.), Pergamon Press.
Wierzbicka, M. M., Wiegner, A. W. andShahani, B. T. (1986) Role of agonist and antagonist muscle in fast arm movements in man.Exp. Brain Res.,63, 331–340.
Winters, J. andStark, L. (1985) Analysis of fundamental human movement patterns through the use of in-depth antagonistic muscle models.IEEE Trans.,BME-32, 826–839.
Winters, J. andStark, L. (1987) Muscle models: what is gained and what is lost by varying model complexity.Biol. Cybern.,55, 403–420.
Zangemeister, W., Lehmann, S. andStark, L. W. (1981a) Simulations of head movement trajectories: model and fit to main sequence. —Ibid.,41 19–32.
Zangemeister, W., Lehman, S. andStark, L. W. (1981b) Sensitivity analysis and optimization for a head movement model. —Ibid.,41, 33–45.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ramos, C.F., Hacisalihzade, S.S. & Stark, L.W. Behaviour space of a stretch reflex model and its implications for the neural control of voluntary movement. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 28, 15–23 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02441672
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02441672