Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control
To date, realistic models of how the central nervous system governs behavior have been restricted in scope to the brain, brainstem or spinal column, as if these existed as disembodied organs. Further, the model is often exercised in relation to an in vivo physiological experiment with input comprisi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2018.00039/full |
| _version_ | 1818990783830687744 |
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| author | Sebastian S. James Sebastian S. James Chris Papapavlou Alexander Blenkinsop Alexander Blenkinsop Alexander J. Cope Sean R. Anderson Sean R. Anderson Konstantinos Moustakas Kevin N. Gurney Kevin N. Gurney |
| author_facet | Sebastian S. James Sebastian S. James Chris Papapavlou Alexander Blenkinsop Alexander Blenkinsop Alexander J. Cope Sean R. Anderson Sean R. Anderson Konstantinos Moustakas Kevin N. Gurney Kevin N. Gurney |
| author_sort | Sebastian S. James |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To date, realistic models of how the central nervous system governs behavior have been restricted in scope to the brain, brainstem or spinal column, as if these existed as disembodied organs. Further, the model is often exercised in relation to an in vivo physiological experiment with input comprising an impulse, a periodic signal or constant activation, and output as a pattern of neural activity in one or more neural populations. Any link to behavior is inferred only indirectly via these activity patterns. We argue that to discover the principles of operation of neural systems, it is necessary to express their behavior in terms of physical movements of a realistic motor system, and to supply inputs that mimic sensory experience. To do this with confidence, we must connect our brain models to neuro-muscular models and provide relevant visual and proprioceptive feedback signals, thereby closing the loop of the simulation. This paper describes an effort to develop just such an integrated brain and biomechanical system using a number of pre-existing models. It describes a model of the saccadic oculomotor system incorporating a neuromuscular model of the eye and its six extraocular muscles. The position of the eye determines how illumination of a retinotopic input population projects information about the location of a saccade target into the system. A pre-existing saccadic burst generator model was incorporated into the system, which generated motoneuron activity patterns suitable for driving the biomechanical eye. The model was demonstrated to make accurate saccades to a target luminance under a set of environmental constraints. Challenges encountered in the development of this model showed the importance of this integrated modeling approach. Thus, we exposed shortcomings in individual model components which were only apparent when these were supplied with the more plausible inputs available in a closed loop design. Consequently we were able to suggest missing functionality which the system would require to reproduce more realistic behavior. The construction of such closed-loop animal models constitutes a new paradigm of computational neurobehavior and promises a more thoroughgoing approach to our understanding of the brain's function as a controller for movement and behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:59:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a38560eba1e1421cbfda79d40f287f5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:59:52Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-a38560eba1e1421cbfda79d40f287f5c2022-12-21T19:28:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2018-02-011210.3389/fnins.2018.00039308098Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular ControlSebastian S. James0Sebastian S. James1Chris Papapavlou2Alexander Blenkinsop3Alexander Blenkinsop4Alexander J. Cope5Sean R. Anderson6Sean R. Anderson7Konstantinos Moustakas8Kevin N. Gurney9Kevin N. Gurney10Adaptive Behaviour Research Group, Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomInsigneo Institute for In-Silico Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Patras, Patras, GreeceAdaptive Behaviour Research Group, Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomInsigneo Institute for In-Silico Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomDepartment of Computer Science, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomInsigneo Institute for In-Silico Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomDepartment of Automatic Control Systems Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Patras, Patras, GreeceAdaptive Behaviour Research Group, Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomInsigneo Institute for In-Silico Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomTo date, realistic models of how the central nervous system governs behavior have been restricted in scope to the brain, brainstem or spinal column, as if these existed as disembodied organs. Further, the model is often exercised in relation to an in vivo physiological experiment with input comprising an impulse, a periodic signal or constant activation, and output as a pattern of neural activity in one or more neural populations. Any link to behavior is inferred only indirectly via these activity patterns. We argue that to discover the principles of operation of neural systems, it is necessary to express their behavior in terms of physical movements of a realistic motor system, and to supply inputs that mimic sensory experience. To do this with confidence, we must connect our brain models to neuro-muscular models and provide relevant visual and proprioceptive feedback signals, thereby closing the loop of the simulation. This paper describes an effort to develop just such an integrated brain and biomechanical system using a number of pre-existing models. It describes a model of the saccadic oculomotor system incorporating a neuromuscular model of the eye and its six extraocular muscles. The position of the eye determines how illumination of a retinotopic input population projects information about the location of a saccade target into the system. A pre-existing saccadic burst generator model was incorporated into the system, which generated motoneuron activity patterns suitable for driving the biomechanical eye. The model was demonstrated to make accurate saccades to a target luminance under a set of environmental constraints. Challenges encountered in the development of this model showed the importance of this integrated modeling approach. Thus, we exposed shortcomings in individual model components which were only apparent when these were supplied with the more plausible inputs available in a closed loop design. Consequently we were able to suggest missing functionality which the system would require to reproduce more realistic behavior. The construction of such closed-loop animal models constitutes a new paradigm of computational neurobehavior and promises a more thoroughgoing approach to our understanding of the brain's function as a controller for movement and behavior.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2018.00039/fullintegrated brain biomechanicsneuromuscularneuromechanicsoculomotorsaccadebasal-ganglia |
| spellingShingle | Sebastian S. James Sebastian S. James Chris Papapavlou Alexander Blenkinsop Alexander Blenkinsop Alexander J. Cope Sean R. Anderson Sean R. Anderson Konstantinos Moustakas Kevin N. Gurney Kevin N. Gurney Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control Frontiers in Neuroscience integrated brain biomechanics neuromuscular neuromechanics oculomotor saccade basal-ganglia |
| title | Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control |
| title_full | Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control |
| title_fullStr | Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control |
| title_short | Integrating Brain and Biomechanical Models—A New Paradigm for Understanding Neuro-muscular Control |
| title_sort | integrating brain and biomechanical models a new paradigm for understanding neuro muscular control |
| topic | integrated brain biomechanics neuromuscular neuromechanics oculomotor saccade basal-ganglia |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2018.00039/full |
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