Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks
Kinematic synergies (kSYN) provide an approach to quantify the covariation of joint motions and to explain the mechanisms underlying human motor behavior. A low-dimensional control strategy by means of the activation of a moderate number of kSYN would simplify the performance of complex motor tasks....
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.596063/full |
| _version_ | 1819229216581877760 |
|---|---|
| author | Bernd J. Stetter Michael Herzog Felix Möhler Stefan Sell Stefan Sell Thorsten Stein |
| author_facet | Bernd J. Stetter Michael Herzog Felix Möhler Stefan Sell Stefan Sell Thorsten Stein |
| author_sort | Bernd J. Stetter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Kinematic synergies (kSYN) provide an approach to quantify the covariation of joint motions and to explain the mechanisms underlying human motor behavior. A low-dimensional control strategy by means of the activation of a moderate number of kSYN would simplify the performance of complex motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine similarities between the kSYN of varying locomotion tasks: straight-line walking, walking a 90° spin turn and walking upstairs. Task-specific kSYN were extracted from full body kinematic recordings of 13 participants by principal component analysis. The first five kSYN accounting for most of the variance within each task were selected for further analysis following previous studies. The similarities between the kSYN of the three different locomotion tasks were quantified by calculating cosine similarities (SIM), as a vector-based similarity measure ranging from 0 (no similarity) to 1 (high similarity), between absolute principal component loading vectors. A SIM between two kSYN > 0.8 was interpreted as highly similar. Two to three highly similar kSYN were identified when comparing two individual tasks with each other. One kSYN, primarily characterized by anteversion and retroversion of the arms and legs, were found to be similar in all three tasks. Additional kSYN that occurred between individual tasks reflected mainly an upwards/downwards movement of the body or a countercyclical knee flexion/extension. The results demonstrate that the three investigated locomotion tasks are characterized by kSYN and that certain kSYN repeatedly occur across the three locomotion tasks. PCA yields kSYN which are in descent order according to their amount of total variance accounted for. Referring to the placing of a kSYN within the order as priorization, we found a change in priorization of repeatedly occurring kSYN across the individual tasks. The findings support the idea that movements can be efficiently performed through a flexible combination of a lower number of control-relevant variables. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:09:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6b798e5d7494f598459aae15b23d870 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:09:39Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6b798e5d7494f598459aae15b23d8702022-12-21T17:49:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672020-11-01210.3389/fspor.2020.596063596063Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion TasksBernd J. Stetter0Michael Herzog1Felix Möhler2Stefan Sell3Stefan Sell4Thorsten Stein5Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyJoint Center Black Forest, Hospital Neuenbuerg, Neuenbuerg, GermanyInstitute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyKinematic synergies (kSYN) provide an approach to quantify the covariation of joint motions and to explain the mechanisms underlying human motor behavior. A low-dimensional control strategy by means of the activation of a moderate number of kSYN would simplify the performance of complex motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine similarities between the kSYN of varying locomotion tasks: straight-line walking, walking a 90° spin turn and walking upstairs. Task-specific kSYN were extracted from full body kinematic recordings of 13 participants by principal component analysis. The first five kSYN accounting for most of the variance within each task were selected for further analysis following previous studies. The similarities between the kSYN of the three different locomotion tasks were quantified by calculating cosine similarities (SIM), as a vector-based similarity measure ranging from 0 (no similarity) to 1 (high similarity), between absolute principal component loading vectors. A SIM between two kSYN > 0.8 was interpreted as highly similar. Two to three highly similar kSYN were identified when comparing two individual tasks with each other. One kSYN, primarily characterized by anteversion and retroversion of the arms and legs, were found to be similar in all three tasks. Additional kSYN that occurred between individual tasks reflected mainly an upwards/downwards movement of the body or a countercyclical knee flexion/extension. The results demonstrate that the three investigated locomotion tasks are characterized by kSYN and that certain kSYN repeatedly occur across the three locomotion tasks. PCA yields kSYN which are in descent order according to their amount of total variance accounted for. Referring to the placing of a kSYN within the order as priorization, we found a change in priorization of repeatedly occurring kSYN across the individual tasks. The findings support the idea that movements can be efficiently performed through a flexible combination of a lower number of control-relevant variables.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.596063/fullmotor coordinationmovement organizationprincipal component analysisfull body kinematicseveryday locomotion tasks |
| spellingShingle | Bernd J. Stetter Michael Herzog Felix Möhler Stefan Sell Stefan Sell Thorsten Stein Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks Frontiers in Sports and Active Living motor coordination movement organization principal component analysis full body kinematics everyday locomotion tasks |
| title | Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks |
| title_full | Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks |
| title_fullStr | Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks |
| title_short | Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks |
| title_sort | modularity in motor control similarities in kinematic synergies across varying locomotion tasks |
| topic | motor coordination movement organization principal component analysis full body kinematics everyday locomotion tasks |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.596063/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT berndjstetter modularityinmotorcontrolsimilaritiesinkinematicsynergiesacrossvaryinglocomotiontasks AT michaelherzog modularityinmotorcontrolsimilaritiesinkinematicsynergiesacrossvaryinglocomotiontasks AT felixmohler modularityinmotorcontrolsimilaritiesinkinematicsynergiesacrossvaryinglocomotiontasks AT stefansell modularityinmotorcontrolsimilaritiesinkinematicsynergiesacrossvaryinglocomotiontasks AT stefansell modularityinmotorcontrolsimilaritiesinkinematicsynergiesacrossvaryinglocomotiontasks AT thorstenstein modularityinmotorcontrolsimilaritiesinkinematicsynergiesacrossvaryinglocomotiontasks |