QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, March 23, 2005, 25(12):3181-3191; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4945-04.2005

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Richardson, A. G. Articles by Tresch, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Richardson, A. G. Articles by Tresch, M. C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Intrinsic Musculoskeletal Properties Stabilize Wiping Movements in the Spinalized Frog

Andrew G. Richardson,^1,2 Jean-Jacques E. Slotine,^2,3 Emilio Bizzi,^3,4 and Matthew C. Tresch^3,4

¹Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, Massachusetts 02215, Departments of ²Mechanical Engineering and ³Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and ⁴McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

The mechanical stability properties of hindlimb-hindlimb wiping movements of the spinalized frog were examined. One hindlimb, the wiping limb, was implanted with 12 electromyographic (EMG) electrodes and attached to a robot that both recorded its trajectory and applied brief force perturbations. Cutaneous electrical stimulation was applied to the other hindlimb, the target limb, to evoke the hindlimb-hindlimb wiping reflex. Kinematic and EMG data from both unperturbed trials and trials in which a phasic perturbation was applied were collected from each spinalized frog. In the perturbed behaviors, we found that the initially large displacement attributable to the perturbation was compensated such that the final position was statistically indistinguishable from the unperturbed final position in all of the frogs, thus indicating the dynamic stability of these movements. This stability was robust to the range of perturbation amplitudes and nominal kinematic variation observed in this study. In addition, we investigated the extent to which intrinsic viscoelastic properties of the limb and proprioceptive feedback play a role in stabilizing the movements. No significant changes were seen in the EMGs after the perturbation. Furthermore, deafferentation of the wiping limb did not significantly affect the stability of the wiping reflex. Thus, we found that the intrinsic viscoelastic properties of the hindlimb conferred robust stability properties to the hindlimb-hindlimb wiping behavior. This stability mechanism may simplify the control required by the frog spinal motor systems to produce successful movements in an unpredictable and varying environment.

Key words: movement; EMG; frog; spinal; wiping reflex; stability

---

Received Dec 5, 2004; revised February 14, 2005; accepted February 16, 2005.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. M. Dudek and R. J. Full An isolated insect leg's passive recovery from dorso-ventral perturbations J. Exp. Biol., September 15, 2007; 210(18): 3209 - 3217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Nishikawa, A. A. Biewener, P. Aerts, A. N. Ahn, H. J. Chiel, M. A. Daley, T. L. Daniel, R. J. Full, M. E. Hale, T. L. Hedrick, et al. Neuromechanics: an integrative approach for understanding motor control Integr. Comp. Biol., July 1, 2007; 47(1): 16 - 54. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. K. Lappin, J. A. Monroy, J. Q. Pilarski, E. D. Zepnewski, D. J. Pierotti, and K. C. Nishikawa Storage and recovery of elastic potential energy powers ballistic prey capture in toads J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2006; 209(13): 2535 - 2553. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Zakotnik, T. Matheson, and V. Durr Co-contraction and passive forces facilitate load compensation of aimed limb movements. J. Neurosci., May 10, 2006; 26(19): 4995 - 5007. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help