Society for Neuroscience 1988 Abstracts:

COMPUTER MODELING OF HUMAN FORELIMB MUSCLE ACTIVATION IN MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTRINSIC COORDINATE FRAMES J. Laczko* (Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, 1525 Hungary), A.J. Pellionisz (Dept. Physiol. New York Univ. Med. Ctr. 10016 USA), H. Jongen, and C.CA.M. Gielen (Dept. Med. & Physiol. Physics, State U. Utrecht, 3584 Holland) (SPON: G. Ostriker)

Computer modeling of motor control of body-appandages initiated with single-dimensional analysis of (paired) muscles of "limbs with a single joint ; the eye. Skeletomuscular systems with distribured centers of rotarion such as the head-neck system of the cat (Pellionisz and Pelerson 1988; In: Control of Head Movements, Oxford U. Press, eds. Peterson & Richmond), required development of graphics-based software (Laczko et a1. 1987 Neruosci.Abst. 13:372), where origin and insertion areas of muscles are "carried" with movements of skeletal elements and the changing multidimensional coordinate system, intrinsic to activation of motor units, is (re)computed.

Utility of a multidimensional approach is twofold. First, quantitative interpretation of experimental data on complex appendages calis for suitable comprehensive handling (cf. Gielen and Zuylen, Neuroscience: 86,17:527). Second, in order to implement, in; neurocomputing and (neuro)robotics, a theoretical understanding of how biological organisms coordinate movements, a formal expression of the underlying mathematical principles is necessary, such as coordination in Eigenvector-frames (cf. Pellionisz, 1984, J.Theor.Biol. 110:353). Basis of developing a model of human arm is computerized anatomy, quantitating the structure of an overcomplete number of skeletal elements, joints, spatial arrangement of up to 22 muscles and, ultimately, the much higher number of heterogeneous motor units and motonetuons. Problems of motor control, such as coordination and trajectory-formation can be addressed in such multidimensional. intrinsic coordinate systems (ef. Pellionisz, Soechting, Gielen, Simpson, Peterson, Georgopoulos. 1986 Neuroscience Abst.l2:1). The present preliminary model (representing 2D movements) of the human forearm is based on anatomical data, and is aimed at interpreting physiological measurements, both sets obtained in the Utrecht laboratory. A video will demonstrate the present level of the suitability of the model tol geometrize CNS motor control in general non-orthogonal intrinsic coordinate frames and their underlying characteristic Eigenvector-systems.

Supported by NS-22999