A Hard Scientific Quest: Understanding Voluntary Movements
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Bizzi-2015-A Hard Scientific Qu.pdf
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330.72 KB
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Adobe PDF
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Author(s)
Bizzi, Emilio
Ajemian, Robert J.
Date Issued
January 2015
Journal
Daedalus
Publisher
MIT Press
Citation
Bizzi, Emilio, and Robert Ajemian. “A Hard Scientific Quest: Understanding Voluntary Movements.” Daedalus 144, no. 1 (January 2015): 83–95. © 2015 American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Version
Final published version
Abstract
In this article we explore the complexities of what goes on in the brain when one wishes to perform even the simplest everyday movements. In doing so, we describe experiments indicating that the spinal cord interneurons are organized in functional modules and that each module activates a distinct set of muscles. Through these modules the central nervous system has found a simple solution to controlling the large number of muscle fibers active even during the execution of the simplest action. We also explore the many different neural signals that contribute to pattern formations, including afferent information from the limbs and information of motor memories.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00324
