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Swing Velocity Profiles of Small Limbs Can Arise from Transient Passive Torques of the Antagonist Muscle Alone
In large limbs, changing motor neuron activity typically controls within-movement velocity. For example, sequential agonist-antagonist-agonist motor neuron firing typically underlies the slowing often present at the end of human reaches. In physiological movements of large limbs, antagonistic muscle...
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Published in: | Current biology 2019-01, Vol.29 (1), p.1-12.e7 |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | In large limbs, changing motor neuron activity typically controls within-movement velocity. For example, sequential agonist-antagonist-agonist motor neuron firing typically underlies the slowing often present at the end of human reaches. In physiological movements of large limbs, antagonistic muscle passive torque is generally negligible. In small limbs, alternatively, passive torques can determine limb rest position, generate restoring movements to it, and decrease agonist-generated movement amplitude and velocity maxima. These observations suggest that, in small limbs, passive forces might also control velocity changes within movements. We investigated this issue in stick insect middle leg femur-tibia (FT) joint. During swing, the FT joint extensor muscle actively shortens and the flexor muscle passively lengthens. As in human reaching, after its initial acceleration, FT joint velocity continuously decreases. We measured flexor passive forces during imposed stretches spanning the ranges of FT joint angles, angular velocities, and movement amplitudes present in leg swings. The viscoelastic “transient” passive force that occurs during and soon after stretch depended on all three variables and could be tens of times larger than the “steady-state” passive force commonly measured long after stretch end. We combined these data, the flexor and extensor moment arms, and an existing extensor model to simulate FT joint swing. To measure only passive (flexor) muscle-dependent effects, we used constant extensor activations in these simulations. In simulations using data from ten flexor muscles, flexor passive torque could always produce swings with, after swing initiation, continuously decreasing velocities. Antagonist muscle passive torques alone can thus control within-movement velocity.
•“Transient” passive force occurs during and soon after muscle stretch•Can be much larger than “steady-state” passive force present long after stretch end•Depends on muscle length and movement velocity and movement amplitude•In small limbs, passive muscle force alone can cause velocity changes during swing
Movements often slow at their end. Changes in motor neuron firing typically underlie slowing in large limbs. von Twickel et al. show that muscles produce large transient passive force during stretches, and small limb slowing can arise from passive force the antagonist muscle produces as it is stretched by shortening of the agonist (active) muscle. |
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ISSN: | 0960-9822 1879-0445 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.016 |