Action and perception at the level of synergies

• Published in: Human movement science 2007-08, Vol.26 (4), p.657-697
• Main Author: Turvey, M.T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bifurcations; Biological and medical sciences; Central Nervous System - physiology; Coordination; Feedback - physiology; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Joints - physiology; Locomotion - physiology; Models, Neurological; Models, Theoretical; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Motor Skills - physiology; Movement - physiology; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Perception - physiology; Postural Balance - physiology; Proprioception; Proprioception - physiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0167-9457; 1872-7646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2007.04.002

Meeting the challenge of assembling coherent organizations of very many muscles characterizes a functional level of biological movement systems referred to as the level of muscular–articular links or synergies. The present article examines the issues confronting the forming, regulating, and ordering of synergies and the hypothesized principles, both classical and contemporary, which resolve them. A primary goal of the article is to highlight the abstractness of the concepts and tools required to understand the level’s action-perception competence. Coverage is given to symmetry groups, task space, order parameters, metastability, biotensegrity, allometric scaling, and impredicative definitions.