Motor Synergies and the Equilibrium-Point Hypothesis

Motor synergies and the equilibrium-point hypothesis.

The article offers a way to unite three recent developments in the field of motor control and coordination: (1) The notion of synergies is introduced based on the principle of motor abundance; (2) The uncontrolled manifold hypothesis is described as offering a computational framework to identify and quantify synergies; and (3) The equilibrium-point hypothesis is described for a single muscle, s...

Looking for synergies between the equilibrium point hypothesis and internal models.

The nervous system needs to control movement of a complex body in a complex world subject to uncertainty due to sensory and motor noise. In this issue, Mark Latash argues in favor of a framework that addresses these problems – the Hierarchical Equilibrium Point Hypothesis (as we call it here, HEPH). According to this hypothesis, movement is created by having a central controller specify a shift...

Evolution of Motor Control: From Reflexes and Motor Programs to the Equilibrium-Point Hypothesis.

This brief review analyzes the evolution of motor control theories along two lines that emphasize active (motor programs) and reactive (reflexes) features of voluntary movements. It suggests that the only contemporary hypothesis that integrates both approaches in a fruitful way is the equilibrium-point hypothesis. Physical, physiological, and behavioral foundations of the EP-hypothesis are cons...

Is There an Equilibrium Point Hypothesis?

The notion of studying internal control variables instead of externally observable parameters is certainly attractive. It is what motivates neurophysiologists to stick their electrodes into various parts of the nervous system. The problem is knowing a control variable when you see one. Recorded neural activity reflects a mixture of outputs representing some kind of control to various lower cent...

The Equilibrium Point Hypothesis for Control of Movements