Coordination amongst quadriceps muscles suggests neural regulation of internal joint stresses, not simplification of task performance.

ABSTRACT: Many studies have demonstrated covariation between muscle activations during behavior, suggesting that muscles are not controlled independently. According to one common proposal, this covariation reflects simplification of task performance by the nervous system so that muscles with similar contributions to task variables are controlled together. Alternatively, this covariation might reflect regulation of low-level aspects of movements that are common across tasks, such as stresses within joints. We examined these issues by analyzing covariation patterns in quadriceps muscle activity during locomotion in rats. The three monoarticular quadriceps muscles (vastus medialis [VM], vastus lateralis [VL], and vastus intermedius [VI]) produce knee extension and so have identical contributions to tas

SUBMITTER: Alessandro C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7149390 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature