A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool

The central nervous system (CNS) is believed to utilize specific predefined modules, called muscle synergies (MS), to accomplish a motor task. Yet questions persist about how the CNS combines these primitives in different ways to suit the task conditions. The MS hypothesis has been a subject of deba...

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Main Authors: Rajat Emanuel Singh, Kamran Iqbal, Gannon White, Tarun Edgar Hutchinson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3615368
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author Rajat Emanuel Singh
Kamran Iqbal
Gannon White
Tarun Edgar Hutchinson
author_facet Rajat Emanuel Singh
Kamran Iqbal
Gannon White
Tarun Edgar Hutchinson
author_sort Rajat Emanuel Singh
collection DOAJ
description The central nervous system (CNS) is believed to utilize specific predefined modules, called muscle synergies (MS), to accomplish a motor task. Yet questions persist about how the CNS combines these primitives in different ways to suit the task conditions. The MS hypothesis has been a subject of debate as to whether they originate from neural origins or nonneural constraints. In this review article, we present three aspects related to the MS hypothesis: (1) the experimental and computational evidence in support of the existence of MS, (2) algorithmic approaches for extracting them from surface electromyography (EMG) signals, and (3) the possible role of MS as a neurorehabilitation tool. We note that recent advances in computational neuroscience have utilized the MS hypothesis in motor control and learning. Prospective advances in clinical, medical, and engineering sciences and in fields such as robotics and rehabilitation stand to benefit from a more thorough understanding of MS.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1176-2322
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spelling doaj-art-b259856970334e01ae15ee6d71207dee2025-08-20T03:39:26ZengWileyApplied Bionics and Biomechanics1176-23221754-21032018-01-01201810.1155/2018/36153683615368A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation ToolRajat Emanuel Singh0Kamran Iqbal1Gannon White2Tarun Edgar Hutchinson3Department of System Engineering, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204, USADepartment of System Engineering, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204, USASchool of Counseling, Human Performance and Rehabilitation, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204, USADepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USAThe central nervous system (CNS) is believed to utilize specific predefined modules, called muscle synergies (MS), to accomplish a motor task. Yet questions persist about how the CNS combines these primitives in different ways to suit the task conditions. The MS hypothesis has been a subject of debate as to whether they originate from neural origins or nonneural constraints. In this review article, we present three aspects related to the MS hypothesis: (1) the experimental and computational evidence in support of the existence of MS, (2) algorithmic approaches for extracting them from surface electromyography (EMG) signals, and (3) the possible role of MS as a neurorehabilitation tool. We note that recent advances in computational neuroscience have utilized the MS hypothesis in motor control and learning. Prospective advances in clinical, medical, and engineering sciences and in fields such as robotics and rehabilitation stand to benefit from a more thorough understanding of MS.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3615368
spellingShingle Rajat Emanuel Singh
Kamran Iqbal
Gannon White
Tarun Edgar Hutchinson
A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool
Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
title A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool
title_full A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool
title_fullStr A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool
title_full_unstemmed A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool
title_short A Systematic Review on Muscle Synergies: From Building Blocks of Motor Behavior to a Neurorehabilitation Tool
title_sort systematic review on muscle synergies from building blocks of motor behavior to a neurorehabilitation tool
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3615368
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