Electromyography and the evolution of motor control: limitations and

A. HERREL; V. SCHAERLAEKEN; C. ROSS; J. MEYERS; K. NISHIKAWA; V. ABDALA; A. MANZANO, P. AERTS

INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY

Oxford University Press

Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2008 p. 261 - 271

1540-7063

Electromyography, or the study of muscle activation patterns, has long been used to infer central nervous system (CNS) control of the musculoskeletal system and the evolution thereof. As the activation of the muscles at the level of the periphery is a reflection of the interaction of descending influences and local reflex control, electromyography is an important tool in integrated investigations of the evolution of coordination in complex, musculoskeletal systems. The relative timing of activation of a set of muscles can be used to evaluate CNS coordination of the components in a musculoskeletal system. Studies of relative timing reveal task-dependent variability in the recruitment of different muscle fiber type populations within a single muscle, and left-right asymmetries in activation, that provide insight into CNS coordination strategies. The magnitude of muscle recruitment, on the other hand, is more strongly influenced by the instantaneous demands imposed on the system, likely determined by local reflex control systems. Using EMG to make meaningful inferences about evolutionary changes in musculoskeletal control requires comparisons across similar functional tasks. Moreover, inferences about the evolution of motor control are limited in their explanatory power without proper insights into the kinematics and dynamics of a system.