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Friedman, Jason; Latash, Mark L.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M. |
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Title |
Prehension synergies: a study of digit force adjustments to the continuously varied load force exerted on a partially constrained hand-held object |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2009 |
Publication |
Experimental Brain Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
Exp Brain Res |
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197 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
1-13 |
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Abstract  |
We examined how the digit forces adjust when a load force acting on a hand-held object continuously varies. The subjects were required to hold the handle still while a linearly increasing and then decreasing force was applied to the handle. The handle was constrained, such that it could only move up and down, and rotate about a horizontal axis. In addition, the moment arm of the thumb tangential force was 1.5 times the moment arm of the virtual finger (VF, an imagined finger with the mechanical action equal to that of the four fingers) force. Unlike the situation when there are equal moment arms, the experimental setup forced the subjects to choose between (a) sharing equally the increase in load force between the thumb and VF but generating a moment of tangential force, which had to be compensated by negatively co-varying the moment due to normal forces, or (b) sharing unequally the load force increase between the thumb and VF but preventing generation of a moment of tangential forces. We found that different subjects tended to use one of these two strategies. These findings suggest that the selection by the CNS of prehension synergies at the VF-thumb level with respect to the moment of force is non-obligatory and reflects individual subject preferences. This unequal sharing of the load by the tangential forces, in contrast to the previously observed equal sharing, suggests that the invariant feature of prehension may be a correlated increase in tangential forces rather than an equal increase. |
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Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, 39 Recreation Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA, jason.friedman@psu.edu |
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English |
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1432-1106 |
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PMID:19554319 |
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Penn State @ write.to.jason @ |
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16 |
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Author |
Latash, M.L., Friedman, J., Kim, S.W., Feldman, A.G., Zatsiorsky, V.M. |
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Title |
Prehension Synergies and Control with Referent Hand Configurations |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Experimental Brain Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
Exp Brain Res |
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Volume |
202 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
213-229 |
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Abstract |
We used the framework of the equilibrium-point hypothesis (in its updated form based on the notion of referent configuration) to investigate the multi-digit synergies at two levels of a hypothetical hierarchy involved in prehensile actions. Synergies were analyzed at the thumb-virtual finger level (virtual finger is an imaginary digit with the mechanical action equivalent to that of the four actual fingers) and at the individual finger level. The subjects performed very quick vertical movements of a handle into a target. A load could be attached off-center to provide a pronation or supination torque. In a few trials, the handle was unexpectedly fixed to the table and the digits slipped off the sensors. In such trials, the hand stopped at a higher vertical position and rotated into pronation or supination depending on the expected torque. The aperture showed non-monotonic changes with a large, fast decrease and further increase, ending up with a smaller distance between the thumb and the fingers as compared to unperturbed trials. Multi-digit synergies were quantified using indices of co-variation between digit forces and moments of force across unperturbed trials. Prior to the lifting action, high synergy indices were observed at the individual finger level while modest indices were observed at the thumb-virtual finger level. During the lifting action, the synergies at the individual finger level disappeared while the synergy indices became higher at the thumb-virtual finger level. The results support the basic premise that, within a given task, setting a referent configuration may be described with a few referent values of variables that influence the equilibrium state, to which the system is attracted. Moreover, the referent configuration hypothesis can help interpret the data related to the trade-off between synergies at different hierarchical levels. |
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Penn State @ write.to.jason @ |
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19 |
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