Author
Listed:
- Raoul Huys
- Breanna E Studenka
- Nicole L Rheaume
- Howard N Zelaznik
- Viktor K Jirsa
Abstract
The differentiation of discrete and continuous movement is one of the pillars of motor behavior classification. Discrete movements have a definite beginning and end, whereas continuous movements do not have such discriminable end points. In the past decade there has been vigorous debate whether this classification implies different control processes. This debate up until the present has been empirically based. Here, we present an unambiguous non-empirical classification based on theorems in dynamical system theory that sets discrete and continuous movements apart. Through computational simulations of representative modes of each class and topological analysis of the flow in state space, we show that distinct control mechanisms underwrite discrete and fast rhythmic movements. In particular, we demonstrate that discrete movements require a time keeper while fast rhythmic movements do not. We validate our computational findings experimentally using a behavioral paradigm in which human participants performed finger flexion-extension movements at various movement paces and under different instructions. Our results demonstrate that the human motor system employs different timing control mechanisms (presumably via differential recruitment of neural subsystems) to accomplish varying behavioral functions such as speed constraints.Author Summary: A fundamental question in motor control research is whether distinct movement classes exist. Candidate classes are discrete and continuous movement. Discrete movements have a definite beginning and end, whereas continuous movements do not have such discriminable end points. In the past decade there has been vigorous, predominantly empirically based debate whether this classification implies different control processes. We present a non-empirical classification based on mathematical theorems that unambiguously sets discrete and continuous rhythmic movements apart through their topological structure in phase space. By computational simulations of representative modes of each class we show that discrete movements can only be executed repetitively at paces lower than approximately 2.0 Hz. In addition, we performed an experiment in which human participants performed finger flexion-extension movements at various movement paces and under different instructions. Through a topological analysis of the flow in state space, we show that distinct control mechanisms underwrite human discrete and fast rhythmic movements: discrete movements require a time keeper, while fast rhythmic movements do not. Our results demonstrate that the human motor system employs different timing control mechanisms (presumably via differential recruitment of neural subsystems) to accomplish varying behavioral functions such as speed constraints.
Suggested Citation
Raoul Huys & Breanna E Studenka & Nicole L Rheaume & Howard N Zelaznik & Viktor K Jirsa, 2008.
"Distinct Timing Mechanisms Produce Discrete and Continuous Movements,"
PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(4), pages 1-8, April.
Handle:
RePEc:plo:pcbi00:1000061
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000061
Download full text from publisher
Citations
Citations are extracted by the
CitEc Project, subscribe to its
RSS feed for this item.
Cited by:
- J A Scott Kelso & Gonzalo C de Guzman & Colin Reveley & Emmanuelle Tognoli, 2009.
"Virtual Partner Interaction (VPI): Exploring Novel Behaviors via Coordination Dynamics,"
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(6), pages 1-11, June.
- Pauline Tranchant & Dominique T Vuvan & Isabelle Peretz, 2016.
"Keeping the Beat: A Large Sample Study of Bouncing and Clapping to Music,"
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
- Manuel Varlet & Ludovic Marin & Johann Issartel & R C Schmidt & Benoît G Bardy, 2012.
"Continuity of Visual and Auditory Rhythms Influences Sensorimotor Coordination,"
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-10, September.
- Okano, Masahiro & Kurebayashi, Wataru & Shinya, Masahiro & Kudo, Kazutoshi, 2019.
"Hybrid dynamics in a paired rhythmic synchronization–continuation task,"
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 524(C), pages 625-638.
Corrections
All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pcbi00:1000061. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ploscompbiol (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/ .
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through
the various RePEc services.