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Trial-to-trial similarity and distinctness of muscle synergy activation coefficients increases during learning and with a higher level of movement proficiency

Kaufmann, P.; Koller, W.; Wallnoefer, E.; Goncalves, B.; Baca, A.; Kainz, H.

2023-09-22 neuroscience
10.1101/2023.09.19.558460 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Muscle synergy analyses are used to increase our understanding of motor control. Spatially fixed synergy vectors coordinate multiple co-active muscles through activation commands, known as activation coefficients. To better understand motor learning, it is crucial to know how synergy recruitment varies during a learning task and different levels of movement proficiency. Within one session participants walked on a line, a beam, and learned to walk on a tightrope - tasks that represent different levels of proficiency. Muscle synergies were extracted over all conditions and the number of synergies was determined through the knee-point of the total variance accounted for (tVAF) curve. We found that the tVAF of one synergy decreased with task proficiency (line < beam < tightrope). Additionally, trial-to-trial similarity and distinctness of synergy activation coefficients increased with proficiency and after a learning process. We conclude that precise adjustment and refinement of synergy activation coefficients play a crucial role in motor learning.

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