ReviewJournal of neurophysiology2019
Indirect, referent control of motor actions underlies directional tuning of neurons.
Review in Journal of neurophysiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed.
- Response to "Comments on 'The equilibrium point hypothesis revisited: why threshold control does not explain human movement"'.Experimental brain research · 2026Article
- Comments on "The equilibrium point hypothesis revisited: why threshold control does not explain human movement" (Mangalam and Stergiou, Exp Brain Res., 2026).Experimental brain research · 2026Article
- The equilibrium point hypothesis revisited: why threshold control does not explain human movement.Experimental brain research · 2026Review
- Role of spinal sensorimotor circuits in triphasic muscle command: a simulation approach using goal exploration process.Frontiers in computational neuroscience · 2026Article
- Synergies and other behaviors in the context of the referent control theory of action and perception.Experimental brain research · 2025Review
- EMG hysteresis patterns in human elbow muscles under simultaneous force and length changes.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Force drifts and matching errors in the lower extremities: implications for the control and perception of foot force.Experimental brain research · 2024Article
- Cortico-cortical drive in a coupled premotor-primary motor cortex dynamical system.Cell reports · 2022Article
- Are reaching and grasping effector-independent? Similarities and differences in reaching and grasping kinematics between the hand and foot.Experimental brain research · 2022Article
- Efference copy in kinesthetic perception: a copy of what is it?Journal of neurophysiology · 2021Review
- Mild Stroke Affects Pointing Movements Made in Different Frames of Reference.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2021Article
- Biomechanics of Vertical Posture and Control with Referent Joint Configurations.Journal of motor behavior · 2021Article
- Understanding and Synergy: A Single Concept at Different Levels of Analysis?Frontiers in systems neuroscience · 2021Review
- Sensorimotor Self-organization via Circular-Reactions.Frontiers in neurorobotics · 2021Article
- On the origin of finger enslaving: control with referent coordinates and effects of visual feedback.Journal of neurophysiology · 2020Article
- Participation of ipsilateral cortical descending influences in bimanual wrist movements in humans.Experimental brain research · 2020Article
- Eye and head movements and vestibulo-ocular reflex in the context of indirect, referent control of motor actions.Journal of neurophysiology · 2020Review
- Control of goal-directed movements within (or beyond) reach?: Comment on "Muscleless motor synergies and actions without movements: From motor neuroscience to cognitive robotics" by Vishwanathan Mohan et al.Physics of life reviews · 2019Article
- Referent control of anticipatory grip force during reaching in stroke: an experimental and modeling study.Experimental brain research · 2019Article
- Beyond rambling and trembling: effects of visual feedback on slow postural drift.Experimental brain research · 2019Article
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1 author.
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Abstract
Many neurons of the primary motor cortex (M1) are maximally sensitive to "preferred" hand movement directions and generate progressively less activity with movements away from these directions. M1 activity also correlates with other biomechanical variables. These findings are predominantly interpreted in a framework in which the brain preprograms and directly specifies the desired motor outcome. This approach is inconsistent with the empirically derived equilibrium-point hypothesis, in which the brain can control motor actions only indirectly, by changing neurophysiological parameters that may influence, but remain independent of, biomechanical variables. The controversy is resolved on the basis of experimental findings and theoretical analysis of how sensory and central influences are integrated in the presence of the fundamental nonlinearity of neurons: electrical thresholds. In the presence of sensory inputs, electrical thresholds are converted into spatial thresholds that predetermine the position of the body segments at which muscles begin to be activated. Such thresholds may be considered as referent points of respective spatial frames of reference (FRs) in which neurons, including motoneurons, are centrally predetermined to work. By shifting the referent points of respective FRs, the brain elicits intentional actions. Pure involuntary reactions to perturbations are accomplished in motionless FRs. Neurons are primarily sensitive to shifts in referent directions, i.e., shifts in spatial FRs, whereas emergent neural activity may or may not correlate with different biomechanical variables depending on the motor task and external conditions. Indirect, referent control of posture and movement symbolizes a departure from conventional views based on direct preprogramming of the motor outcome.
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