Motor Synergies in the Control System of Complex Sports Balance Postures

Abstract

The paper presents the motor synergies’ structure at the muscular and kinematic levels of their study during performing various sports balance postures. The features of the formation and modification of synergetic modules depending on the motor task are considered. An attempt is made to combine some computational aspects applied according of various concepts of synergetic control. The tools for identifying and analyzing synergy parameters included regression analysis and data factorization methods. It has been established that differing in biomechanical structure balance exercises can be realized using common patterns of kinematic synergies spatial organization, however, at the muscular level, the existence of common spatial activation profiles is not obvious. The presence of several different time patterns of synergy activation in the structure of each balance exercise has been revealed, which may be associated with various motor control strategies in the central nervous system. The structure of kinematic synergies may be influenced by artificial degrees of freedom restriction, unrelated to central control processes. It is shown that the inclusion of the concept of “variables’ area” in the motor control modular organization theory contributes to the convergence of existing motor control concepts based on synergy principle.