Spikes alone do not behavior make: why neuroscience needs biomechanics
Open accessAbstract
Neural circuits do not function in isolation; they interact with the physical world, accepting sensory inputs and producing outputs via muscles. Since both these pathways are constrained by physics, the activity of neural circuits can only be understood by considering biomechanics of muscles, bodies, and the exterior world. We discuss how animal bodies have natural stable motions that require relatively little activation or control from the nervous system. The nervous system can substantially alter these motions, by subtly changing mechanical properties such as leg sti ness. Mechanics can also provide robustness to perturbations without sensory reflexes. By considering a complete neuromechanical system, neuroscientists and biomechanicians together can provide a more integrated view of neural circuitry and behavior.
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- Authors
- Tytell, E., Holmes, P., & Cohen, A.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Princeton University (US)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tytell, ED
- ORCID
- Holmes, P
- Venue
- Current Opinion in Neurobiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-10
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 816-822
- ISSN
- 0959-4388 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3183174
- OpenAlex
- W2074310014
- Semantic Scholar
- 6453ae0e0c4190f829a1e909e70cf4b5bc93cc29
- Cited by
- 135
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Current Opinion in Neurobiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH62196, P50MH062196)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS054271, F32NS054367)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Robotic Locomotion and Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Embodied and Extended Cognition
- Keywords
- neuromechanics, neural circuits, muscle mechanics, body stiffness, leg stiffness, robustness to disturbances, sensory reflexes, neural control of movement, behavior
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Humans, Models, Neurological, Neurons, Neurosciences
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