Reinkensmeyer, David J.1; Patton, James L.2
1Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
and Biomedical Engineering, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA; and
2Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Sensory Motor Performance Program Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago,
IL
Exercise
and Sport Sciences Reviews: Volume 37(1) January 2009 pp 43-51
Learning to move
skillfully requires that the motor system adjusts muscle commands based on
ongoing performance errors, a process influenced by the dynamics of the task
being practiced. Recent experiments from our laboratories show how robotic
devices can temporarily alter task dynamics in ways that contribute to the
motor learning experience, suggesting possible applications in rehabilitation
and sports training.