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  • Edge Computing in Nature: Minimal pre-processing of multi-muscle ensembles of spindle signals improves discriminability of limb movements
Title: Edge Computing in Nature: Minimal pre-processing of multi-muscle ensembles of spindle signals improves discriminability of limb movements
Multiple proprioceptive signals, like those from muscle spindles, are thought to enable robust estimates of body configuration. Yet, it remains unknown whether spindle signals suffice to discriminate limb movements. Here, a simulated 4-musculotendon, 2-joint planar limb model produced repeated cycles of five end-point trajectories in forward and reverse directions, which generated spindle Ia and II afferent signals (proprioceptors for velocity and length, respectively) from each musculotendon. We find that cross-correlation of the 8D time series of raw firing rates (four Ia, four II) cannot discriminate among most movement pairs (∼ 29% accuracy). However, projecting these signals onto their 1stand 2ndprincipal components greatly improves discriminability of movement pairs (82% accuracy). We conclude that high-dimensional ensembles of muscle proprioceptors can discriminate among limb movements—but only after dimensionality reduction. This may explain the pre-processing of some afferent signals before arriving at the somatosensory cortex, such as processing of cutaneous signals at the cat’s cuneate nucleus.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2113096
PAR ID:
10565895
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Frontiers
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Frontiers in Physiology
Volume:
14
ISSN:
1664-042X
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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