Grouping muscles to make controlling li...(tively. The simulation showed that by ch...)

"Having all these muscle variables complicates control of behavior, but it also makes certain behavior easier," said Tresch. "The complexity might be there to make certain kinds of movements more efficient than others."

By having this framework, researchers might be able to predict how muscle activation changes when a person loses a muscle or becomes paralyzed.

"Whether or not the nervous system uses this, it does seem like an approach that can simplify control for a complicated mechanical system, like a limb," said Tresch. "For people with spinal cord injuries, you can put electrodes into their muscles and stimulate them. We can use this synergies approach to make controlling a limb simpler."

Next Tresch will perform similar research using a rat model, and he is currently working with other professors at Northwestern to bring the research to patients.

"The end goal is to restore movement in people who are paralyzed," he said.

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