Neural and Spinal Modules in Implementation of a Simple Ballistic Movement

A simple ballistic movement and two of its attributes (namely, reversal in time and synchronization with external events) are formulated. A three-dimensional, three-link musculoskeletal arm is subjected to a fast ballistic type movement. The central components of the movement from hippocampal, cerebellar, basal ganglia and reticular formation structures that may be involved in timing are identified. The role of agonist muscles and spinal reflexes in the execution of ballistic movements (namely, in fast starts and fast stops) is discussed. The needed three time intervals are constructed in real time and can be coordinated with external events. Delaying or advancing in time, synchronization, time scaling and inverting events in time relative to the movement is formulated. Digital computer simulations are presented to test the behavior of the formulated neural and spinal processing and demonstrate the behavior of the arm under such control.