Analysis of isometric cervical strength with a nonlinear musculoskeletal model with 48 degrees of freedom

Background: Musculoskeletal models served to analyze head–neck motion and injury during automotive impact. Although muscle activation is known to affect the kinematic response, a model with properly validated muscle contributions does not exist to date. The goal of this study was to enhance a musculoskeletal neck model and to validate passive...

Isometric and Dynamic Control of Neck Muscles: Reflexive contributions and muscle synergies

It is well established that the central nervous system (CNS) stabilizes the head using reflexive feedback and cocontraction. The major reflexive pathways in the neck are through muscle spindles generating the cervicocollic reflex (CCR) and through the vestibular organ generating the vestibulocollic reflex (VCR). The CNS modulates the...

Neck muscle control patterns in 3D isometric experiments

The better understanding of neuromuscular control of the human neck is of critical importance to understand whiplash injury and neurological movement disorders. Isometric experiments using electromyography (EMG) are an appropriate method to study neuromuscular control patterns of neck muscles. As the human head-neck system is highly complex, it...