Recurrence plot analyses suggest a novel reference system involved in spontaneous newborn movements

B. Aßmann¹, M.C. Romano², M. Thiel² and C. Niemitz¹

¹Institute for Human Biology and Anthropology, Free University Berlin, Germany
²Institute for Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Potsdam, Germany

Newborn movements are well studied in terms of:

1. Reflexes
2. Muscle synergies
3. Leg coordination
4. Early forms of target-directed arm/hand movements.

In the past, these aspects were investigated mainly as separate accomplishments. Thus, there is a clear need for more integrated investigations. In this paper we report results of an approach that was explicitly guided by such a perspective. For this purpose we applied a methodological concept developed by Ilan Golani, which suggests to distinguish between three classes of behavior:

1. Staying at a homebase.
2. Leaving this base for a so-called excursion.
3. Returning to the homebase.

In the case of spontaneous newborn movements, the homebase was given by limb/body positions which alternated with special movements, but at the same time also seemed to be both the origin and the target of each movement. Recurrence plot analyses of kinematic data received from audiovisual newborn recordings yielded new insights into the temporal dynamics of the limb movements. Based on applications of the mentioned concept and within a systems-oriented framework, our approach allowed to identify a novel reference system of spontaneous newborn movements.

By describing all methodological details and documenting also the advances of our study, we hope to contribute eventually to more integrated investigations of a newborn’s movement system.

Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 , 5^th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

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