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:
- Reflexes
- Muscle synergies
- Leg coordination
- 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:
- Staying at a homebase.
- Leaving this base for a so-called excursion.
- 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 newborns movement system.
Paper presented
at Measuring Behavior 2005
, 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques
in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The
Netherlands.
© 2005 Noldus
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