Muscle Memory by DMI

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Muscle Memory

POSTED BY: DMI
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 12:46
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Monday, November 29, 2010 1:30 PM

Expired, forgotten, spoiled rotten.

I have a question about how the concept of muscle memory works. I remember them talking about it on Dollhouse as one way the operatives could suddenly dance or do karate. That muscle memory was part of the imprinting process. They didn't need to have practiced ballet or kung-fu, the imprint just needed to know how to tell the body to do these things. I bought into this because the dolls were always working out and what-not, so their bodies were capable of performing the commands of the imprint personalty.

However, I was recently reading a book called Unwind by Neil Shusterman and came across another way of looking at muscle memory. In the book, this guy (minor, minor character) got an arm and hand transplant from someone who knew who to do card/slight of hand tricks and now his arm can just do them when he tells it to. I don't understand this. Is muscle memory where the muscle itself retains the "memory" of performing an act or where the mind knows the specific muscle commands necessary for ordering a task?

p.s. Unwind has not been a good read from my POV and that is not the only questionable aspect of its pseudo sci-fi

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I pray for one last landing,
on the globe that gave me birth.
Let me rest my eyes on the fleecy skies
and the cool, green hills of Earth.

http://www.blogiversity.org/blogs/dmi/default.aspx

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Monday, November 29, 2010 1:44 PM

ZEEK

I'm no biologist, but I'm pretty sure muscle memory is still the brain working the motions out. It's just that you've become so used to it that you don't have to concentrate on exactly what muscles to move. I don't think you could possibly transplant an arm and retain someone's muscle memory. Though you would probably lose muscle memory of your own as you'd have all sorts of new nerves and things for your brain to map out.

Yup - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_memory

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Monday, November 29, 2010 3:23 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Right, you need the brain cause that's where muscle memory is stored - what's worse is when early trauma is stored "down there" in those parts of the brain cause they're more developed, and can no more be forgotten than how to ride a bicycle.

As to the science involved, here's an Abstract by Perry which'll give an overview of how all that works in the broadest sense, the second link I think contains the appendix which is as simple as an explaination as you'll ever get.
http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/perry96.php

Appendix.
http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/perry96.php#APP1

In short, no brain, no muscle memory.

However if you'd like a creepier, metaphysical and MUCH better written take on the same general concept the novel in question fails at, you could try this book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite_Eve
There's also a pair of games based on it which are quite good and astoundingly creepy.

-Frem

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010 12:46 PM

DMI

Expired, forgotten, spoiled rotten.

Thanks guys, thats what I thought. Definitely not going to be recommending Unwind to anyone any time soon. I figured Whedon and gang would be on the right side of things.

I'm not to big on creepy but I might check that book out. Muscle Memory is a neat concept for scifi to play with, when you don't screw it up.

------------------------
I pray for one last landing,
on the globe that gave me birth.
Let me rest my eyes on the fleecy skies
and the cool, green hills of Earth.

http://www.blogiversity.org/blogs/dmi/default.aspx

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

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