Neuromes

Neuromes are a conceptual construct used in neuroscience and bio-inspired robotics to denote functional units that couple neural control circuits with the muscles and actuators they govern. A neurome comprises both the neural elements responsible for generating and modulating movement (such as reflex loops and central pattern generators) and the peripheral effectors (muscles, tendons, and the limbs they actuate), together with the sensory feedback that refines action.

In this usage, a neurome is not an anatomical entity but a module or subsystem representing how a particular body part is controlled. Researchers use neuromes to study how neural signals translate into coordinated motion within a biomechanical context, and to model sensorimotor integration, muscle dynamics, and joint kinematics. The concept supports investigations into motor modules or synergies, embodied cognition, and the distributed nature of motor control across spinal, brainstem, and cortical levels.

In robotics and neuromorphic engineering, neurome-inspired controllers implement neuromes as modular control units that coordinate actuation with proprioceptive feedback, enabling adaptive locomotion or manipulation. While related to the broader neuromuscular system, neuromes remain a theoretical and modeling construct rather than a defined anatomical structure. The term's usage varies across disciplines, and it is sometimes used interchangeably with terms such as motor module, neuromuscular module, or sensorimotor unit.

See also: motor control, neuromechanics, neuromuscular system, central pattern generator, muscle synergy, proprioception, robotics.