Work

The embodied brain: Bridging the brain, body, and behavior with biorealistic neuromechanical models

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: Animal behavior reflects interactions between the nervous system, body, and environment. Therefore, biomechanics and environmental context must be considered to understand algorithms for behavioral control. Computational models that embed artificial neural controllers within body models in simulated environments are a powerful tool for this purpose. Here, we review advances in biorealistic neuromechanical models while also highlighting emerging opportunities ahead. We first show how these models enable inference of biophysical variables that are difficult to measure experimentally. Through systematic perturbations, one can generate new experimentally testable hypotheses using these models. We then examine how neuromechanical models facilitate the exchange among neuroscience, robotics, and machine learning, and showcase their applications in healthcare. We envision that coupling experimental studies with active probing of their neuromechanical surrogates will significantly accelerate progress in neuroscience.

Source: Current Opinion in Neurobiology

DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2026.103244

Authors: Sibo Wang-Chen, Pavan Ramdya

Institution: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Language: English

Topic: Embodied and Extended Cognition

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,320

Funders: Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung