Leslie M. Decker

Papers

Total Citations

1,050

H-Index

About

Leslie M. Decker is a leading researcher in the neural control of human movement, whose work bridges the fields of motor control, nonlinear dynamics, and rehabilitation. Her most influential contribution is the seminal 2011 paper "Human movement variability, nonlinear dynamics, and pathology: Is there a connection?"—cited over 1,050 times—which fundamentally reshaped how scientists view variability in movement. Rather than treating variability as mere noise or error, Decker demonstrated that it contains rich, structured information about the health of the neuromuscular system. By applying tools from nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory, she showed that pathological conditions often reduce the complexity and adaptability of movement patterns, while healthy systems exhibit a flexible, variable repertoire. This framework has had profound implications for diagnosing and treating movement disorders, from Parkinson’s disease to stroke recovery. Decker’s work has inspired a generation of researchers to rethink motor control, moving away from rigid, linear models toward a more dynamic, systems-based understanding. Her research continues to inform innovative rehabilitation strategies that aim to restore not just function, but the adaptive, variable movement patterns essential for everyday life.