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Reduced timing variability during bimanual coupling: a role for sensory information
Knut Drewing1, Gisa Aschersleben
1Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research, Munich, Germany. drewing@mpipf-muenchen.mpg.de
Summary
Bimanual tapping reduces timing variability by integrating sensory feedback from both hands. This suggests that sensory reafferences, not just internal timers, play a key role in coordinated movements.
Area of Science:
- Motor control
- Human movement science
- Cognitive neuroscience
Background:
- Bimanual tapping exhibits reduced intertap interval variability compared to unimanual tapping.
- Existing models, like the Wing-Kristofferson model, attribute this to timer variance.
- An alternative hypothesis suggests increased sensory reafference contributes to the bimanual advantage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of sensory reafferences in the bimanual tapping advantage.
- To test whether increased sensory feedback influences timing variability.
- To examine the contribution of auditory feedback to bimanual coordination.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a continuation paradigm where participants tapped in synchrony with a metronome, then continued independently.
- Manipulated auditory feedback, adding it to unimanual and bimanual tapping conditions.
- Compared timing variability under different sensory feedback conditions.
Main Results:
- Replicated the bimanual advantage in the continuation paradigm.
- Adding auditory feedback reduced timer variance in both unimanual and bimanual tapping.
- Removing auditory feedback from the left hand decreased the bimanual advantage.
Conclusions:
- Sensory reafferences from both hands are integrated into motor timing.
- The bimanual advantage is partly explained by increased sensory reafference.
- A modified Wing-Kristofferson model is proposed, incorporating sensory reafferences as action goals.