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Time-dependent effects of kinesthetic input.
1The Robert S. Dow Neurological Sciences Institute, Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, Department of Physiology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR 97209, USA.
Journal of Motor Behavior
|March 1, 1990
Summary
Sensory input timing significantly impacts motor control. Early kinesthetic input (before movement) affects motor responses differently than late input (during movement), influencing initialization, triggering, and adjustment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- The nervous system uses sensory input to control motor responses.
- Sensory input can initialize, adjust, or trigger movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the timing of kinesthetic input affects triggered motor responses.
- To compare the influence of early versus late kinesthetic stimuli on voluntary motor control.
Main Methods:
- Human subjects performed voluntary elbow torque responses to visual stimuli.
- Unexpected elbow rotations (kinesthetic input) were applied either 100 ms before (early) or coincident with (late) motor response onset.
- Effects on torque response parameters (direction, amplitude, duration) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Early and late kinesthetic input had distinct effects on the voluntary torque response.
- Early input showed less dependence on rotation direction and amplitude, and required shorter duration.
- Late input's effects were different, suggesting distinct neural processing.
Conclusions:
- The timing of sensory input is critical for motor response control.
- Early kinesthetic input may influence motor response initialization or triggering.
- Late kinesthetic input likely affects ongoing motor response adjustment.