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Perceived versus actual head-on-trunk orientation during arm movement control
Michel Guerraz1, Jordan Navarro, Frédéric Ferrero
1Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, CNRS UMR 5105, Université de Savoie, 73376 Le Bourget du lac, Chambéry, France. michel.guerraz@univ-savoie.fr
Experimental Brain Research
|December 22, 2005
Summary
Static head tilt alters upper limb movements. This study shows movement bias stems from perceived, not actual, head position, highlighting conscious perception
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Proprioception
Background:
- Static head tilt influences voluntary upper limb movement trajectories.
- The role of perceived versus actual body configuration in motor bias is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if motor bias from head tilt depends on perceived body configuration.
- To differentiate the influence of subjective perception versus objective reality on sensorimotor tasks.
Main Methods:
- Used the 'return' phenomenon to create dissociation between perceived and actual head tilt.
- Subjects performed motor tasks (drawing lines) and verbal estimates of head position during sustained head tilt and after realignment.
Main Results:
- Motor deviations adapted over time during sustained tilt, correlating with perceived head position.
- A significant after-effect was observed upon realignment, indicating reliance on perceived configuration.
- Verbal estimates confirmed the 'return' phenomenon, where perceived head position shifted towards neutral.
Conclusions:
- Motor bias during static head tilt is primarily driven by perceived body configuration.
- Conscious perception of body configuration plays a crucial role in organizing sensorimotor tasks.
- Findings support the hypothesis that subjective awareness is key in sensorimotor control.