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Effects of changing object size during prehension.

Cornelis van de Kamp¹, Raoul M Bongers, Frank T J M Zaal

¹Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. c.van.de.kamp@rug.nl

Journal of Motor Behavior

|May 23, 2009

Summary

The grasp component of prehension can adjust to sudden object size changes remarkably fast, within 120 ms. This study reveals rapid motor adjustments during reaching and grasping tasks.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Human Movement Science

Background:

Understanding the rapid adjustments in human prehension is crucial for motor control research.
Previous studies often used indirect methods like altered illumination to perturb grasp.
The precise timing and mechanisms of grasp adaptation to physical object changes remain less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the speed and nature of grasp adjustments in response to sudden changes in object size during a prehension task.
To determine how early in the movement sequence these physical perturbations can be detected and compensated for.

Main Methods:

Participants performed a reaching and grasping task involving an object that could unexpectedly increase in size.
Object size perturbations were introduced at specific time points: 125, 200, 275, and 350 ms after movement onset.

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Kinematic data were analyzed to quantify the grasp adjustments and their timing.

Main Results:

Grasp adjustments to sudden object size increases were observed.
These adjustments could occur very rapidly, with some instances as fast as 120 ms after perturbation onset.
The study demonstrated diverse forms of grasp adjustments in response to the size changes.

Conclusions:

The human motor system exhibits rapid and adaptable grasp adjustments to physical changes in object size.
These findings highlight the sophisticated coordination between reaching and grasping, allowing for swift online corrections.
The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying dynamic motor control.