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Force and Position Control in Humans - The Role of Augmented Feedback
Published on: June 19, 2016
Timing and visual feedback constraints on repetitive finger force production
Amanda S Therrien1, Ramesh Balasubramaniam
1Sensorimotor Neuroscience Laboratory, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 2K1, Canada.
Experimental Brain Research
|November 26, 2009
Summary
Movement timing and force production show distinct sequential effects. Removing visual feedback altered force output, unlike timing, suggesting independent motor control mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Motor control
- Human movement science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sequential effects are well-documented in motor timing tasks.
- Less is understood about sequential dependencies in movement parameters like force production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of timing constraints on repetitive unimanual force production sequences.
- To determine if force parameters exhibit sequential dependencies similar to timing.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy participants performed repetitive pinch grip forces synchronized to a metronome and visual force amplitudes.
- Visual feedback or auditory metronome cues were removed mid-trial, requiring participants to continue responses.
- Inter-response intervals (IRIs) and peak force (PF) were analyzed for sequential dependencies using autocorrelation.
Main Results:
- A negative lag-1 autocorrelation in IRIs was observed, consistent with motor timing tasks.
- Removal of visual feedback led to increased mean force output and positive lag-1 autocorrelation.
- Greater force variability occurred with larger IRIs, but dual force and timing constraints did not affect PF or IRI variability.
Conclusions:
- Force and timing appear to be independently specified components within a generalized motor program.
- Motor timing exhibits negative sequential dependencies, while force production can show positive dependencies when feedback is removed.
