Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
04:43
Visualizing Visual Adaptation
Published on: April 24, 2017
Is sensorimotor adaptation to position- and velocity-dependent visual distortions based on distinct adaptive
1Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany. thomas@dshs-koeln.de <thomas@dshs-koeln.de>
Human Movement Science
|March 27, 2010
Summary
Sensorimotor adaptation involves distinct processes. This study found that adaptation to position and velocity distortions can be cooperative, challenging the view of solely competing processes.
Area of Science:
- Motor control
- Human sensorimotor adaptation
- Computational neuroscience
Background:
- Sensorimotor adaptation is thought to rely on separate, competing processes for different distortions.
- These processes vie for limited short-term motor memory resources when activated sequentially.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between sensorimotor adaptation processes for different types of visual distortions.
- To challenge the prevailing view of exclusively competing adaptive mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Participants were sequentially exposed to two visual distortions: one position-dependent and one velocity-dependent.
- Distortions were of equal or opposite polarity.
- Movement errors were measured after pre-adaptation to different distortion conditions.
Main Results:
- Movement errors were largest with opposite-polarity distortions, suggesting interference.
- Facilitation was observed with same-polarity distortions, contradicting competing-process models.
- Results indicate that adaptation to position- and velocity-dependent distortions is not solely based on competition.
Conclusions:
- Sensorimotor adaptation to position- and velocity-dependent visual distortions can involve cooperative processes.
- The findings challenge the exclusive reliance on competing or independent process models.
- Cooperative processes provide a better explanation for observed adaptation patterns, especially facilitation.
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