Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
11:54
Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface
Published on: May 8, 2021
Biases in rhythmic sensorimotor coordination: effects of modality and intentionality
Nienke B Debats1, Arne Ridderikhoff, Betteco J de Boer
1MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Behavioural Brain Research
|May 18, 2013
Summary
Sensorimotor coordination stability depends on the combination of sensory signals processed, not just the signal type. Intentionality does not qualitatively alter underlying sensorimotor processes in rhythmic coordination tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Sensorimotor biases influence rhythmic coordination.
- Understanding intentional vs. unintentional coordination is crucial for motor control research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sensorimotor biases in intentional and unintentional rhythmic coordination.
- To determine the influence of sensory modality and feedback on coordination pattern stability.
Main Methods:
- Unimanual tracking tasks (visual and proprioceptive signals) with isodirectional and mirror-symmetric coordination patterns.
- Distractor tasks involving rhythmic movements while ignoring visual or proprioceptive signals.
- Analysis of coordination pattern stability and sensorimotor biases.
Main Results:
- Proprioceptive tracking showed no difference in stability between coordination patterns.
- Visual tracking favored the isodirectional pattern, but this dominance was lost with visual feedback.
- Coordination pattern stability depended on unimodal versus cross-modal sensory processing.
- Sensorimotor biases in distractor tasks mirrored those in intentional coordination.
Conclusions:
- The stability of rhythmic coordination patterns is determined by the integration of sensory information (unimodal vs. cross-modal), not solely the signal modality.
- Intentionality does not qualitatively change the fundamental sensorimotor processes involved in rhythmic coordination.
- Active sensory pursuit in intentional tasks likely provides predictive information crucial for coordination.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
01:15Sensory Modalities
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
01:25Motivational Bias
Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...