Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
10:39
The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task
Published on: May 3, 2018
9.2K
Cognitive costs of motor planning do not differ between pointing and grasping in a sequential task
Christoph Schütz1, Matthias Weigelt2, Thomas Schack3,4,5
1Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany. christoph.schuetz@uni-bielefeld.de.
Experimental Brain Research
|March 12, 2016
Summary
Pointing and grasping movements have similar cognitive costs for motor planning, despite differences in brain activation. Researchers measured motor hysteresis to assess planning complexity in these distinct actions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Neurophysiologic studies indicate distinct brain activation patterns for pointing versus grasping.
- Understanding the cognitive demands of different motor planning types is crucial for fields like robotics and rehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the cognitive costs associated with motor planning for pointing and grasping movements.
- To determine if the complexity of motor planning differs between reaching to grasp an object and simply pointing to a location.
Main Methods:
- A sequential, continuous posture selection task was employed, allowing for direct comparison of pointing and grasping to identical targets.
- Participants performed tasks involving ascending and descending progressions, either pointing to targets or opening drawers (grasping).
- The global hand pronation/supination at target contact was measured, with motor hysteresis (persistence to a former posture) serving as a proxy for cognitive cost.
Main Results:
- Both pointing and grasping tasks exhibited comparable motor hysteresis effects, suggesting similar cognitive costs for motor planning.
- A significantly larger range of motion was observed during grasping movements compared to pointing movements.
- The study found no significant difference in the cognitive load required for planning pointing versus grasping actions.
Conclusions:
- The cognitive cost of motor planning is similar for both pointing and grasping, challenging assumptions based solely on brain activation differences.
- While motor planning costs are comparable, grasping involves a greater range of hand motion than pointing.
- These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of motor control and the cognitive resources underlying different types of human movement.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
6.7K
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.
6.7K
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
1.4K
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the...
1.4K
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
897
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
897