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Multisensory components of rapid motor responses to fingertip loading
F Crevecoeur1,2, A Barrea1,2, X Libouton3
1Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Journal of Neurophysiology
|May 5, 2017
Summary
Sensory feedback from touch and muscle stretch are crucial for hand grasp control. This study reveals distinct sensorimotor circuits for each system, enabling rapid motor responses to fingertip perturbations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Sensory Physiology
Background:
- Grasp control relies on tactile and muscle afferents.
- The distinct roles of these systems in online control, especially after perturbations, remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate sensorimotor contributions to digit force control during fingertip loading.
- Differentiate the roles of muscle stretch and tactile feedback in motor responses.
Main Methods:
- Recorded surface electromyography from intrinsic (FDI) and extrinsic (FDS) hand muscles.
- Used fingertip loading as a perturbation model, with and without anesthesia, and varied task instructions.
Main Results:
- Fingertip loading elicited a rapid motor response in FDI (~60 ms), primarily driven by muscle stretch.
- Anesthesia affected later FDI responses (>90 ms), indicating distinct sensory pathways.
- FDS responses (~90 ms) were independent of lateral finger motion and modulated by task demands.
Conclusions:
- Distinct sensorimotor circuits process tactile and muscle afferent information.
- These circuits have different latencies and functions, contributing to rapid motor adjustments during object manipulation.
