Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026
16:00
Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
Published on: November 11, 2011
23.1K
Mind Your Grip: Even Usual Dexterous Manipulation Requires High Level Cognition
Erwan Guillery1, André Mouraux1, Jean-Louis Thonnard1,2
1Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
|November 23, 2017
Summary
Dexterous manipulation, like grasping and lifting, is not automatic. It requires high-level cognitive functions, specifically working memory, impacting movement control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Simultaneous cognitive and sensorimotor task execution is essential for daily activities.
- Dexterous manipulation, often perceived as automatic, may engage higher cognitive processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if dexterous manipulation relies on high-order cognitive functions.
- To examine the effect of cognitive load on precision grip-lift task performance across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Participants (18-75 years) performed a precision grip-lift task under varying cognitive loads (none, low, high).
- Cognitive tasks involved letter recall, with high load requiring working memory.
- Motor task performance was assessed using force sensors measuring grip and lift parameters.
Main Results:
- Cognitive tasks significantly altered movement initiation and increased grip force.
- These effects were consistent across all age groups, showing no age interaction.
- High cognitive load, particularly working memory demands, impacted motor control.
Conclusions:
- Dexterous manipulation is not fully automatic and interacts with cognitive processes.
- Working memory plays a crucial role in the planning and online control of skilled movements.
- Cognitive resource allocation influences sensorimotor task performance.
Related Concept Videos
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
798
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...
798
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
1.3K
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...
1.3K
01:23Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
2.8K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
2.8K
01:20Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
2.8K
Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
2.8K
01:27Language and Cognition
833
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
833
01:21Cognitive Learning
1.4K
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
1.4K