Visual feedback improves bimanual force control performances at planning and execution levels

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different visual conditions and targeted force levels on bilateral motor synergies and bimanual force control performances. Fourteen healthy young participants performed bimanual isometric force control tasks by extending their wrists and fingers under two visual feedback conditions (i.e., vision and no-vision) and three targeted force levels (i.e., 5%, 25%, and 50% of maximum voluntary contraction: MVC). To estimate bilateral motor synergies across multiple trials, we calculated the proportion of good variability relative to bad variability using an uncontrolled manifold analysis. To assess bimanual force control performances within a trial, we used the accuracy, variability, and regularity of total forces produced by two hands. Further, analysis included correlation coefficients between forces from the left and right hands. In addition, we examined the correlations between altered bilateral motor synergies and force control performances from no-vision to vision conditions for each targeted force level. Importantly, our findings revealed that the presence of visual feedback increased bilateral motor synergies across multiple trials significantly with a reduction of bad variability as well as improved bimanual force control performances within a trial based on higher force accuracy, lower force variability, less force regularity, and decreased correlation coefficients between hands. Further, we found two significant correlations in (a) increased bilateral motor synergy versus higher force accuracy at 5% of MVC and (b) increased bilateral motor synergy versus lower force variability at 50% of MVC. Together, these results suggested that visual feedback effectively improved both synergetic coordination behaviors across multiple trials and stability of task performance within a trial across various submaximal force levels.