Enhanced cognitive interference during visuomotor tasks may cause eye-hand dyscoordination.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Complex visuomotor tasks demand cognitive resources like memory and task-switching.
• Cognitive load's impact on limb motor performance is not fully understood.
• Trail-Making Tests (Trails-A, Trails-B) assess visuomotor skills under varying cognitive loads.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate how stroke survivors manage increasing cognitive load in visuomotor tasks.
• Examine the relationship between cognitive load, oculomotor behavior, and limb motor performance.
• Clarify mechanisms of cognitive-motor interference in frontoparietal damage.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed Trails-B, a cognitively demanding alphanumeric task.
• Oculomotor behavior (saccades, fixations) and limb movement kinematics were recorded.
• Stroke survivors and age-matched controls were compared.

Main Results:

• Both groups increased saccades and fixation duration during Trails-B progression.
• Stroke survivors with frontoparietal damage showed significant speed reduction during saccades in Trails-B.
• Progressive cognitive load exacerbated visuomotor disruptions.

Conclusions:

• Progressive cognitive load in visuomotor tasks increases oculomotor demands.
• Frontoparietal damage may impair cognitive-motor integration, affecting saccade-reach interactions.
• Findings highlight mechanisms of cognitive-motor interference impacting daily activities after stroke.