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Overt visual attention and between-limb asynchrony for bimanual reaching movements
S D Sardar1, S-H Yeo1, J E Allsop1,2
1School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Experimental Brain Research
|January 19, 2023
Summary
Bimanual coordination shows small limb asynchronies linked to visual-motor demands. Competing target precision, not overall difficulty, drives these timing differences in reaching movements.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Bimanual coordination often emphasizes limb synchrony.
- Recent research highlights subtle asynchronies in bimanual movements.
- The role of visuo-motor demands in generating these asynchronies is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between visuo-motor demands and limb asynchronies in bimanual reach-to-point movements.
- To determine how target congruence affects movement timing and precision.
- To understand how the brain balances synchrony with task-specific demands.
Main Methods:
- Measured hand and eye movements in 19 participants performing unimanual and bimanual aiming tasks on a touchscreen.
- Utilized congruent (same-sized targets) and incongruent (different-sized targets) bimanual conditions.
- Analyzed temporal coupling, asynchrony, and gaze behavior in relation to target precision.
Main Results:
- Temporal coupling was evident in bimanual movements, but small asynchronies were observed.
- Asynchronies correlated with competing precision requirements and visual attention.
- Gaze predominantly focused on the more difficult target, with its reaching movement showing greater precision.
- The hand targeting the more difficult target tended to lead.
- Asynchrony was greater in incongruent conditions compared to when both targets were small and difficult.
Conclusions:
- Visuo-motor demands, specifically competing precision requirements, are key drivers of between-limb asynchrony in bimanual tasks.
- The visuo-motor system dynamically balances the drive for synchrony with the demands of individual limb movements.
- Understanding these competing factors is crucial for explaining coordination patterns in complex tasks.
