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Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

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Published on: May 8, 2021

Submovement interpersonal coupling is associated to audio-motor coordination performance.

Julien Laroche¹, Alice Tomassini², Luciano Fadiga^2,3

¹Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Ferrara, Italy. lajulienroche@gmail.com.

Scientific Reports

|February 26, 2024

Summary

Coordinated movements between people involve synchronized small speed fluctuations, called submovements. This submovement coordination occurs across different sensory inputs, like sound, and is key for successful interpersonal coordination.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Social Interaction

Background:

Interpersonal coordination is crucial for social life and occurs across multiple timescales.
Small speed fluctuations within movements, termed submovements, offer insights into motor timescale relationships.
Previous research showed visual synchronization of movements also synchronizes submovements.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if submovement coordination is domain-general or specific to visual input.
To determine the relevance of submovement coordination for interpersonal coordination at the movement level.

Main Methods:

Conducted solo and dyadic tasks with participants.
Utilized auditory feedback for sensorimotor interactions.
Analyzed kinematic properties of movements, focusing on submovements.

Main Results:

Submovements were present and coordinated between partners using auditory feedback.
The strength of submovement coordination correlated with the accuracy of interpersonal coordination at the movement level.

Conclusions:

Submovement coordination is not limited to visual interactions and is domain-general.
Submovement coordination is a fundamental mechanism supporting interpersonal motor coordination across sensory modalities.