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Crosstalk Between Auditory and Visual information in Motor Learning and Savings
1INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Dijon, France.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|April 13, 2026
Summary
Auditory feedback alone does not support motor learning, but prior visual learning enables adaptation through sound. This cross-modal transfer relies on a directional memory, not error correction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Sensory Integration
Background:
- Sensorimotor adaptation integrates multisensory feedback.
- Auditory feedback's role in motor learning is less understood than visual feedback.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the contribution of auditory signals to sensorimotor adaptation.
- Explore cross-modal transfer of motor learning between visual and auditory feedback.
Main Methods:
- 46 participants performed a reaching task with visual, auditory, or combined terminal error feedback.
- Participants alternated between feedback modalities during learning and relearning phases.
Main Results:
- Auditory feedback alone did not facilitate initial motor learning.
- Prior visual learning significantly enhanced subsequent adaptation to auditory feedback.
- Cross-modal transfer was mediated by a directional motor memory, independent of error signals or explicit strategies.
Conclusions:
- A novel pathway for sensory integration in motor learning exists, involving directional memory.
- Visual learning can prime the system for subsequent auditory adaptation.
- Findings have implications for developing cross-modal training protocols in motor rehabilitation.
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