Dissociating variability and effort as determinants of coordination.

ABSTRACT: When coordinating movements, the nervous system often has to decide how to distribute work across a number of redundant effectors. Here, we show that humans solve this problem by trying to minimize both the variability of motor output and the effort involved. In previous studies that investigated the temporal shape of movements, these two selective pressures, despite having very different theoretical implications, could not be distinguished; because noise in the motor system increases with the motor commands, minimization of effort or variability leads to very similar predictions. When multiple effectors with different noise and effort characteristics have to be combined, however, these two cost terms can be dissociated. Here, we measure the importance of variability and effort in coordina

SUBMITTER: O'Sullivan I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2661023 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature