Separate representations of dynamics in rhythmic and discrete movements: evidence from motor learning.

ABSTRACT: Rhythmic and discrete arm movements occur ubiquitously in everyday life, and there is a debate as to whether these two classes of movements arise from the same or different underlying neural mechanisms. Here we examine interference in a motor-learning paradigm to test whether rhythmic and discrete movements employ at least partially separate neural representations. Subjects were required to make circular movements of their right hand while they were exposed to a velocity-dependent force field that perturbed the circularity of the movement path. The direction of the force-field perturbation reversed at the end of each block of 20 revolutions. When subjects made only rhythmic or only discrete circular movements, interference was observed when switching between the two opposing force fields.

SUBMITTER: Howard IS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3075277 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature