Behavioral impact of unisensory and multisensory audio-tactile events: pros and cons for interlimb coordination in juggling.

ABSTRACT: Recent behavioral neuroscience research revealed that elementary reactive behavior can be improved in the case of cross-modal sensory interactions thanks to underlying multisensory integration mechanisms. Can this benefit be generalized to an ongoing coordination of movements under severe physical constraints? We choose a juggling task to examine this question. A central issue well-known in juggling lies in establishing and maintaining a specific temporal coordination among balls, hands, eyes and posture. Here, we tested whether providing additional timing information about the balls and hands motions by using external sound and tactile periodic stimulations, the later presented at the wrists, improved the behavior of jugglers. One specific combination of auditory and tactile metronome led

SUBMITTER: Zelic G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3288083 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature