Agency evaluation in motor cognition: Action’s control-effectiveness feedback and its environmental context enhances motor performance

A perceptual effect that is temporally contiguous on one’s action holds important information about one’s control over the action and its effect (“I did that”). Previous work has demonstrated the impact of such immediate action-effect on perception and motor processes. In the current study, we investigated the promoting impact of control-effectiveness feedback – an effect that is temporally contiguous on one’s action – on motor performance. In two experiments, participants performed a rapid movement towards a target location on a computer monitor and clicked on the target with their mouse key as quickly and accurately as possible. Their click response triggered a perceptual effect (a brief white flash) on the target. We manipulated control-effectiveness feedback by employing varying levels of action-effect delay in two experimental contexts - long versus short lag distributions. Such design enabled us to investigate the impact of both the recent action-effect delay and its experimental context on motor performance. The findings demonstrate that control-effectiveness feedback (e.g., temporally contiguous perceptual effect) enhances motor performance as indicated by both endpoint precision and movement speed. In addition, a substantial effect of the experimental context was observed. Namely, we found enhanced motor performance, especially after an ambiguous (intermediate) action-effect delay when it was sampled from a short compared to long lag distribution; a pattern that supports the contribution of both ‘control’ expectations and control-feedback on motor performance. We discuss findings in the context of previous work on control-effectiveness and movement control and their potential implications for clinicians and digital interface developers.

Download Full-text

Effect of post-stroke spasticity on voluntary movement of the upper limb

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation ◽

10.1186/s12984-021-00876-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hadar Lackritz ◽

Yisrael Parmet ◽

Silvi Frenkel-Toledo ◽

Melanie C. Baniña ◽

Nachum Soroker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Upper Limb ◽

Target Location ◽

Distance Measure ◽

Movement Time ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Reach To Grasp ◽

Motion Patterns ◽

Post Stroke ◽

The Impact ◽

Elbow Motion

Abstract Background Hemiparesis following stroke is often accompanied by spasticity. Spasticity is one factor among the multiple components of the upper motor neuron syndrome that contributes to movement impairment. However, the specific contribution of spasticity is difficult to isolate and quantify. We propose a new method of quantification and evaluation of the impact of spasticity on the quality of movement following stroke. Methods Spasticity was assessed using the Tonic Stretch Reflex Threshold (TSRT). TSRT was analyzed in relation to stochastic models of motion to quantify the deviation of the hemiparetic upper limb motion from the normal motion patterns during a reaching task. Specifically, we assessed the impact of spasticity in the elbow flexors on reaching motion patterns using two distinct measures of the ‘distance’ between pathological and normal movement, (a) the bidirectional Kullback–Liebler divergence (BKLD) and (b) Hellinger’s distance (HD). These measures differ in their sensitivity to different confounding variables. Motor impairment was assessed clinically by the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale for the upper extremity (FMA-UE). Forty-two first-event stroke patients in the subacute phase and 13 healthy controls of similar age participated in the study. Elbow motion was analyzed in the context of repeated reach-to-grasp movements towards four differently located targets. Log-BKLD and HD along with movement time, final elbow extension angle, mean elbow velocity, peak elbow velocity, and the number of velocity peaks of the elbow motion were computed. Results Upper limb kinematics in patients with lower FMA-UE scores (greater impairment) showed greater deviation from normality when the distance between impaired and normal elbow motion was analyzed either with the BKLD or HD measures. The severity of spasticity, reflected by the TSRT, was related to the distance between impaired and normal elbow motion analyzed with either distance measure. Mean elbow velocity differed between targets, however HD was not sensitive to target location. This may point at effects of spasticity on motion quality that go beyond effects on velocity. Conclusions The two methods for analyzing pathological movement post-stroke provide new options for studying the relationship between spasticity and movement quality under different spatiotemporal constraints.

Download Full-text

Changes in activity of fast-spiking interneurons of the monkey striatum during reaching at a visual target

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00566.2016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (1) ◽

pp. 65-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kévin Marche ◽

Paul Apicella

Keyword(s):

Target Location ◽

Visual Target ◽

Movement Speed ◽

Gabaergic Interneurons ◽

Movement Preparation ◽

Movement Initiation ◽

Reaching Task ◽

Advance Information ◽

Fast Spiking ◽

Task Conditions

Recent works highlight the importance of local inhibitory interneurons in regulating the function of the striatum. In particular, fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), which likely correspond to a subgroup of GABAergic interneurons, have been involved in the control of movement by exerting strong inhibition on striatal output pathways. However, little is known about the exact contribution of these presumed interneurons in movement preparation, initiation, and execution. We recorded the activity of FSIs in the striatum of monkeys as they performed reaching movements to a visual target under two task conditions: one in which the movement target was presented at unsignaled left or right locations, and another in which advance information about target location was available, thus allowing monkeys to react faster. Modulations of FSI activity around the initiation of movement (53% of 55 neurons) consisted mostly of increases reaching maximal firing immediately before or, less frequently, after movement onset. Another subset of FSIs showed decreases in activity during movement execution. Rarely did movement-related changes in FSI firing depend on response direction and movement speed. Modulations of FSI activity occurring relatively early in relation to movement initiation were more influenced by the preparation for movement, compared with those occurring later. Conversely, FSI activity remained unaffected, as monkeys were preparing a movement toward a specific location and instead moved to the opposite direction when the trigger occurred. These results provide evidence that changes in activity of presumed GABAergic interneurons of the primate striatum could make distinct contributions to processes involved in movement generation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We explored the functional contributions of striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), presumed GABAergic interneurons, to distinct steps of movement generation in monkeys performing a reaching task. The activity of individual FSIs was modulated before and during the movement, consisting mostly of increased in firing rates. Changes in activity also occurred during movement preparation. We interpret this variety of modulation types at different moments of task performance as reflecting differential FSI control over distinct phases of movement.

Download Full-text

Targeting in Virtual Workspaces: motor learning consolidates spatial memory for performance clusters

10.31234/osf.io/7z9q6 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Bradly Alicea ◽

Corey Bohil ◽

Frank Biocca ◽

Charles Owen

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Target Location ◽

Movement Time ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Arm Movement ◽

Hierarchical Cluster ◽

Movement Speed ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Training Interval ◽

Speed And Accuracy

Our objective was to focus on linkages between the process of learning and memory and the placement of objects within an array of targets in a virtual workspace. Participants were instructed to place virtual objects serially within a three-dimensional target array. One phase presented each target sequentially, and required participants to make timed ballistic arm movements. The other phase presented all nine targets simultaneously, which required ballistic arm movement towards the correct target location as recalled from the learning phase. Movement time and accuracy were assessed using repeated-measures ANOVA, a hierarchical cluster analysis, and a multiple linear regression. Collectively, this revealed numerous speed and accuracy advantages and disadvantages for various positional combinations. Upper positions universally yielded longer movement times and larger error measurements. Individual ability for mental rotation combined with task learning over a fixed training interval was found to predict accuracy for specific locations. The prediction that location influences movement speed and accuracy was supported, but with some caveats. These results may be particularly useful in the design of instructor stations and other hybrid physical-virtual workspaces.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Prior Knowledge about Visual Feedback on Motor Performance and Learning

Advances in Physical Education ◽

10.4236/ape.2013.31001 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 03 (01) ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

James J. Burkitt ◽

Lawrence E. M. Grierson ◽

Victoria Staite ◽

Digby Elliott ◽

James Lyons

Keyword(s):

Prior Knowledge ◽

Visual Feedback ◽

Motor Performance ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Statistical regularities cause attentional suppression with target-matching distractors

Attention Perception & Psychophysics ◽

10.3758/s13414-020-02206-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dirk Kerzel ◽

Stanislas Huynh Cong

Keyword(s):

High Frequency ◽

Target Location ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Target Display ◽

Distractor Location ◽

Target Feature ◽

Statistical Regularities ◽

Feature Based ◽

The Impact ◽

Target Matching

AbstractVisual search may be disrupted by the presentation of salient, but irrelevant stimuli. To reduce the impact of salient distractors, attention may suppress their processing below baseline level. While there are many studies on the attentional suppression of distractors with features distinct from the target (e.g., a color distractor with a shape target), there is little and inconsistent evidence for attentional suppression with distractors sharing the target feature. In this study, distractor and target were temporally separated in a cue–target paradigm, where the cue was shown briefly before the target display. With target-matching cues, RTs were shorter when the cue appeared at the target location (valid cues) compared with when it appeared at a nontarget location (invalid cues). To induce attentional suppression, we presented the cue more frequently at one out of four possible target positions. We found that invalid cues appearing at the high-frequency cue position produced less interference than invalid cues appearing at a low-frequency cue position. Crucially, target processing was also impaired at the high-frequency cue position, providing strong evidence for attentional suppression of the cued location. Overall, attentional suppression of the frequent distractor location could be established through feature-based attention, suggesting that feature-based attention may guide attentional suppression just as it guides attentional enhancement.

Download Full-text

The impact of athletic clothing style and body awareness on motor performance in women

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review ◽

10.3758/s13423-020-01755-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 1025-1035

Author(s):

Elizabeth Cox ◽

Catherine M. Sabiston ◽

April Karlinsky ◽

Joseph Manzone ◽

Heather F. Neyedli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Performance ◽

Body Awareness ◽

Clothing Style ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

The impact of a chlamydia education program on practice nurse’s knowledge and attitudes in relation to chlamydia testing: a cross-sectional survey

Sexual Health ◽

10.1071/sh15134 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 73 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rebecca Lorch ◽

Rebecca Guy ◽

Meredith Temple-Smith ◽

Alaina Vaisey ◽

Anna Wood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Education Program ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Practice Nurses ◽

Control Effectiveness ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Chlamydia Testing ◽

Education Group ◽

The Impact

Background We aimed to determine the impact of a chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) education program on the knowledge of and attitudes towards chlamydia testing of practice nurses (PNs). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at baseline and 6–12 months following recruitment with PNs in the Australian Chlamydia Control Effectiveness Pilot. Likert scales were analysed as continuous variables (scores), and t-tests were used to assess changes in mean scores between survey rounds and groups. Results: Of the 72 PNs who completed both surveys, 42 received education. Epidemiology knowledge scores increased significantly between surveys in the education group (P < 0.01), with change in knowledge being greater in the education group compared with the non-education group (P < 0.01). Knowledge of recommended testing scenarios (P = 0.01) and retesting following treatment (P < 0.01) increased in the education group. Attitudes to testing scores improved over time in the education group (P = 0.03), with PNs more likely to want increased involvement in chlamydia testing (P < 0.01). Change in overall attitude scores towards testing between surveys was higher in the education group (P = 0.05). Barriers to chlamydia testing scores also increased in the education group (P = 0.03), with change in barriers greater in the education vs the non-education group (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The education program led to improved knowledge and attitudes to chlamydia, and could be made available to PNs working in general practice. Future analyses will determine if the education program plus other initiatives can increase testing rates.

Download Full-text

Region-specific Foxp2 deletions in cortex, striatum or cerebellum cannot explain vocalization deficits observed in spontaneous global knockouts

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-78531-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bastiaan H. A. Urbanus ◽

Saša Peter ◽

Simon E. Fisher ◽

Chris I. De Zeeuw

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Language Comprehension ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Broadband Noise ◽

Conditional Knockout ◽

Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽

Rare Mutations ◽

Key Sites ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain

AbstractFOXP2 has been identified as a gene related to speech in humans, based on rare mutations that yield significant impairments in speech at the level of both motor performance and language comprehension. Disruptions of the murine orthologue Foxp2 in mouse pups have been shown to interfere with production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). However, it remains unclear which structures are responsible for these deficits. Here, we show that conditional knockout mice with selective Foxp2 deletions targeting the cerebral cortex, striatum or cerebellum, three key sites of motor control with robust neural gene expression, do not recapture the profile of pup USV deficits observed in mice with global disruptions of this gene. Moreover, we observed that global Foxp2 knockout pups show substantive reductions in USV production as well as an overproduction of short broadband noise “clicks”, which was not present in the brain region-specific knockouts. These data indicate that deficits of Foxp2 expression in the cortex, striatum or cerebellum cannot solely explain the disrupted vocalization behaviours in global Foxp2 knockouts. Our findings raise the possibility that the impact of Foxp2 disruption on USV is mediated at least in part by effects of this gene on the anatomical prerequisites for vocalizing.

Download Full-text