Active inference unifies intentional and conflict-resolution imperatives of motor control

The field of motor control has long focused on the achievement of external goals through action (e.g., reaching and grasping objects). However, recent studies in conditions of multisensory conflict, such as when a subject experiences the rubber hand illusion or embodies an avatar in virtual reality, reveal the presence of unconscious movements that are not goal-directed, but rather aim at resolving multisensory conflicts; for example, by aligning the position of a person’s arm with that of an embodied avatar. This second, conflict-resolution imperative of movement control did not emerge in classical studies of motor adaptation and online corrections, which did not allow movements to reduce the conflicts; and has been largely ignored so far in formal theories. Here, we propose a model of movement control grounded in the theory of active inference that integrates intentional and conflict-resolution imperatives. We present three simulations showing that the active inference model is able to characterize movements guided by the intention to achieve an external goal, by the necessity to resolve multisensory conflict, or both. Furthermore, our simulations reveal a fundamental difference between the (active) inference underlying intentional and conflict-resolution imperatives, respectively, by showing that it is driven by two different (model and sensory) kinds of prediction errors. Finally, our simulations show that when movement is only guided by conflict-resolution, the model incorrectly infers that is velocity is zero, as if it was not moving. This result suggests a novel speculative explanation for the fact that people are unaware of their subtle compensatory movements to avoid multisensory conflict. Furthermore, it can potentially help shed light on deficits of motor awareness that arise in psychopathological conditions.

Dissociation of motor control from motor awareness in awake sleepwalkers: An EEG study in virtual reality

Recent behavioral evidence indicates that awake sleepwalkers show dissociation of motor control and motor awareness in a virtual reality (VR) paradigm. Intriguingly, this dissociation resembles the nocturnal disintegration of motor awareness and movement during episodes of sleepwalking. Here, we set out to examine the neural underpinnings of altered motor agency in sleepwalkers by measuring EEG modulation during redirected walking in VR. Using this approach, we discovered distinct EEG patterns in awake sleepwalkers indicating facilitated dual tasking and salient habitual motor control as compared to healthy subjects. These observations provide electrophysiological evidence for the proposed brain-body dissociation in awake sleepwalkers. In conclusion, this study shows proof-of-principle that EEG biomarkers of movement in a VR setting might add to the diagnostic work-up of awake sleepwalkers.

The effect of special exercises according to the principle of re-training in the development of kinesthetic perception among middle school students

The importance of research that has manifested in raising the level of perception and its different types for students in the intermediate stages of education using a method and principle from the principles of mathematical training science is repeated because of its great importance in building the correct motor side, in addition to delivering scientific information to trainers and teachers about the importance of this training to the teacher And the student in raising the level of perceptual-motor. The research objectives were: 1- Preparing special exercises according to the principle of re-training in the development of kinesthetic perception among middle school students. 2- Knowing the effect of special exercises according to the principle of re-training in developing sensory-motor perception among middle school students. Conclusion : 1-Training according to the principle of repetition has scientific significance in promoting and developing perceptual-motor awareness among middle school students. 2- The development of perceptual-motor awareness raises the aesthetic of the technical performance of sports for middle school students. 3-Adopting training according to the principle of repetition in the physical education lesson because of its scientific importance in promoting and developing perceptual-motor awareness among middle school students. 4-The emphasis in the physical education lesson on sensory-motor perception increases the aesthetic performance of athletic sports among middle school students

Anosognosia for hemiplegia as a tripartite disconnection syndrome

The syndrome of Anosognosia for Hemiplegia (AHP) can provide unique insights into the neurocognitive processes of motor awareness. Yet, prior studies have only explored predominately discreet lesions. Using advanced structural neuroimaging methods in 174 patients with a right-hemisphere stroke, we were able to identify three neural systems that contribute to AHP, when disconnected or directly damaged: the (i) premotor loop (ii) limbic system, and (iii) ventral attentional network. Our results suggest that human motor awareness is contingent on the joint contribution of these three systems.

Anosognosia for Hemiplegia as a tripartite disconnection syndrome

The rare syndrome of Anosognosia for Hemiplegia (AHP) can provide unique insights into the neurocognitive processes of motor awareness. Yet, prior studies have only explored predominately discreet lesions. Using advanced structural neuroimaging methods in 174 patients with a right-hemisphere stroke, we were able to identify three neural networks that contribute to AHP, when disconnected: the (1) premotor loop (2) limbic system, and (3) ventral attention network. Our results suggest that human motor awareness is contingent on the joint contribution of these three systems.