Facilitative Effects of Passive Motor Training on Interlimb Transfer of Visuomotor Adaptation
Mentor 1
Dr. Jinsung Wang
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
29-4-2016 1:30 PM
End Date
29-4-2016 3:30 PM
Description
Typically, the extent of interlimb transfer reported in the neuroscience literature is very limited. However, a recent study demonstrated that performing, but not learning, a reaching task with one arm repeatedly while learning the same task with the other could lead to complete transfer of visuomotor adaptation across the arms. That finding suggests that limited interlimb transfer is primarily due to the absence of motor instances that are effector specific. The objective of the present study was to examine whether performing a reaching task passively with one arm while learning the task with the other would also lead to complete transfer of visuomotor adaptation across the arms. Our subjects were divided into three training conditions: (1) In the active condition, subjects performed reaching movements actively with the right arm for 10 trials following every 20 trials with the left arm; (2) in the passive condition, subjects performed reaching movements passively with the right arm for 10 trials following every 20 trials with the left arm; and (3) in the control condition, subjects performed reaching movements only with the left arm. In all three conditions, subjects performed the left arm movements under a rotated visual display condition; and visual feedback was provided only during the left arm movements, so that they could adapt to the novel visuomotor condition only with the left arm. Following the training session, all subjects performed reaching movements with the right arm under the same visuomotor condition. Our preliminary data indicate that the extent of transfer in both the active and the passive conditions is substantially greater than that in the control condition, which indicates that motor instances, whether provided actively or passively, can facilitate interlimb transfer of motor learning. This finding has implications for neurorehabilitation for individuals with unilateral impairment.
Facilitative Effects of Passive Motor Training on Interlimb Transfer of Visuomotor Adaptation
Union Wisconsin Room
Typically, the extent of interlimb transfer reported in the neuroscience literature is very limited. However, a recent study demonstrated that performing, but not learning, a reaching task with one arm repeatedly while learning the same task with the other could lead to complete transfer of visuomotor adaptation across the arms. That finding suggests that limited interlimb transfer is primarily due to the absence of motor instances that are effector specific. The objective of the present study was to examine whether performing a reaching task passively with one arm while learning the task with the other would also lead to complete transfer of visuomotor adaptation across the arms. Our subjects were divided into three training conditions: (1) In the active condition, subjects performed reaching movements actively with the right arm for 10 trials following every 20 trials with the left arm; (2) in the passive condition, subjects performed reaching movements passively with the right arm for 10 trials following every 20 trials with the left arm; and (3) in the control condition, subjects performed reaching movements only with the left arm. In all three conditions, subjects performed the left arm movements under a rotated visual display condition; and visual feedback was provided only during the left arm movements, so that they could adapt to the novel visuomotor condition only with the left arm. Following the training session, all subjects performed reaching movements with the right arm under the same visuomotor condition. Our preliminary data indicate that the extent of transfer in both the active and the passive conditions is substantially greater than that in the control condition, which indicates that motor instances, whether provided actively or passively, can facilitate interlimb transfer of motor learning. This finding has implications for neurorehabilitation for individuals with unilateral impairment.
