The impact of vision and tendon vibration on goal-directed movements A Lavrysen, F Van Halewyck, W F Helsen |
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FaBeR Centre for Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
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| Aiming bias is influenced by the type of visual information when aiming to a Müller-Lyer illusion (Lavrysen et al, 2006, Experimental Brain Research 174(3), 544-554). This demonstrates a tight coupling between visual and manual information for movement planning and online control. Tendon vibration (TV) typically induces an undershoot of the target at the antagonistic side of the muscles vibrated. In this study we investigated whether visual information affects the proprioceptive illusion effect caused by TV. Local TV was applied to the wrist extensor muscles while making cyclical aiming movements. The results showed that TV induced an illusory reduction of almost 25% in movement amplitude, independent of the onset of the vibration (peak flexion or peak extension). Interestingly, neither eye movements nor eye-hand coordination were affected by tendon TV. However, vision condition (making saccades vs. fixating; targets present vs. absent) did mediate the vibration effect. Specifically, the effect increased when the targets were removed and when fixating. Apparently, making use of unperturbed retinal and extraretinal information helps to reduce the proprioceptive illusion of local TV. These results confirm a tight link between saccadic and manual perception and action. |
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