Asymmetrical after-effects of prism adaptation during goal oriented locomotion

• Published in: Experimental brain research Vol. 185; no. 2; pp. 259 - 268
• Main Authors: Michel, Carine, Vernet, Paul, Courtine, Grégoire, Ballay, Yves, Pozzo, Thierry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.02.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Adult; Applied physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Goals; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Medical sciences; Motor Activity - physiology; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Neurology; Neurosciences; Orientation - physiology; Photic Stimulation - methods; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Research Article; Space Perception - physiology; Transports. Aerospace. Diving. Altitude; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Visual Perception - physiology; Prism adaptation; Locomotion; Cognitive; Space representation; Sensorimotor; Simulation of neglect; After effect; Human; Asymmetry; Simulation; Pointing task
• ISSN: 0014-4819; 1432-1106
• DOI: 10.1007/s00221-007-1152-4

In healthy subjects, sensorimotor after-effects of prism adaptation are known to be symmetric (they appear after using leftward and rightward optical deviations), whereas cognitive after-effects are asymmetric (they appear after using a leftward optical deviation) and rightward oriented. Sensorimotor and cognitive after-effects have been classically studied using different specific tasks. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether both after-effects may be involved in a same visuo-spatial task. Therefore we compared the amplitude of after-effects following adaptation to a rightward or leftward optical deviation. After-effects were assessed by manual pointing or goal oriented locomotor task. The main result showed a greater amplitude for rightward locomotor after-effects (after adaptation to a leftward deviation) than for leftward locomotor after-effects (after adaptation to a rightward deviation). This means that cognitive after-effects may add to sensorimotor after-effects following adaptation to a leftward optical deviation. This asymmetry challenges the classical distinction between sensorimotor and cognitive after-effects of prism adaptation. Implications for the functional mechanisms and the neuroanatomical substrate of prism adaptation are discussed.