Dynamic proprioceptive target matching behavior in the upper limb: Effects of speed, task difficulty and arm/hemisphere asymmetries

• Published in: Behavioural brain research Vol. 200; no. 1; pp. 7 - 14
• Main Authors: Goble, Daniel J., Brown, Susan H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 08.06.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Dynamic feedback; Feedback processing; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Handedness; Humans; Interhemispheric transfer; Kinesthesia; Laterality; Memory; Motor control; Movement - physiology; Nonlinear Dynamics; Proprioception; Proprioception - physiology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Sensorimotor integration; Task Performance and Analysis; Upper Extremity - physiology; Young Adult; Handedness; Proprioception; Feedback processing; Memory; Dynamic feedback; Sensorimotor integration; Laterality; Interhemispheric transfer; Motor control; Kinesthesia; Hemispheric specialization; Feedback regulation; Cognition; Velocity; Task difficulty; Sensorimotor coordination; Asymmetry; Upper limb; Behavior; Arm; Motricity
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.11.034

Although proprioception consists of static (i.e. position) and dynamic (i.e. movement) components, most studies regarding the matching of proprioceptive targets have focused only on position. Further, these position-matching studies have recently indicated that proprioceptive ability is influenced by several factors including task difficulty and arm preference. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to quantify the matching of dynamic proprioceptive target arm movements under different matching conditions. Using torque motor-driven manipulanda, 11 blindfolded, right-handed adults experienced triangular velocity profiles at 2 different peak speeds (30°/s or 60°/s) with the preferred and non-preferred elbow. Subjects then matched the dynamics of these target movements with either the same (ipsilateral remembered) or opposite (contralateral remembered) elbow. Matching errors were generally larger for the more difficult, contralateral remembered versus ipsilateral remembered task, and for greater target speed conditions. One arm difference was found indicating a non-preferred arm advantage for the matching of average target acceleration in the ipsilateral remembered condition. Overall, these results demonstrate that dynamic proprioceptive feedback-matching performance is influenced by several factors including peak speed, task difficulty and limb preference.