event-related potential evoked by movement planning is modulated by performance and learning in visuomotor control

• Published in: Experimental brain research Vol. 195; no. 4; pp. 519 - 529
• Main Author: Hill, Holger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.06.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anatomical correlates of behavior; Behavior; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain Mapping; Cerebral Cortex - anatomy & histology; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Cognition - physiology; Electroencephalography; Error correction & detection; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Learning - physiology; Male; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Motor Cortex - anatomy & histology; Motor Cortex - physiology; Movement - physiology; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Neurosciences; Photic Stimulation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Research Article; User-Computer Interface; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Young Adult; ERP; Tracking; Motor learning; Motor program; Visuomotor learning; Human; Rodentia; Electrophysiology; Tracking task; Vertebrata; Bimanual task; Mammalia; Acquisition process; Mouse; Evoked potential; Planning; Tracing; Motricity; Event evoked potential; Visuomotor control; Distance; Motor preparation
• ISSN: 0014-4819; 1432-1106; 1432-1106
• DOI: 10.1007/s00221-009-1821-6

Based on a previous exploratory study, the functionality of event-related potentials related to visuomotor processing and learning was investigated. Three pursuit tracking tasks (cursor control either mouse, joystick, or bimanually) revealed the greatest tracking error and greatest learning effect in the bimanual task. The smallest error without learning was found in the mouse task. Error reduction reflected visuomotor learning. In detail, target-cursor distance was reduced continuously, indicating a better fit to a changed direction, whereas response time remained at 300 ms. A central positive ERP component with an activity onset 100 ms after a directional change of the target and most likely generated in premotor areas could be assigned to response planning and execution. The magnitude of this component was modulated by within-and-between-task difficulty and size of the tracking error. Most importantly, the size of this component was sensitive to between-subject performance and increased with visuomotor learning.