Last Minute Change
Sunday, October 02nd, 2011 [18:00 - 20:00]
TALKS
PS_3.112 - Effects of visuo-motor adaptation on the kinematics of reaching
Gianelli, C. & Ranzini, M.
University of Bologna
In the present study we applied a visuo-motor adaptation paradigm to test the motor effects of adaptation and its time course during action execution through kinematics analysis. Action observation is known to modulate action execution, in particular facilitating the motor performance as a function of the similarity between the two actions. To date, no adaptation paradigm was used to study the kinematics effects after repeated visual exposure to actions performed by others. Participants executed three series of reaching-grasping movements of an object in three different conditions: baseline (no adaptation); congruent visuo-motor adaptation (CVMA: observation of reaching-grasping movements for 40 s); incongruent visuo-motor adaptation (IVMA: observation of pointing movements for 40 s). Each session started with the baseline recording, followed by CVMA or IVMA (counterbalanced). Results indicated that action execution was modulated by CVMA, but not by IVMA, as compared to baseline. Specifically, the accelerative phase of the reach component was modulated with a peculiar temporal pattern: indeed, facilitation effects emerged 10-15s after the end of the adaptation phase. This study suggests that motor facilitation may arise from adaptation processes as showed by the presence of long-lasting behavioral effects.