The build-up and transfer of sensorimotor temporal recalibration measured via a synchronization task
Yoshimori Sugano, Mirjam Keetels, Jean Vroomen

Date: 2012-06-20 04:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Last modified: 2012-04-24

Abstract


The timing relation between a motor action and the sensory consequences of that action can be adapted by exposing participants to artificially delayed feedback (temporal recalibration; Stetson et al., 2006; Heron et al., 2009; Sugano et al., 2010; Stekelenburg et al., 2011; Keetels & Vroomen, 2012). Here, we demonstrate that a sensorimotor synchronization task (i.e., tapping the index finger in synchrony with a pacing signal) can be used as a measure of temporal recalibration. Participants were first exposed to a constant delay (~150 ms) between a voluntary action (a finger tap) and an external feedback stimulus of that action (a visual flash or auditory tone). A subjective 'no-delay’ condition (~50 ms) served as baseline. After a short exposure phase to delayed feedback participants performed the tapping task in which they tapped their finger in synchrony with a flash or tone. Temporal recalibration manifested itself in that taps were given ~20 ms earlier after exposure to 150 ms delays than 50 ms delays. This effect built up quickly (within 60 taps) and was bigger for auditory than visual adapters. In Experiment 2, we tested whether temporal recalibration would transfer across modalities by switching the modality of the adapter and pacing signal. Temporal recalibration transferred from visual adapters to auditory pacers, but not from auditory adapters to visual pacers. This asymmetric transfer suggests that sensory-specific effects are at play.

References


Heron, J., Hanson, J.V., Whitaker, D. (2009). Effect before cause: supramodal recalibration of sensorimotor timing. PLoS One. 4, e7681.

Keetels, M., Vroomen, J. (2012). Exposure to delayed visual feedback of the hand changes motor-sensory synchrony perception. Experimental Brain Research, in press.

Stekelenburg, J. J., Sugano, Y., & Vroomen, J. (2011). Neural correlates of motor-sensory temporal recalibration. Brain Research, 1397, 46-54.

Stetson, C., Cui, X., Montague, P.R., Eagleman, D.M. (2006). Motor-sensory recalibration leads to an illusory reversal of action and sensation. Neuron. 51, 651-659.

Sugano, Y., Keetels, M., Vroomen, J. (2010). Adaptation to motor-visual and motor-auditory temporal lags transfer across modalities. Experimental Brain Research. 201, 393-399.

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