Contribution of tactile information to accuracy in pointing movements. 2001

A K Rao, and A M Gordon
Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.

We examined the contribution of tactile cues to accuracy during point-to-point movements. We used a task in which the experimenter guided either the left or right hand of the subject to a spatial location during the reference movement. During the subsequent test movement subjects were asked to point with the right hand to the remembered location without vision. Subjects contacted the target with their fingertip either during the reference movement, both the reference and test movements, or neither movement (i.e., the fingertip was held above the target surface). To differentiate between the contribution of tactile and proximal deep pressure information, the left index finger was anesthetized in a subsequent experiment. When subjects contacted the surface with the fingertip of the reference hand alone, error in movement direction decreased. When subjects made fingertip contact during the reference and test movements, gain error also decreased. Anesthesia of the fingertip degraded accuracy, suggesting that tactile information, independent of information from proximal deep pressure receptors, influenced movement accuracy. Thus, tactile information contributed to accuracy in pointing movements. We suggest that forces at fingertip contact may provide information regarding the orientation of the finger and forearm in space, which is used to replicate final arm posture. In addition, tactile cues at the beginning and end of the movement may be used to scale movement amplitude.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007699 Kinesthesis Sense of movement of a part of the body, such as movement of fingers, elbows, knees, limbs, or weights. Kinesthesia,Kinesthetic Sense,Movement Sensation,Kinestheses,Kinesthesias,Kinesthetic Senses,Movement Sensations
D007839 Functional Laterality Behavioral manifestations of cerebral dominance in which there is preferential use and superior functioning of either the left or the right side, as in the preferred use of the right hand or right foot. Ambidexterity,Behavioral Laterality,Handedness,Laterality of Motor Control,Mirror Writing,Laterality, Behavioral,Laterality, Functional,Mirror Writings,Motor Control Laterality,Writing, Mirror,Writings, Mirror
D008012 Lidocaine A local anesthetic and cardiac depressant used as an antiarrhythmia agent. Its actions are more intense and its effects more prolonged than those of PROCAINE but its duration of action is shorter than that of BUPIVACAINE or PRILOCAINE. Lignocaine,2-(Diethylamino)-N-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)Acetamide,2-2EtN-2MePhAcN,Dalcaine,Lidocaine Carbonate,Lidocaine Carbonate (2:1),Lidocaine Hydrocarbonate,Lidocaine Hydrochloride,Lidocaine Monoacetate,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride, Monohydrate,Lidocaine Sulfate (1:1),Octocaine,Xylesthesin,Xylocaine,Xylocitin,Xyloneural
D008297 Male Males
D008465 Mechanoreceptors Cells specialized to transduce mechanical stimuli and relay that information centrally in the nervous system. Mechanoreceptor cells include the INNER EAR hair cells, which mediate hearing and balance, and the various somatosensory receptors, often with non-neural accessory structures. Golgi Tendon Organ,Golgi Tendon Organs,Krause's End Bulb,Krause's End Bulbs,Mechanoreceptor,Mechanoreceptor Cell,Meissner's Corpuscle,Neurotendinous Spindle,Neurotendinous Spindles,Receptors, Stretch,Ruffini's Corpuscle,Ruffini's Corpuscles,Stretch Receptor,Stretch Receptors,Mechanoreceptor Cells,Bulb, Krause's End,Bulbs, Krause's End,Cell, Mechanoreceptor,Cells, Mechanoreceptor,Corpuscle, Meissner's,Corpuscle, Ruffini's,Corpuscles, Ruffini's,End Bulb, Krause's,End Bulbs, Krause's,Krause End Bulb,Krause End Bulbs,Krauses End Bulb,Krauses End Bulbs,Meissner Corpuscle,Meissners Corpuscle,Organ, Golgi Tendon,Organs, Golgi Tendon,Receptor, Stretch,Ruffini Corpuscle,Ruffini Corpuscles,Ruffinis Corpuscle,Ruffinis Corpuscles,Spindle, Neurotendinous,Spindles, Neurotendinous,Tendon Organ, Golgi,Tendon Organs, Golgi
D009068 Movement The act, process, or result of passing from one place or position to another. It differs from LOCOMOTION in that locomotion is restricted to the passing of the whole body from one place to another, while movement encompasses both locomotion but also a change of the position of the whole body or any of its parts. Movement may be used with reference to humans, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and microorganisms. Differentiate also from MOTOR ACTIVITY, movement associated with behavior. Movements
D009483 Neuropsychological Tests Tests designed to assess neurological function associated with certain behaviors. They are used in diagnosing brain dysfunction or damage and central nervous system disorders or injury. Aphasia Tests,Cognitive Test,Cognitive Testing,Cognitive Tests,Memory for Designs Test,Neuropsychological Testing,AX-CPT,Behavioral Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome,CANTAB,Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery,Clock Test,Cognitive Function Scanner,Continuous Performance Task,Controlled Oral Word Association Test,Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System,Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment,Hooper Visual Organization Test,NEPSY,Neuropsychologic Tests,Neuropsychological Test,Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test,Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status,Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure,Symbol Digit Modalities Test,Test of Everyday Attention,Test, Neuropsychological,Tests, Neuropsychological,Tower of London Test,Neuropsychologic Test,Test, Cognitive,Testing, Cognitive,Testing, Neuropsychological,Tests, Cognitive
D009949 Orientation Awareness of oneself in relation to time, place and person. Cognitive Orientation,Mental Orientation,Psychological Orientation,Cognitive Orientations,Mental Orientations,Orientation, Cognitive,Orientation, Mental,Orientation, Psychological,Orientations,Orientations, Cognitive,Orientations, Mental,Orientations, Psychological,Psychological Orientations
D010525 Peripheral Nerves The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic, cranial, and spinal nerves. Peripheral nerves contain non-neuronal cells and connective tissue as well as axons. The connective tissue layers include, from the outside to the inside, the epineurium, the perineurium, and the endoneurium. Endoneurium,Epineurium,Perineurium,Endoneuriums,Epineuriums,Nerve, Peripheral,Nerves, Peripheral,Perineuriums,Peripheral Nerve
D011434 Proprioception Sensory functions that transduce stimuli received by proprioceptive receptors in joints, tendons, muscles, and the INNER EAR into neural impulses to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Proprioception provides sense of stationary positions and movements of one's body parts, and is important in maintaining KINESTHESIA and POSTURAL BALANCE. Labyrinthine Sense,Position Sense,Posture Sense,Sense of Equilibrium,Vestibular Sense,Sense of Position,Equilibrium Sense,Sense, Labyrinthine,Sense, Position,Sense, Posture,Sense, Vestibular

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