Transfer of motor learning across arm configurations.

Full Abstract

It has been suggested that the learning of new dynamics occurs in intrinsic coordinates. However, it has also been suggested that elements that encode hand velocity, and hence act in an extrinsic frame of reference, play a role in the acquisition of dynamics. To reconcile claims regarding the coordinate system involved in the representation of dynamics, we have used a procedure involving the transfer of force-field learning between two workspace locations. Subjects made point-to-point movements while holding a two-link manipulandum. Subjects were first trained to make movements in a single direction at the left of the workspace. They were then tested for transfer of learning at the right of the workspace. Two groups of subjects were defined. For the subjects in group j, movements at the left and right workspace locations were matched in terms of joint displacements. For the subjects in group h, movements in the two locations had the same hand displacements. Workspace locations were chosen such that for group j, the paths (for training and testing) that were identical in joint space were orthogonal in hand space. The subjects in group j showed good transfer between workspace locations, whereas the subjects in group h showed poor transfer. These results are in agreement with the idea that new dynamics are encoded in intrinsic coordinates and that this learning has a limited range of generalization across joint velocities.

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Author information

Author/s: Malfait, Nicole (N); Shiller, Douglas M (DM); Ostry, David J (DJ);

Affiliation: McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1.

Grants: DC-04669 (Agency:NIDCD NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 22 (issue 22) : pp 9656-60

Dates: Created 2002/11/12; Completed 2002/11/18; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12427820, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Arm - physiology
Biomechanics
Functional Laterality - physiology
Humans
Learning - physiology
Motor Activity - physiology
Movement - physiology

Movement - physiology
Posture - physiology
Proprioception - physiology
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Range of Motion, Articular - physiology
Robotics
Stress, Mechanical
Torque

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