Asymmetrical transfer of adaptation between reaching and tracking: implications for feedforward and feedback processes

Abstract

Reaching and manual tracking are two very common tasks for studying human sensorimotor processes. Although these motor tasks rely both on feedforward and feedback processes, emphasis is more on feedforward processes for reaching, and more on feedback processes for tracking. The extent to which feedforward and feedback processes are interrelated when being updated is not settled yet. Here, using reaching and tracking as proxies, we examined the bidirectional relationship between the update of feedforward and feedback processes. Forty right-handed participants were asked to move a joystick so as to either track a target moving rather unpredictably (pursuit tracking) or to make fast pointing movements toward a static target (center-out reaching task). Visuomotor adaptation was elicited by introducing a 45° rotation between the joystick motion and the cursor motion. Half of the participants adapted to rotation first via reaching movements, and then with pursuit tracking, while the other half performed both tasks in opposite order. Group comparisons revealed a strong asymmetrical transfer of adaptation between tasks. Namely, although nearly complete transfer of adaptation was observed from reaching to tracking, only modest transfer was found from tracking to reaching. A control experiment (N=10) revealed that making target motion fully predictable did not impact the latter finding. One possible interpretation is that the update of feedforward processes contributes directly to feedback processes, but the update of feedback processes engaged in tracking can be performed in isolation. These results suggest that reaching movements are supported by broader (i.e. more universal) mechanisms than tracking ones.

Directional uncertainty in chase and escape dynamics.

“…Therefore, participants had to use a continuous sensory feedback to adapt to the statistical fluctuations we imposed for each trial (Clark, 2016;Körding & Wolpert, 2004;Piray & Daw, 2020). The responses we characterized in our task could not be observed by chance, and AR and v T influenced successful attacks and escapes (Coudiere et al, 2022;Domenici et al, 2011;Hocherman & Levy, 2000;Lam & Zenon, 2021). Higher AR and v T values in chasing trials increased uncertainty in the escaping path, making it more challenging for users to reach the target.…”

Right-left hand asymmetry in manual tracking: when poorer control is associated with better adaptation and interlimb transfer

“…Second, when visuomotor adaptation is required, the use of continuous tasks minimizes the implication of cognitive strategies as time pressure inherent to these tasks imposes fast deliberation to ongoing actions (Yang et al, 2021;Yoo et al, 2021). Third, asymmetrical transfer of visuomotor adaptation between discrete and continuous tasks confirms that these types of movement are driven by (at least partly) distinct neural mechanisms (Abeele & Bock, 2003;Coudiere et al, 2022;Ikegami et al, 2010). The overarching goal of the current study is to help filling this gap by assessing interlimb differences and transfer in visuomotor adaptation during manual tracking, a task in which a hand dominance effect at baseline (i.e.…”

“…Understanding how humans adapt hand movements when confronted to a visuomotor perturbation has relied primarily on discrete reaching movements performed towards a stationary target (Carroll et al, 2014;Henriques & Cressman, 2012;Krakauer et al, 2000;Krakauer, 2009;Seidler, 2006;Wang & Sainburg, 2006). Although considerable knowledge has been brought by these studies, this body of research does not necessarily account for the adaptation of continuous movements (Cohen et al, 2019;Coudiere et al, 2022). First, the contribution of online visual feedback control (i.e.…”

“…First, the contribution of online visual feedback control (i.e. the ability to exploit ongoing visual information for updating hand motor command) is expected to increase for continuous tasks, especially when tracking a target that follows an unpredictable path (Coudiere et al, 2022;Lam & Zénon, 2021). Second, when visuomotor adaptation is required, the use of continuous tasks minimizes the implication of cognitive strategies as time pressure inherent to these tasks imposes fast deliberation to ongoing actions (Yang et al, 2021;Yoo et al, 2021).…”

“…In the last one, adaptation of visuomotor tracking to second-order machine dynamics resulted in large and symmetrical interlimb transfer (Yamagami et al, 2021). Still, despite growing interest for the adaptation of manual tracking to a visuomotor rotation (Abeele & Bock, 2003;Coudiere et al, 2022;Mathew et al, 2018;Ogawa & Imamizu, 2013;Snyder et al, 2014;Yang et al, 2021), the issue of interlimb transfer has not been explored yet in this particular context. Here, we reason that interlimb generalization is more likely to occur from the hand that exhibited greater learning (Chase & Seidler, 2008), and/or that acquired the highest level of implicit adaptation (Kumar et al, 2020).…”