Motor Control & Adaptation: Investigating the Two Stream Hypothesis of Visual Processing and the Effectiveness of Contextual Information on the Consolidation of Internal Models

Abstract

Motor control is studied in terms of the adaptive neural mechanisms that allow humans to make accurate and coordinated movements. While error-related information and sensory-related information are known to play a role in updating internal models of learned motor adaptations, only sensory-related cues that indicate environmental dynamics are known to prevent interference between models containing similar movements; however when these experimental results are analyzed further, the cues that are most effective appeal to the dorsal stream of processing whereas others that appeal to the ventral stream of processing have not been as successful (Goodale & Milner, 1992). Furthermore, experimental findings have shown that sensory cues processed through the dorsal pathway directly involving motion are most successful at consolidating learned motor skills and removing the threat of interference. However, the current study uses a novel design to test whether or not motion of a dorsal stream cue is absolutely necessary for learning. Results seem to show that when cues indicating different task dynamics are not distinguishable from each other, learning is not shown, regardless of whether or not the cue involves motion. When they are distinguishable, a dorsal stream cue involving motion leads to proper learning and decreased interference. Further investigation is necessary for total confirmation of this theory.