Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The long-term goal of my research is to determine how the brain processes sensory information for goal-directed action in a continuously changing environment. Changing environments force movements to be adapted, such that our sensorimotor system modifies or shapes previously learned movements to meet changing task demands. For example, we might need to adapt our movements to internal neuromuscular changes brought about by age, disease, or fatigue, or to external environmental changes such as a new pair of prescription glasses or an icy sidewalk. Ideally motor adaptation arises quickly, enabling adapted movements to be controlled automatically (i.e., unconsciously) in the absence of continued (conscious) oversight. The proposed research looks to establish if we can promote motor adaptation "learning" by manipulating practice (i.e., training) conditions. From research investigating skill acquisition (e.g., learning a forehand serve in tennis), training conditions that promote cognitive effort facilitate motor learning, such that there is an earlier transition to the skill being under automatic guidance. In the proposed research we ask if the engagement of cognitive effort during training benefits motor adaptation, where cognitive effort is increased with participant engagement in decision making processes. Through three research themes, I will address the following current questions surrounding the understanding of motor adaptation as a form of motor learning: Q1. Does the location of one's attention (i.e., internal (body focus) vs. external (movement outcome focus)) impact motor adaptation? Q2. Does making task-relevant choices related to target selection influence motor adaptation? Q3. Do limitations in cognitive resources, brought about via cognitive fatigue, impact motor adaptation? In order to evaluate the impact of cognitive effort manipulations on motor adaptation, I will monitor the extent to which human participants consciously and unconsciously adapt their reaching movements in a novel visual environment. Specifically, participants will reach in a virtual reality environment when the visual representation of their hand on a computer screen is shifted relative to their actual hand location (much the same as using a mouse to control a cursor on a computer monitor). Gaining an appreciation for how this visuomotor adaptation can be encouraged has important implications for interactions with virtual-reality devices (e.g., flight simulators), teleoperations (e.g., remote surgery) and robotics, as well as the design of and instructions provided during motor training and rehabilitation programs. For example, focusing on one's body (internal focus) may promote initial changes in movement through conscious guidance, such that performance improves quickly. However, this quick learning may have an associated cost, limiting the ability of the movement to become under automatic control, and, hence requiring ongoing conscious guidance.