Abstract
BackgroundContinuous visual information is important for movement initiation in a variety of motor tasks. However, even in the absence of visual information people are able to initiate their responses by using motion extrapolation processes. Initiation of actions based on these cognitive processes, however, can demand more attentional resources than that required in situations in which visual information is uninterrupted. In the experiment reported we sought to determine whether the absence of visual information would affect the latency to inhibit an anticipatory action.MethodsThe participants performed an anticipatory timing task where they were instructed to move in synchrony with the arrival of a moving object at a determined contact point. On 50% of the trials, a stop sign appeared on the screen and it served as a signal for the participants to halt their movements. They performed the anticipatory task under two different viewing conditions: Full-View (uninterrupted) and Occluded-View (occlusion of the last 500 ms prior to the arrival at the contact point).ResultsThe results indicated that the absence of visual information prolonged the latency to suppress the anticipatory movement.ConclusionWe suggest that the absence of visual information requires additional cortical processing that creates competing demand for neural resources. Reduced neural resources potentially causes increased reaction time to the inhibitory input or increased time estimation variability, which in combination would account for prolonged latency.
Highlights
Continuous visual information is important for movement initiation in a variety of motor tasks
Even when continuous visual information is unavailable people appear to be able to use a signal derived from motion extrapolation or temporal estimation processes to initiate their actions [13,14]. These time estimation processes are likely to be aided by the activity of specific areas in the cerebellum which are believed to reflect the operation of internal models based on memory of the previous motion of moving objects [15,16]
The results of the experiment clearly showed that the minimum time required to suppress an anticipatory timing task was prolonged when the participants were forced to use time estimation processes to initiate their responses
Summary
Continuous visual information is important for movement initiation in a variety of motor tasks. Even in the absence of visual information people are able to initiate their responses by using motion extrapolation processes. Initiation of actions based on these cognitive processes, can demand more attentional resources than that required in situations in which visual information is uninterrupted. An influential proposal regarding the use of visual information to control purposeful actions was put forward by Lee [1,2]. Influenced by Lee’s estimation processes to initiate their actions [13,14] These time estimation processes are likely to be aided by the activity of specific areas in the cerebellum which are believed to reflect the operation of internal models based on memory of the previous motion of moving objects [15,16]
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