Temporal coordination in bimanual actions

Abstract

The issue of bimanual temporal coordination in human subjects is discussed for three selected movement paradigms: (i) simple, symmetric, bimanual finger movements, (ii) bimanual unloading, and (iii) a complex bimanual pull and grasp task. Temporal synchronization was found for all three experiments and was least variable for the first experiment. In the second experiment, synchronization concerned unloading with the index finger of one hand (electromyographic activation of the first dorsal interosseus muscle) and the postural adjustment of the load-bearing index finger of the other hand (electromyographic deactivation of the first dorsal interosseus muscle). In the third experiment, a goal-related temporal invariance was observed, even in the absence of visual guidance. Possible neural mechanisms for the observed temporal coordination of the three types of bimanual movements are discussed, as well as the concepts of goal invariance and motor equivalence.