The Build-Up and Transfer of Sensorimotor Temporal Recalibration Measured via a Synchronization Task

Yoshimori Sugano,Mirjam Keetels,Jean Vroomen

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00246

Abstract

The timing relation between a motor action and the sensory consequences of that action can be adapted by exposing participants to artificially delayed feedback (temporal recalibration). Here, we demonstrate that a sensorimotor synchronization task (i.e., tapping the index finger in synchrony with a pacing signal) can be used as a measure of temporal recalibration. Participants were first exposed to a constant delay (~150 ms) between a voluntary action (a finger tap) and an external feedback stimulus of that action (a visual flash or auditory tone). A subjective “no-delay” condition (~50 ms) served as baseline. After a short exposure phase to delayed feedback participants performed the tapping task in which they tapped their finger in synchrony with a flash or tone. Temporal recalibration manifested itself in that taps were given ~20 ms earlier after exposure to 150 ms delays than in the case of 50 ms delays. This effect quickly built up (within 60 taps) and was bigger for auditory than visual adapters. In Experiment 2, we tested whether temporal recalibration would transfer across modalities by switching the modality of the adapter and pacing signal. Temporal recalibration transferred from visual adapter to auditory test, but not from auditory adapter to visual test. This asymmetric transfer suggests that sensory-specific effects are at play.

Highlights

Timing of an action is crucial in daily activities like stepping on an escalator, catching a ball, playing a musical instrument, dancing, or playing video games
In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that an exposure to a fixed delay between a voluntary action and an external sensory feedback signal of that action increased the natural anticipation tendency in a subsequent sensorimotor synchronization task
Based on Heron’s finding, we suggest that the diversion in results might be attributed to a difference in attentional states that participants have while performing the different tasks (i.e., temporal order judgment (TOJ) or tapping)

Summary

Introduction

Timing of an action is crucial in daily activities like stepping on an escalator, catching a ball, playing a musical instrument, dancing, or playing video games. In all these examples, we have learned to correctly time a voluntary action through a lifetime’s experience. In a study by Cunningham et al (2001), this was demonstrated by having participants adapt to delayed visual feedback after a voluntary movement. It is of note that temporal recalibration has parallels with purely sensory effects observed following adaptation to audio-visual, audio-tactile, and visuo-tactile asynchrony (Fujisaki et al, 2004; Vroomen et al, 2004; Harrar and Harris, 2005, 2008; Navarra et al, 2007; Hanson et al, 2008; Keetels and Vroomen, 2008; Takahashi et al, 2008)

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