Multisensory control of action

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Reaching to grasp an object represents a motor activity we perform on a daily basis usually without perceivable effort or conscious thought.  However, even this simple action requires the delicate coordination of multiple resources within our central and peripheral nervous systems.  Moreover, these resources continually seek out new and optimal ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our movements.  Hence, the projects associated with this grant seek to understand the sensory, cognitive and motor mechanisms that contribute to our ability to regulate skilled actions.  For example, what information from our visual world is used to control reaching and grasping movements, and what regions of the brain process this information?  Do anatomical properties of the human eye impact the production of fast and accurate movements to different regions of visual space?  How does our sense of body position contribute to the successful planning and control of skilled movement? Ultimately, answers to the aforementioned questions may assist engineers in the design of optimal human-machine interfaces and may provide the requisite knowledge-base for the development of intervention programs circumventing movement difficulties associated with acquired and developmental movement disorders.