Sensory and perceptual contributions to preparation and execution of goal-directed action

我的研究计划的长期和广泛的目标是更好地理解在目标导向运动的准备和执行中潜在的感觉和知觉贡献的机制。在过去的几年里，一个研究主题一直指向与视觉对有意识感知和视觉引导运动控制的贡献有关的问题。我们的视觉系统有双重功能。首先，它允许我们有意识地感知我们的环境（例如，识别我们的一杯咖啡）。其次，它可以指导我们与环境的互动（例如，伸手去拿咖啡）。在未来5年内，本研究主题的短期目标是研究在没有意识意识的情况下视觉运动加工的特性。我们将研究无意识过程在多大程度上影响视觉引导运动的运动准备和实时控制。关于视觉的第二个研究主题是关于视觉输入和前庭系统（一个为我们提供平衡和导航信号的系统）在目标定向运动中信息之间的相互作用。下一个资助期的短期目标是研究视觉输入如何与前庭系统的导航信号相结合，以指导运动和到达运动。我们将研究视觉和前庭信号之间的权重如何在准备和执行有目的运动期间作为这些信号的可靠性和准确性的函数而变化。

The long-term and broad goal of my research program is to better understand the mechanisms underlying sensory and perceptual contributions to the preparation and execution of goal-directed movements. Over the past several years, one research theme has been directed toward issues pertaining to the contributions of vision to conscious perception and control of visually-guided movement. Our visual system serves a dual purpose. First, it allows us to consciously perceive our surroundings (e.g., recognize our cup of coffee). Second, it can guide our interaction with our environment (e.g., reach for our cup of coffee). The short-term goals of this research theme on vision over the next 5 years are to examine the properties of visual-motor processing in the absence of conscious awareness. We will investigate the extent to which unconscious processes can influence motor preparation and real-time control of visually-guided movements. A second research theme on vision has been directed toward issues pertaining to the interactions between visual input and information from the vestibular system (a system that provides us with balance and navigation signals) during goal-directed movements. The short-term goals of this research theme over the next grant period are to study how visual input is combined with navigational signals from our vestibular system to guide locomotion and reaching movements. We will investigate how the weighting between visual and vestibular signals change as a function of the reliability and accuracy of these signals during the preparation and execution of purposeful movements.