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了解潜在的感官和知觉贡献的准备和执行目标导向的运动的机制。在过去的几年里，一个研究主题一直致力于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作用。首先，它允许我们有意识地感知我们的周围环境（例如，我们的咖啡（Cup of Coffee）其次，它可以指导我们与环境的互动（例如，（伸手拿咖啡）。在未来5年内，这项关于视觉的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处理的特性。我们将研究无意识过程在多大程度上影响运动准备和视觉引导运动的实时控制。视觉的第二个研究主题是关于目标导向运动过程中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）信息之间的相互作用。在下一个资助期内，这项研究主题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，以指导运动和伸展运动。我们将研究在有目的的运动的准备和执行过程中，视觉和前庭信号之间的权重如何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.