Effects of prior and future movements on current actions

与周围环境互动的能力是大多数人类活动的基础。这种能力依赖于感觉、认知和运动功能的无缝结合。我们通过研究个别动作的性质来了解这些基本的过程，这些动作与过去已经做出的或未来将做出的其他动作脱节。创造一系列动作是实现目标的主要部分，但目前还不清楚运动控制系统如何能够规划多个动作，同时确保这些计划不会相互干扰。我实验室最近的工作探索了以前的动作对当前动作的影响，表明人们重复之前动作的方向的动作速度更慢。我们还研究了即将到来的(计划的)行动对当前行动的影响，显示了溢出效应，这种溢出效应不容易用人们简单地计划最经济的一系列行动的想法来解释。这项提案中概述的研究试图进一步探索这两种现象，以便我们可以更好地了解动作序列在人类中是如何工作的。这些研究将使用3D运动分析来探索(1)过去和现在的运动以及(2)未来和现在的运动之间的相互作用。这些研究将寻找反应减慢(反应时间)和运动路径(轨迹)变化的证据，这两者都表明多个运动计划之间存在交互作用。对于每一种现象，都提出了实验，以充实先前记录的行为的范围和广度。下一步，将提出实验，探索关于可能解释这些观察结果的机制的相互竞争的假设。最后，概述了超出当前赠款周期范围的未来方向的计划。在整个提案中，将解释高素质人员(HQP)的作用。几个HQP在迄今为止的发现中发挥了关键作用，HQP对于完成本提案中概述的研究至关重要。了解人类运动的本质在许多领域都很重要，将在我的实验室培训的HQP将处于有利地位，为改善加拿大人的生活做出贡献。对人类行为的了解的提高可能导致(1)改善神经障碍患者的康复计划，(2)改进训练个人执行新技能的技术，(3)改进由神经系统记录的信号控制的假肢装置，以及(4)更好地设计任务和装置，将潜在有害运动错误的风险降至最低。

The ability to interact with the surrounding environment is fundamental to most human activities. This ability depends on the seamless integration of sensory, cognitive, and motor functions. We know much about these basic processes from studying the properties of individual movements that are disconnected from other movements that have been made in the past, or that will be made in the future. Creating a sequence of movements is a major part of achieving a goal, but it is not yet well understood how motor control systems are able to plan multiple movements while ensuring that those plans do not interfere with each other. Recent work in my laboratory has explored the effect that prior movements have on current ones, showing that people are slower to make movements that repeat the direction of a prior action. We have also studied the effect of upcoming (planned) movements on current ones, showing spill-over effects that are not easily explained by the idea that people simply plan the most economical series of actions. The studies outlined in this proposal seek to further explore both of these phenomena so that we might better understand how action sequencing works in humans. The studies will use 3D motion analysis to explore interactions between (1) past and current movements, and (2) future and current movements. The studies will look for evidence of response slowing (reaction time) and changes in movement path (trajectory), both of which would suggest interaction between multiple movement plans. For each phenomenon, experiments are proposed that will flesh out the scope and breadth of the previously documented behaviours. Next, experiments are proposed that will explore competing hypotheses about the mechanisms that might explain these observations. Finally, plans for future directions beyond the scope of the current grant cycle are outlined. Throughout the proposal, the role of highly qualified personnel (HQP) will be explained. Several HQP have played a critical role in the discoveries made to date, and HQP are critical for the completion of the studies outlined in this proposal. Understanding the nature of human movement is important in many sectors, and the HQP that will train in my laboratory will be in a strong position to contribute to the betterment of life for Canadians. Improved knowledge of human action could lead to (1) improved rehabilitation programs for individuals with neurological disorders, (2) improved techniques for training individuals to perform new skills, (3) improved prosthetic devices that are controlled by signals recorded from the nervous system, and (4) better design of tasks and devices that minimize the risk of potentially harmful movement errors.