Sensory-motor coordination during grasping and manipulative actions.
Goal-directed grasping and manipulation of objects are human skills that depend on automatic sensory control in which predictive feed-forward mechanisms integrate somatosensory and visual signals with sensory-motor memory systems. Memory representations of physical and task-relevant properties of the object play a pivotal role. Anticipatory strategies are crucial when purposeful actions arise from learned relationships between afferent patterns and efferent commands. The development of even elementary precision grip skills is a protracted process not concluded until early adolescence. Not surprisingly, the neural control of manual actions engages most central nervous system areas known to be involved in motor control.
Johansson
R S
RS
Department of Physiology, University of Umeå, Sweden.
Cole
K J
KJ
D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D017276:Friction; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D013933:Thumb / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology