Motor Habits in Visuo-manual Tracking: Manifestation of an Unconscious Short-term Motor Memory?
Normal subjects were tested in short, repetitive trials of a tracking task, with an identical shape of target movement being used throughout one session. Analysis of the net error curves (pursuit minus target movement) revealed that subjects regularly exhibit a remoteness effect: neighbouring trials were more similar than distant ones. The effect is demonstrated to be stronger in the absence of visual cues, and was found to be absent in a patient with complete loss of proprioception when he was performing without visual feedback as well.The results are discussed in terms of a short term memory store contributing to unconscious movement habits in tracking. This may represent part of the motor learning process working together with conscious visuo-motor control mechanisms. Its function is probably related to the acquisition of automatic movements.
Department of Neurology, University of Freiburg, Hansastrasse 9, D-7800 Freiburg i. Brsg., FRG.
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Hufschmidt
Department of Neurology, University of Freiburg, Hansastrasse 9, D-7800 Freiburg i. Brsg., FRG.
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Deuschl
Department of Neurology, University of Freiburg, Hansastrasse 9, D-7800 Freiburg i. Brsg., FRG.
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