title: Transfer of dynamic motor skills acquired during isometric training to free motion.
abstract: Recent studies have explored the prospects of learning to move without moving, by displaying virtual arm movement related to exerted force. However, it has yet to be tested whether learning the dynamics of moving can transfer to the corresponding movement. Here we present a series of experiments that investigate this isometric training paradigm. Subjects were asked to hold a handle and generate forces as their arms were constrained to a static position. A precise simulation of reaching was used to make a graphic rendering of an arm moving realistically in response to the measured interaction forces and simulated environmental forces. Such graphic rendering was displayed on a horizontal display that blocked their view to their actual (statically constrained) arm and encouraged them to believe they were moving. We studied adaptation of horizontal, planar, goal-directed arm movements in a velocity-dependent force field. Our results show that individuals can learn to compensate for such a force field in a virtual environment and transfer their new skills to the actual free motion condition, with performance comparable to practice while moving. Such nonmoving techniques should impact various training conditions when moving may not be possible.NEW & NOTEWORTHYThis study provided early evidence supporting that training movement skills without moving is possible. In contrast to previous studies, our study involves1) exploiting cross-modal sensory interactions between vision and proprioception in a motionless setting to teach motor skills that could be transferable to a corresponding physical task, and2) evaluates the movement skill of controlling muscle-generated forces to execute arm movements in the presence of external forces that were only virtually present during training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; alejandro.melendez@northwestern.edu.|Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7922-1345
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melendez-Calderon
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.|University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.|University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and.
authors.forename: Moria Fisher
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bittmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burdet
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.|Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.|University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Patton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009038:Motion; D009048:Motor Skills; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: isometric; motor adaptation; motor learning; visual feedback