Search results for "Reaching-grasping"
showing 7 items of 7 documents
Influence of stimulus color on the control of reaching-grasping movements.
2001
This kinematic study aimed to determine whether color is a stimulus property involved in the control of reaching-grasping movements. Subjects reached and grasped a target-object, located either on the right or on the left of the subject's midline. A distractor, placed along the subject's midline, could be randomly presented. The colors, i.e., both chromaticity (red and green stimuli were presented) and lightness, of the target and distractor were varied in experiment 1. Only stimulus lightness and only stimulus chromaticity were varied in experiments 2 and 3, respectively. In experiment 4 subjects matched with their thumb and index finger the size of the target-stimuli presented in experime…
Visual distractors differentially interfere with the reaching and grasping components of prehension movements
1998
In the present study we addressed the issue of how an object is visually isolated from surrounding cues when a reaching-grasping (prehension) movement towards it is planned. Subjects were required to reach and grasp an object presented either alone or with a distractor. In five experiments, different degrees of elaboration of the distractor were induced by varying: (1) the position of the distractor (central or peripheral); (2) the time when the distractor was suppressed (immediately or delayed, with respect to stimulus presentation); and (3) the type of distractor analysis (implicit or explicit). In addition, we tested whether the possible effects of the distractor on reaching-grasping wer…
Language and motor control.
2000
We investigated the possible influence of automatic word reading on processes of visuo-motor transformation. Subjects reached and grasped an object on which the following Italian words were printed: 'VICINO' (near) or 'LONTAN' (far) on an object either near or far from the agent (experiments 1, 2); PICCOLO (small) or 'GRANDE' (large) on either a small or a large object (experiment 4); and 'ALTO' (high) or 'BASSO' (low) on either a high or a low object (experiment 5). The kinematics of the initial phase of reaching-grasping was affected by the meaning of the printed words. Namely, subjects automatically associated the meaning of the word with the corresponding property of the object and acti…
Planning an action.
1997
The motor control of a sequence of two motor acts forming an action was studied in the present experiment. The two analysed motor acts were reaching-grasping an object (first target) and placing it on a second target of the same shape and size (experiment 1). The aim was to determine whether extrinsic properties of the second target (i.e. target distance) could selectively influence the kinematics of reaching and grasping. Distance, position and size of both targets were randomly varied across the experimental session. The kinematics of the initial phase of the first motor act, that is, velocity of reaching and hand shaping of grasping, were influenced by distance of the second target. No k…
Influence of automatic word reading on motor control.
1998
We investigated the possible influence of automatic word reading on processes of visuo-motor transformation. Six subjects were required to reach and grasp a rod on whose visible face the word 'long' or 'short' was printed. Word reading was not explicitly required. In order to induce subjects to visually analyse the object trial by trial, object position and size were randomly varied during the experimental session. The kinematics of the reaching component was affected by word presentation. Peak acceleration, peak velocity, and peak deceleration of arm were higher for the word 'long' with respect to the word 'short'. That is, during the initial movement phase subjects automatically associate…
Impaired control of an action after supplementary motor area lesion: A case study
2000
The kinematics of the action formed by reaching-grasping an object and placing it on a second target was studied in a patient who suffered from an acute vascular left brain lesion, which affected the Supplementary Motor Area proper (SMA-proper) (Matelli M, Luppino G. Thalamic input to mesial and superior area 6 in the macaque monkey. Journal of Comparative Neurology 1996;372:59-87, Matelli M, Luppino G, Fogassi L, Rizzolatti G. Thalamic input to inferior area 6 and area 4 in the macaque monkey. Journal of Comparative Neurology 1989;280:468-488), and in five healthy control subjects. The reach kinematics of the controls was affected by the positions of both the reaching-grasping and the plac…
Grasp with hand and mouth: a kinematic study on healthy subjects
2001
Neurons involved in grasp preparation with hand and mouth were previously recorded in the premotor cortex of monkey. The aim of the present kinematic study was to determine whether a unique planning underlies the act of grasping with hand and mouth in humans as well. In a set of four experiments, healthy subjects reached and grasped with the hand an object of different size while opening the mouth ( experiments 1 and 3), or extending the other forearm ( experiment 4), or the fingers of the other hand ( experiment 5). In a subsequent set of three experiments, subjects grasped an object of different size with the mouth, while opening the fingers of the right hand ( experiments 6–8). The init…