PROPOSAL OF A MULTIMODAL APPROACH TO MOTOR ADAPTATION

Motor learning (ML) is defined as the process of acquiring (permanent) mastery in a new skill through practice or experience [1,2]. The capability of producing skilled actions is the outcome of many complex internal and external factors: the way the central nervous plans the movement and coordinates neuro-musculo-skeletal system; the way this program is transferred to peripheral actuators and controlled through feedback information; the influence of changeable environmental condition. ML cannot be directly observed. Rather, it must be studied on the basis of the permanent changes in motor behaviour it involves [1]. Many authors have addressed the issue of ML from different perspectives (neural, chemical, genetic, biomechanical, …). However few studies have tried to set up a multifactorial approach to the learning process, and to assess not only the final performance, but also the neural and kinematic patterns cooperating in producing such a result. The aim of this work was to design a multimodal approach that may help in getting more insight into the different factors ML involves (e.g. planning, execution, correction, …). Attention was focused onto the issue of motor adaptation, which takes place when learning of a partially (but not completely) new motor strategy is needed, and is realized through the mapping of new patterns between previously known movements and actual goals [2]. We hereby present a preliminary report about the methodological set up which has been developed and tested for the investigation of motor adaptation during repetitive pointing tasks at neural and kinematic level.