Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab

Overall, we show that experiencing an adverse physical consequence during errors enhances motor memory. This suggests the brain considers the potential physical consequences of movement error when learning and that balance-threatening consequences serve to enhance this process

Furthermore, the consequence group showed increased recall and savings of the learned visuomotor mapping one week later despite exposure to a competing mapping during initial learning—evidence of greater motor memory consolidation

Crucially, we found that learning generalized to a greater extent in the group who experienced the adverse physical consequence. Specifically, this group demonstrated (a) increased interlimb-transfer on a precision walking task and (b) generalization to an obstacle-avoidance task

Because of our innate drive for safety, and the fact that balance is fundamental to movement, we hypothesized that the physical consequence would enhance motor memory. We found that both groups experienced similar magnitude foot-placement errors and adapted at similar rates

2 groups adapted to (a) a new prism-induced visuomotor mapping during (b) a precision walking task. Notably, 1 group experienced an unexpected slip perturbation during foot-placement errors. We tested how this physical consequence affected (c) generalization and (d) consolidation

Motor learning involves correcting actions that lead to errors. In most lab settings, such errors have no physical consequences and simply indicate the progress of learning. Here we asked how experiencing a physical consequence during movement errors affects motor learning 🤔

New #preprint from @AmandaBakkum and @SMNLab: “Learning from the physical consequences of our actions improves motor memory.” Mini 🧵👇Please see paper for more details. biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…

Overall, our results demonstrate the robustness of motor memories formed during walking and highlight the potential influence of balance control on sensorimotor learning. See the paper for more details doi.org/10.1152/jn.00627.202…

For reaching, we found evidence of initial recall, though neither group demonstrated savings (Fig.1). In contrast, both walking groups showed recall and savings. Additionally, we found that challenging balance enhanced savings during walking (Fig.2).

We found that challenging balance did not disrupt visuomotor adaptation during reaching (Fig.1) or walking (Fig.2). We then probed initial recall and savings (i.e., faster relearning) by having participants repeat the adaptation protocol one week later.

We had four groups of participants (n = 12 each) adapt to a novel visuomotor mapping induced by prism lenses while performing a standing-based reaching or walking task, with and without a manipulation that challenged balance.

Check out our new paper (now in print) with @AmandaBakkum, @maxdonelan, and Dan Marigold in @JNeurophysiol. We asked how the necessity to control balance during adaptation affects savings of learning. Thread👇 Link to paper for more details doi.org/10.1152/jn.00627.202…

Now published in print in @CurrentBiology our latest work with @javidomzam: Motives driving gaze and walking decisions. Thank you @ssukumar92 and @AlayaAAhmed for their great dispatch (cell.com/current-biology/ful…). Link to article: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…

Huge congratulations to @AmandaBakkum for successfully defending her PhD yesterday! We are so proud and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

Check out our paper for more details sciencedirect.com/science/ar…

This work formed part of Javier Domínguez-Zamora’s doctoral thesis: @javidomzam

Gaze behaviour predicted step choice. We suggest acquiring environmental information, being certain of one’s action, & the effort to move are factors that interact to dictate how to direct gaze and decide where to step; how one assigns value to these factors differs across people