23rd Annual Student Research Conference
How Does Lack of Visual Input Affect Visuomotor Adaptation Following Acquisition of a New Steady State?
Lori E. Griffin* and Rachael F. Douglas
Dr. Jeremy Houser, Faculty Mentor
The factors which impact the stability of a newly adapted visuomotor system are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether a visuomotor system that is adapted to an unnatural new steady state is maintained without vision or practice. A ballistic pointing task using a hand-held laser pointer, while constrained to elbow flexion and shoulder rotations only was used to determine this hand-eye coordination. Subjects were evaluated during normal visual conditions to determine a normal baseline of performance. Then they were asked to repeat the same movement while wearing 20 degree lateral visual displacement goggles until a new plastic state of performance was obtained. Next, the eyes were closed and movement of the entire body was restricted for five minutes. Finally the pointing task was repeated again with visual displacement goggles to determine the stability of the system following a latency of no visual input.
Keywords: movement, vision, adaptation, practice, neuroscience
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 4-13
Location: SUB-GEO
Time: 4:15