A comparison of intra- and interpersonal interlimb coordination: coordination breakdowns and coupling strength

Intra- and interpersonal interlimb coordination of pendulums swung from the wrist was investigated. For both kinds of coordination, the steady state and breakdown of bimanual rhythmic coordination as indexed by the time series of the relative phase angle phi were studied under the manipulation of coordination mode, frequency of oscillation, and the difference in the eigenfrequencies (preferred tempos) of the individual oscillating limbs. The properties observed for both intra- and interpersonal coordination were those predicted by a dynamical model of rhythmic coordination that considers the coordinated limbs coupled to be nonlinear oscillators. Using a regression method, the coupling strengths of the coupled system were recovered. As predicted by the dynamical model, the strength of the dynamic was generally greater for the in-phase than the anti-phase mode and decreased with increasing frequency. Further, the strength of the interpersonal interlimb coupling was weaker than that of intrapersonal interlimb coupling.     

Rate and timing precision of motor coordination in developmental dyslexia.

Temporal characteristics of interlimb coordination were examined in adolescents and young adults with developmental dyslexia, matched normal control subjects, and matched learning disabled adolescent students without reading difficulties. Subjects were asked to tap in time to an entraining metronome at each of 3 prescribed rates by moving the index fingers of both hands in unison, in rhythmical alternation, or in more complex bimanual patterns. Dyslexic subjects showed significant deficits of timing precision on bimanual tasks that required the integration of asynchronous responses, but not when they moved the fingers in unison. Findings are discussed in terms of both the hypothesis that impaired temporal resolution in dyslexia reflects an underlying deficit of left-hemisphere function and an alternative hypothesis that functional deficits in developmental dyslexia are associated with impaired interhemispheric communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The dynamics of bimanual circle drawing

A bimanual circle drawing task was employed to elucidate the dynamics of intralimb and interlimb coordination. Right-handed subjects were required to produce circles with both hands in either a symmetrical (mirror) mode (i.e. one hand moving clockwise, the other counter-clockwise) or in an asymmetrical mode (i.e. both hands moving clockwise or counter-clockwise). The frequency of movement was scaled by an auditory metronome from 1.50 Hz to 3.25 Hz in 8 (8-sec) steps. In the asymmetrical mode, distortions of the movement trajectories, transient departures from the target pattern of coordination, and phase wandering were evidence as movement frequency was increased. These features suggested loss of stability. Deviations from circular trajectories were most prominent for movements of the left hand. Transient departures from the required mode of coordination were also largely precipitated by the left hand. The results are discussed with reference to manual asymmetries and mechanisms of interlimb and intersegmental coordination.     

Acquiring bimanual skills: Contrasting forms of information feedback for interlimb decoupling.

Addressed the learner's capability to perform different upper-limb actions simultaneously with the help of various sources of information feedback. An elbow flexion movement was made in the left limb together with a flexion-extension-flexion movement in the right limb. Interlimb interactions were assessed at the structural as well as the metrical level of movement specification during acquisition and retention. Despite a strong initial tendency for the limbs to be synchronized, findings revealed that Ss became gradually more successful in interlimb decoupling as a result of practice with augmented feedback. However, detailed knowledge of movement kinematics was no more effective than global outcome information for interlimb decoupling, indicating that knowledge of results may have more potential for acquiring multiple degree-of-freedom tasks than previously believed. Finally, the data support the general notion that learning new coordination tasks involves the suppression of preexisting preferred coordination tendencies, which is often a prerequisite for building new coordination modes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of two models of brief family education: retention of gains by family members of adults with serious mental illness

Interlimb coordination is directly relevant to the understanding of the neural control of locomotion, but few studies addressing this topic for nonhuman primates are available, and no data exist for any hominoid other than humans. As a follow-up to Jungers and Anapol's ([1985] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 67:89-97) analysis on a lemur and talapoin monkey, we describe here the patterns of interlimb coordination in two chimpanzees as revealed by electromyography. Like the lemur and talapoin monkey, ipsilateral limb coupling in chimpanzees is characterized by variability about preferred modes within individual gaits. During symmetrical gaits, limb coupling patterns in the chimpanzee are also influenced by kinematic differences in hindlimb placement ("overstriding"). These observations reflect the neurological constraints placed on locomotion but also emphasize the overall flexibility of locomotor neural mechanisms. Interlimb coordination patterns are also species-specific, exhibiting significant differences among primate taxa and between primates and cats. Interspecific differences may be suggestive of phylogenetic divergence in the basic mechanisms for neural control of locomotion, but do not preclude morphological explanations for observed differences in interlimb coordination across species.     

Development of preterm and full-term infant ability on AB, recall memory, transparent barrier detour, and means-end tasks

10 preterm and 10 full-term infants were tested longitudinally from 28 to 60 weeks of age on a modified version of the AB task, a nonreaching AB task, a Barrier Detour task, a Means-End task, and Perseveration in the Means-End task. Results show that age-corrected (age since conception) premature infants tolerated longer delays than full-term infants on the modified and nonreaching AB tasks. However, when compared by chronological age (age since birth), there were no group differences on either the reaching or nonreaching AB task. No group differences were found on Barrier Detour, Means-End, or Perseveration in either the age-corrected or chronological age comparisons. The results suggest that the function that mediates modified AB performance is one of memory and not of perseveration or means-end ability. Further, these findings suggest that current proposals about brain development based on single samples of infants may be tenuous. Finally, the results of this study suggest that development of the brain structure(s) that mediate modified AB performance is strongly influenced by experience in the postnatal environment.     

Primary motor cortex is involved in bimanual coordination

Many voluntary movements involve coordination between the limbs. However, there have been very few attempts to study the neuronal mechanisms that mediate this coordination. Here we have studied the activity of cortical neurons while monkeys performed tasks that required coordination between the two arms. We found that most neurons in the primary motor cortex (MI) show activity specific to bimanual movements (bimanual-related activity), which is strikingly different from the activity of the same neurons during unimanual movements. Moreover, units in the supplementary motor area (SMA; the area of cortex most often associated with bimanual coordination) showed no more bimanual-related activity than units in MI. Our results challenge the classic view that MI controls the contralateral (opposite) side of the body and that SMA is responsible for the coordination of the arms. Rather, our data suggest that both cortical areas share the control of bilateral coordination.     

Distinguishing between the effects of frequency and amplitude on interlimb coupling in tapping a 2:3 polyrhythm

Rhythmic interlimb coordination is characterized by attraction to stable phase and frequency relations. Sudden, unintended transitions between such coordination patterns have been observed in iso- and multifrequency tasks when movement frequency was gradually increased. These transitions have been accounted for by modeling the two limbs as nonlinearly coupled oscillators. The prevailing form of the coupling function is based on time derivatives, but an alternative formulation can be derived by incorporating time delays. These time delays may be related to the neurophysiological delays associated with the use of kinesthetic afferences. The two ways of deriving coupling functions for interlimb coordination allow for different predictions with respect to the effects of movement frequency and amplitude on the strength of interaction between the limbs. In the current experiment, the effects of amplitude and frequency were dissociated experimentally, so as to arrive at an empirically motivated choice between the two ways of formalizing interlimb coupling. Subjects tapped the polyrhythm 2:3 at five different frequencies under three amplitude conditions. Whereas no effects of amplitude were observed, the strength of interaction between the hands decreased with increasing movement frequency. These results support the time-delay version of the model, in which differential (loss of) stability of coordination modes results from differential dependence on movement amplitude, but overall coupling strength is related reciprocally to movement frequency squared. This version of the model was related tentatively to three proposed aspects of interlimb coordination: (1) neurophysiological delays associated with the use of kinesthetic afferences; (2) rate-dependent decrease in pattern stability; and (3) differential entrainment influences of kinesthetic signals.     

Graft decentration in penetrating keratoplasty: nonmechanical trephination with the excimer laser (193 nm) versus the motor trephine

Seven right-handed participants performed bimanual circling movements in either a symmetrical or an asymmetrical coordination mode. Movements were paced with an auditory metronome at predetermined frequencies corresponding to transition frequency, where asymmetrical patterns became unstable, or at two-thirds transition frequency where both symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns were stable. The pacing tones were presented in either a high (1000 Hz) or low (500 Hz) pitch, and the percentage of high-pitched tones during a 20 s trial varied between 0% and 70%. Participants were instructed to count the number of high-pitched pacing tones that occurred during a trial of bimanual circling. Overall, the symmetrical pattern was more stable than the asymmetrical pattern at both frequencies. Errors on the tone-counting task were significantly higher during asymmetrical circling than symmetrical circling but only at the transition movement frequency. The results suggest that cognitive processes play a role in maintaining coordination patterns within regions of instability.     

Spinal cord coordination of hindlimb movements in the turtle: intralimb temporal relationships during scratching and swimming

Hindlimb interlimb coordination was examined in turtles during symmetrical "same-form" behaviors in which both hindlimbs utilized the same movement strategy ("form") and during asymmetric "mixed-form" behaviors in which the form exhibited by one hindlimb differed from that of its contralateral partner. In spinal turtles, three forms of scratching were examined: rostral, pocket, and caudal. Bilateral symmetrical same-form scratching was studied for each of the forms. Asymmetric mixed-form scratching (rostral scratching of a hindlimb and pocket scratching of the other hindlimb) was also examined. In intact turtles, two forms of swimming were examined: forward swimming and back-paddling. The symmetrical behavior of bilateral forward same-form swimming and the asymmetric behavior of turning mixed-form swimming (forward swimming of 1 hindlimb and back-paddling of the other hindlimb) were studied. For all behaviors examined, most episodes displayed absolute or 1:1 coordination; in this type of coordination, during each movement cycle that began and ended with the onset of ipsilateral hip flexion, there was a single onset of contralateral hip flexion. For most of these episodes there was out-of-phase coordination between hip movements; the onset of contralateral hip flexion occurred near the onset of ipsilateral hip extension midway through the ipsilateral movement cycle. Bilateral caudal/caudal same-form scratching displayed out-of-phase 1:1 coordination during some episodes and in-phase 1:1 coordination during other episodes. During in-phase coordination, the onset of contralateral hip flexion occurred near the onset of ipsilateral hip flexion close to the start of the ipsilateral movement cycle. In a few cases of bilateral same-form scratching there were episodes of relative or 2:1 coordination; in this type of coordination, during each movement cycle of the slowly moving limb that began and ended with ipsilateral hip flexion, there were two distinct occurrences of the onset of contralateral hip flexion. The observation that out-of-phase movements of the hip occurred during symmetrical as well as asymmetric behaviors is consistent with the hypothesis that timing signals related to hip movement play a major role in interlimb phase control. The neural mechanisms responsible for interlimb phase control are not well understood in vertebrates. The present demonstration of bilateral scratching in spinal turtles suggests that this preparation may be suitable for additional experiments to examine mechanisms of vertebrate interlimb phase control.     

Neuronal activity in the primate supplementary motor area and the primary motor cortex in relation to spatio-temporal bimanual coordination

Single neuronal activity was recorded from the supplementary motor area (SMA-proper and pre-SMA) and primary motor cortex (M1) in two Macaca fascicularis trained to perform a delayed conditional sequence of coordinated bimanual pull and grasp movements. The behavioural paradigm was designed to distinguish neuronal activity associated with bimanual coordination from that related to a comparable motor sequence but executed unimanually (left or right arm only). The bimanual and unimanual trials were instructed in a random order by a visual cue. Following the cue, there was a waiting period until presentation of a "go-signal", signalling the monkey to perform the instructed movement. A total of 143 task-related neurons were recorded from the SMA (SMA-proper, 62; pre-SMA, 81). Most SMA units (87%) were active in both unimanual contralateral and unimanual ipsilateral trials (bilateral neurons), whereas 9% of units were active only in unimanual contralateral trials and 3% were active only in unimanual ipsilateral trials. Forty-eight per cent of SMA task-related units were classified as bimanual, defined as neurons in which the activity observed in bimanual trials could not be predicted from that associated with unimanual trials when comparing the same events related to the same arm. For direct comparison, 527 neurons were recorded from M1 in the same monkeys performing the same tasks. The comparison showed that M1 contains significantly less bilateral neurons (75%) than the SMA, whereas the reverse was observed for contralateral neurons (22% in M1). The proportion of M1 bimanual cells (53%) was not statistically different from that observed in the SMA. The results suggest that both the SMA and M1 may contribute to the control of sequential bimanual coordinated movements. Interlimb coordination may then take place in a distributed network including at least the SMA and M1, but the contribution of other cortical and subcortical areas such as cingulate motor cortex and basal ganglia remains to be investigated.     

Complexity in object manipulation by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata): A cross-sectional analysis of manual coordination in stone handling patterns.

Defined as a spontaneous stone-directed noninstrumental manipulative behavior, and comprised of multiple one-handed and (a)symmetrical/(un)coordinated two-handed patterns, stone handling (SH) is a good candidate for the study of complexity in object manipulation. We present a cross-sectional developmental analysis of SH complexity in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), through the combined investigation of bimanuality, coordination, and symmetry in hand use. Bimanual SH patterns were more frequent than unimanual patterns. Among bimanual patterns, coordinated actions were more frequent than uncoordinated ones. We recorded five asymmetrical coordinated SH patterns with manual role differentiation, a form of hand use reminiscent of complex actions involving the use of tools in monkeys and apes. Bimanuality in SH was affected by body posture. Aging individuals performed less bimanual and less coordinated SH patterns than younger individuals. Our result on senescent males performing less bimanual patterns than senescent females was consistent with sex differences found in the late deterioration of complex manual movements in other species. Although some SH patterns represent a high degree of behavioral complexity, our results suggest that SH behavior is not as complex as tool-use or tool-manufacture in other nonhuman primates and hominids. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parasitic infections in villagers from three districts of the Brazilian Amazon

Past studies on bimanual coordination have revealed a general preference to move the limbs in a symmetrical fashion, also denoted as the in-phase mode. Its counterpart, the asymmetrical or anti-phase mode, is performed with lower degrees of accuracy and stability. This ubiquitous tendency to activate the homologous muscle groups is referred to as the muscle grouping constraint (egocentric constraint). The present study confirmed the generalizability of this constraint across various coordination patterns, performed in the horizontal plane. In addition, evidence was generated that movement direction in extrinsic space also constrains bimanual coordination (allocentric constraint). Overall, the present observations suggest that direction is an important movement parameter that is encoded in the central nervous system and that is subject to interactions between the neural specifications of both limbs.     

Handedness and the asymmetric dynamics of bimanual rhythmic coordination.

Human handedness was investigated in a 1:1 interlimb rhythmic coordination in which consistent and inconsistent left-handed and right-handed individuals oscillated hand-held pendulums. Mean phase difference (φstable) and its standard deviation (SDφ) were evaluated as functions of mode of coordination (in-phase vs anti-phase) and the symmetry conditions imposed by controlling the natural frequencies of the left and right pendulums. The dependencies of φstable and SDφ on coordination mode and imposed symmetry were found to be systematically affected by handedness. The data were consistent with an elaboration of the established order parameter dynamics of interlimb rhythmic coordination. The elaboration includes additional 27π periodic terms that break the symmetry of those dynamics when the natural frequencies of the component rhythmic units are identical. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attentional load associated with performing and stabilizing preferred bimanual patterns.

This study aimed to determine whether the stability of preferred coordination patterns could be modified intentionally and whether such stabilization involved an additional attentional load. Eight participants performed in-phase and anti-phase bimanual coordination patterns, a reaction time (RT) task, and several dual tasks (coordination + RT) that manipulated attentional priority by requiring either shared attention, priority to the coordination task, or priority to the RT task. Results showed that RT was smaller for in-phase than anti-phase. Moreover, attentional manipulations led to a trade-off between pattern stability and RT performance. This suggests that performing and intentionally stabilizing a coordination pattern incur a central cost that depends on the coordination pattern's dynamic properties. Thus, this study opens a conceptual and methodological bridge between information processing and dynamic approaches to coordination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bimanual motor coordination in agenesis of the corpus callosum.

The nature and extent of deficiencies in bimanual motor coordination in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) was studied using the computerized Bimanual Coordination Test (cBCT). Compared with previous bimanual tasks, the cBCT is more specifically reliant on interhemispheric interactions of lateralized motor control, allows more precise measurement, and permits examination of performance over a wider range of bimanual challenges. The cBCT performance of 13 high-functioning individuals with complete ACC was compared to 21 age- and IQ-matched controls. The groups did not differ in unimanual response speed. On trials involving angled paths that require bimanual coordination, the ACC group performed significantly slower and less accurately across all angles. The largest group differences in speed occurred on trials where the hands must respond symmetrically, while mirror-image (vs. parallel) responding produced the greatest deficits in accuracy. These data confirm previous findings of deficits in bimanual coordination in callosal absence, but using significantly improved measurement technology. Deficits in bimanual coordination in ACC are present across different demands for interhand interactions in the speed and direction of movement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple measures of hand-use lateralization in the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).

Evaluated a free-ranging matriline of 13 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) from videotaped records for lateralized hand use with 2 tasks and 4 measures: food reaching, feeding posture, duration of food holding, and manipulation of food between mouth and hand while eating. Binomial z scores determined 7 lemurs to be left preferent in reaching, 3 right, and 3 ambipreferent. Ideographic analyses suggested possible sex-linked and early experience twin effects. When compared to right and ambipreferent lemurs, left reach preferent lemurs used the left hand more but bimanuals grasped less in food holding and also engaged in less hand-mouth food manipulation. The tendency to manipulate food was not correlated with bimanual holding but was inversely related to left hand holding and directly related to right hand holding. These patterns are discussed as possible precursors of human bimanual manipulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bimanual interference associated with the selection of target locations.

Four experiments were conducted to identify the locus of interference observed during the preparation of bimanual reaching movements. Target locations were specified by color, and the right-hand and left-hand targets could be either the same or a different color. Movements of different amplitudes (Experiment 1) or different directions (Experiment 2) to targets of the same color were initiated more quickly than symmetric movements to targets of different colors. These results indicate that costs observed during bimanual movements arise during target selection rather than during motor programming. Experiments 3 and 4 further examined the interference associated with target selection. Reaction time costs were found with unimanual movements when the target was presented among distractors associated with responses for the other hand. Interference observed during bimanual reaching appears to reflect difficulty in segregating the response rules assigned to each hand. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of lesions in the mesial frontal cortex on bimanual co-ordination in monkeys

The hypothesis was tested that the mesial frontal cortex, including the supplementary motor area, is engaged in bimanual co-ordination. Three monkeys, trained in a well-co-ordinated bimanual pull-and-grasp task, were subjected to unilateral or bilateral lesions of the mesial frontal cortex. With unilateral lesions, the deficit consisted in a delay in movement initiation of the contralateral arm. With a bilateral lesion, the deficit was more pronounced with marked bilateral delays in movement onset and slowing in reaching. However, in the three monkeys bimanual co-ordination at the moment of goal achievement remained intact with an excellent temporal co-variation of the two limbs. In the two unilateral cases, an adaptive strategy developed after a few sessions, either by catching up during reaching with the limb contralateral to the lesion (monkey M1) or by delaying movement initiation of the limb ipsilateral to the lesion (monkey M2). This outcome is discussed in terms of Lashley's principle of motor equivalence, i.e. invariant goal achievement with variable means. Bilateral lesions led to a transient and near-total impairment in movement self-initiation when all external cues were absent. It is concluded that in monkeys the mesial frontal cortex does not play a crucial role in bimanual co-ordination but rather in movement initiation, especially when sensory cues are absent.     

The coupled oscillator model of between-hand coordination in alternate-hand tapping: A reappraisal.

Single and alternating hand tapping were compared to test the hypothesis that coordination during rhythmic movements is mediated by the control of specific time intervals. In Experiment 1, an auditory metronome was used to indicate a set of timing patterns in which a 1-s interval was divided into 2 subintervals. Performance, measured in terms of the deviation from the target patterns and variability, was similar under conditions in which the finger taps were made with 1 hand or alternated between the 2 hands. In Experiment 2, the modality of the metronome (auditory or visual) was found to influence the manner in which the produced intervals deviated from the target patterns. These results challenge the notion that bimanual coordination emerges from coupling constraints intrinsic to the 2-hand system. They are in accord with a framework that emphasizes the control of specific time intervals to form a series of well-defined motor events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)