The Journal of Neurophysiology Vol. 80 No. 2 August 1998, pp. 546-553
Copyright ©1998 The American Physiological Society

Gravitoinertial Force Background Level Affects Adaptation to Coriolis Force Perturbations of Reaching Movements

James R. Lackner and Paul Dizio

Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254-9110

Lackner, James R. and Paul DiZio. Gravitoinertial force background level affects adaptation to Coriolis force perturbations of reaching movements. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 546-553, 1998. We evaluated the combined effects on reaching movements of the transient, movement-dependent Coriolis forces and the static centrifugal forces generated in a rotating environment. Specifically, we assessed the effects of comparable Coriolis force perturbations in different static force backgrounds. Two groups of subjects made reaching movements toward a just-extinguished visual target before rotation began, during 10 rpm counterclockwise rotation, and after rotation ceased. One group was seated on the axis of rotation, the other 2.23 m away. The resultant of gravity and centrifugal force on the hand was 1.0 g for the on-center group during 10 rpm rotation, and 1.031 g for the off-center group because of the 0.25 g centrifugal force present. For both groups, rightward Coriolis forces, 0.2 g peak, were generated during voluntary arm movements. The endpoints and paths of the initial per-rotation movements were deviated rightward for both groups by comparable amounts. Within 10 subsequent reaches, the on-center group regained baseline accuracy and straight-line paths; however, even after 40 movements the off-center group had not resumed baseline endpoint accuracy. Mirror-image aftereffects occurred when rotation stopped. These findings demonstrate that manual control is disrupted by transient Coriolis force perturbations and that adaptation can occur even in the absence of visual feedback. An increase, even a small one, in background force level above normal gravity does not affect the size of the reaching errors induced by Coriolis forces nor does it affect the rate of reacquiring straight reaching paths; however, it does hinder restoration of reaching accuracy.

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