Motor Preparation, Timing, and Execution

Scope: Motor planning, response selection, motor preparation, action initiation, response execution, motor timing, motor sequence learning, motor memory, visuomotor adaptation, fine motor control, reaching, grasping, saccade, antisaccade, proprioception, vocal-motor control.

Out of scope: Motor traits (handedness, dexterity); motor umbrella concepts.

This category contains 16 processes.

Action initiation

Process ID: hed_action_initiation

Triggering of an action after planning is complete.

No tasks in the current catalog are linked to this process.

Fundamental references

  • Libet, Gleason, Wright & Pearl (1983) Brain 106:623–642

Recent references

  • Haggard (2008) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9:934–946

Antisaccade

Process ID: hed_antisaccade

Voluntary eye movement away from a peripheral stimulus, requiring inhibition of a prepotent saccade.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Hallett (1978) Vision Research 18:1279–1296

Recent references

  • Munoz & Everling (2004) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 5:218–228

Fine motor control

Process ID: hed_fine_motor_control

Precise control of small-amplitude movements, typically of the hand and fingers.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Grasping

Process ID: hed_grasping

Shaping and closure of the hand around an object.

No tasks in the current catalog are linked to this process.

Recent references

  • Castiello (2005) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6:726–736

Motor memory

Process ID: hed_motor_memory

Long-term retention of motor skills and procedures.

No tasks in the current catalog are linked to this process.

Fundamental references

  • Karni, Meyer, Rey-Hipolito, Jezzard, Adams, Turner & Ungerleider (1998) PNAS 95:861–868

Motor planning

Process ID: hed_motor_planning

Specification of movement parameters before execution.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Keele (1968) Psychological Bulletin 70:387–403

Motor preparation

Process ID: hed_motor_preparation

Neural readiness state preceding movement, indexed by the readiness potential and LRP.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Kornhuber & Deecke (1965) Pflügers Archiv 284:1–17

Recent references

  • Shibasaki & Hallett (2006) Clinical Neurophysiology 117:2341–2356

Motor sequence learning

Process ID: hed_motor_sequence_learning

Acquisition of a skilled sequence of movements through repetition.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Nissen & Bullemer (1987) Cognitive Psychology 19:1–32

Recent references

  • Doyon, Bellec, Amsel, Penhune, Monchi, Carrier, Lehéricy & Benali (2009) Behavioural Brain Research 199:61–75

Motor timing

Process ID: hed_motor_timing

Production or estimation of temporal intervals in motor output.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Wing & Kristofferson (1973) Perception & Psychophysics 14:5–12

Recent references

  • Merchant, Harrington & Meck (2013) Annual Review of Neuroscience 36:313–336

Proprioception

Process ID: hed_proprioception

Perception of body position and movement from muscle, tendon, and joint receptors.

No tasks in the current catalog are linked to this process.

Fundamental references

  • Sherrington (1906) The Integrative Action of the Nervous System

Reaching

Process ID: hed_reaching

Goal-directed arm movement toward a spatial target.

No tasks in the current catalog are linked to this process.

Fundamental references

  • Jeannerod (1988) The Neural and Behavioural Organization of Goal-Directed Movements

Recent references

  • Shadmehr, Smith & Krakauer (2010) Annual Review of Neuroscience 33:89–108

Response execution

Process ID: hed_response_execution

Overt production of a selected response in accordance with task demands.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Sternberg, Monsell, Knoll & Wright (1978) in Information Processing in Motor Control

Recent references

  • Haith & Krakauer (2013) in Progress in Motor Control

Response selection

Process ID: hed_response_selection

Choice of an action from a set of alternatives.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Recent references

  • Cisek & Kalaska (2010) Annual Review of Neuroscience 33:269–298

Saccade

Process ID: hed_saccade

Rapid ballistic eye movement between points of fixation.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Fundamental references

  • Yarbus (1967) Eye Movements and Vision

Recent references

  • Sparks (2002) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 3:952–964

Visuomotor adaptation

Process ID: hed_visuomotor_adaptation

Recalibration of movement in response to perturbations of the mapping between vision and action.

Tasks

The following tasks engage this process:

Vocal-motor control

Process ID: hed_vocal_motor_control

Control of the articulators for speech production and vocalization.

No tasks in the current catalog are linked to this process.

Fundamental references

  • Guenther (1995) Psychological Review 102:594–621

Recent references

  • Hickok (2012) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 13:135–145