Visuomotor and Audiomotor Processing in Continuous Force Production of Oral and Manual Effectors

ABSTRACT

The authors examined force control in oral and manual effectors as a function of sensory feedback (i.e., visual and auditory). Participants produced constant isometric force via index finger flexion and lower lip elevation to 2 force levels (10% and 20% maximal voluntary contraction) and received either online visual or online auditory feedback. Mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation of force output were used to quantify the magnitude of force variability. Power spectral measures and approximate entropy of force output were calculated to quantify the structure of force variability. Overall, it was found that the oral effector conditions were more variable (e.g., coefficient of variation) than the manual effector conditions regardless of sensory feedback. No effector differences were found for the structure of force variability with visual or auditory feedback. Oral and manual force control appears to involve different control mechanisms regulating continuous force production in the presence of visual or auditory feedback.

Keywords:

• force variability
• online control processes
• sensory feedback

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded in part by a Mary Jane Neer Grant and a Center for Health, Aging, & Disability Pilot Grant.