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Online corrections can produce illusory bias during closed-loop pointing

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Abstract

This experiment examined whether the impact of pictorial illusions during the execution of goal-directed reaching movements is attributable to ocular motor signaling. We analyzed eye and hand movements directed toward both the vertex of the Müller–Lyer (ML) figure in a closed-loop procedure. Participants pointed to the right vertex of a visual stimulus in two conditions: a control condition wherein the figure (in-ML, neutral, out-ML) presented at response planning remained unchanged throughout the movement, and an experimental condition wherein a neutral figure presented at response planning was perturbed to an illusory figure (in-ML, out-ML) at movement onset. Consistent with previous work from our group (Heath et al. in Exp Brain Res 158:378–384, 2004; Heath et al. in J Mot Behav 37:179–185, 2005b), action-bias present in both conditions; thus illusory bias was introduced into during online control. Although primary saccades were influenced by illusory configurations (control conditions; see Binsted and Elliott in Hum Mov Sci 18:103–117, 1999a), illusory bias developed within the secondary “corrective” saccades during experimental trials (i.e., following a veridical primary saccade). These results support the position that a unitary spatial representation underlies both action and perception and this representation is common to both the manual and oculomotor systems.

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by discovery grants from NSERC to GB, DMS and MH. DMS was also supported by the Canada Research Chairs program. CE received a scholarship from the Neural Systems and Plasticity Research Group (University of Sk.).

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Correspondence to D. Saucier.

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Ehresman, C., Saucier, D., Heath, M. et al. Online corrections can produce illusory bias during closed-loop pointing. Exp Brain Res 188, 371–378 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1367-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1367-z

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