Gallivan Jason P, Stewart Brandie M, Baugh Lee A, Wolpert Daniel M, Flanagan J Randall
Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
Cell Rep. 2017 Feb 14;18(7):1619-1626. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.049.
Mounting neural evidence suggests that, in situations in which there are multiple potential targets for action, the brain prepares, in parallel, competing movements associated with these targets, prior to implementing one of them. Central to this interpretation is the idea that competing viewed targets, prior to selection, are rapidly and automatically transformed into corresponding motor representations. Here, by applying target-specific, gradual visuomotor rotations and dissociating, unbeknownst to participants, the visual direction of potential targets from the direction of the movements required to reach the same targets, we provide direct evidence for this provocative idea. Our results offer strong empirical support for theories suggesting that competing action options are automatically represented in terms of the movements required to attain them. The rapid motor encoding of potential targets may support the fast optimization of motor costs under conditions of target uncertainty and allow the motor system to inform decisions about target selection.
越来越多的神经学证据表明，在存在多个潜在行动目标的情况下，大脑会在执行其中一个目标之前，并行准备与这些目标相关的竞争性动作。这一解释的核心观点是，在选择之前，相互竞争的可见目标会迅速且自动地转化为相应的运动表征。在此，通过应用特定于目标的、逐渐的视觉运动旋转，并在参与者不知情的情况下，将潜在目标的视觉方向与到达相同目标所需的运动方向相分离，我们为这一具有启发性的观点提供了直接证据。我们的结果为一些理论提供了有力的实证支持，这些理论认为相互竞争的行动选项会根据实现这些选项所需的运动自动得到表征。潜在目标的快速运动编码可能有助于在目标不确定的情况下快速优化运动成本，并使运动系统能够为目标选择的决策提供信息。
