TITLE:
Dependence of Manual Grasping on the Behavioral Context: A Comparison between Arms and between Age Groups
AUTHORS:
Otmar Bock, Benjamin Baak
KEYWORDS:
Motor Control; Prehension; Context-Dependence; Sensorimotor Integration
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.4 No.12,
December
25,
2013
ABSTRACT: We evaluated the kinematics and dynamics of grasping in a typical
laboratory situation (L) and in a more everyday-like situation (E), using
right-handed subjects. Performance was compared when young subjects used their
right versus left arm, and when young versus old subjects used their left arm.
As in our previous work, multiple differences emerged between parameter values
in the two contexts, L and E. These context differences were, however, more pronounced
for the left rather than for the right arm of young subjects, and more
pronounced for the left arm of young rather than older subjects. We propose an
explanation based on the differential involvement of the dorsal and ventral
cortical processing stream in L and in E: The differential involvement would be
accentuated for the left arm of young, but not for the left arm of older
subjects.