The overall long-term objective of this research program is to understand the development of internal models or representations that underlie sensorimotor behavior. Previous research suggests that so-called sensorimotor internal models, or maps, are the basis for the control of target-directed movements. These maps can be conceptualized as computational transformations of eye- (for vision) or head-centered (for audition) coordinate frames to neural commands controlling the effector e.g. in hand-centered coordinates. To date, studies about the development of sensorimotor maps, and their interactions are lacking.
Specific aim 1 is to determine the characteristics of the development of either kinesthetic-motor or auditory-motor internal representations (intramodal condition).
Specific aim 2 is to determine the development of either kinesthetic-visuo-motor or auditory-visuo-motor internal representations (intermodal condition) in 5 to 10 year old children. A neural basis for interactions of internal models of different modalities is suggested in the posterior parietal cortex, where neurons have been shown to code both visual and auditory signals and map them onto hand-centered coordinates. These experiments will allow determination of the characteristics of intra- and intermodal motor map differentiation, and to obtain a developmental landscape of these characteristics. The PIs hypothesize that (1) intramodal motor representations are very broadly tuned in young children, resulting in considerable performance variability; (2) with increasing age, these internal representations become better 'tuned'; and (3) in intermodal contexts the less well-defined (intramodal) sensorimotor representations are more susceptible to being affected by better defined internal models. This is supported by preliminary results showing stronger auditory-motor aftereffects after a visuo-motor adaptation condition in young children than in older children, who are likely to have better-tuned intramodal sensorimotor models. The overall significance of the work proposed lies in addressing two knowledge gaps that stand in the way of having better insights into how sensorimotor representations develop and interact in children. Understanding this is an essential foundation for future work on developmental motor impairments such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD). ? ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03HD050372-02
Application #
7218110
Study Section
Pediatrics Subcommittee (CHHD)
Program Officer
Kau, Alice S
Project Start
2006-04-01
Project End
2009-03-31
Budget Start
2007-04-01
Budget End
2009-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$68,800
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Maryland College Park
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
790934285
City
College Park
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
20742
Kagerer, Florian A; Clark, Jane E (2015) Development of kinesthetic-motor and auditory-motor representations in school-aged children. Exp Brain Res 233:2181-94
Kagerer, Florian A; Clark, Jane E (2014) Development of interactions between sensorimotor representations in school-aged children. Hum Mov Sci 34:164-77
King, Bradley R; Kagerer, Florian A; Harring, Jeffrey R et al. (2011) Multisensory adaptation of spatial-to-motor transformations in children with developmental coordination disorder. Exp Brain Res 212:257-65
Pangelinan, Melissa M; Kagerer, Florian A; Momen, Bahram et al. (2011) Electrocortical dynamics reflect age-related differences in movement kinematics among children and adults. Cereb Cortex 21:737-47
King, Bradley R; Pangelinan, Melissa M; Kagerer, Florian A et al. (2010) Improvements in proprioceptive functioning influence multisensory-motor integration in 7- to 13-year-old children. Neurosci Lett 483:36-40
King, Bradley R; Kagerer, Florian A; Contreras-Vidal, Jose L et al. (2009) Evidence for multisensory spatial-to-motor transformations in aiming movements of children. J Neurophysiol 101:315-22
Kagerer, Florian A; Contreras-Vidal, Jose L (2009) Adaptation of sound localization induced by rotated visual feedback in reaching movements. Exp Brain Res 193:315-21