Smid, K.A. (2011) Step targets in precision stepping are coded in gaze centered coordinates. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.
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Abstract
Previous research has shown that visual information is involved in the planning and guidance of stepping movements. The role of gaze direction on the accuracy and precision of stepping, when a step target is presented in the visual periphery, is currently unclear. In the present study we investigated the role of gaze in precision stepping by presenting gaze targets to the left and right of a step target, in order to establish whether this influenced the participants' stepping accuracy and precision. Subjects were asked to make precise steps in the light and in darkness to a target step in front of their foot, whilst foveating the step target or a gaze target 30cm to the left or right of the step target, corresponding to a gaze angle of approximately 10 degrees. Stepping accuracy and precision was reduced when steps where made in darkness, or when participants were required to foveate the left or right gaze target. This shows that both gaze direction and ambient lighting influenced step precision and accuracy. More detailed analysis showed that foveating locations to the left or right of the step target caused systematic deviations in foot placement in the medialateral direction. The stepping errors were in the opposite direction of the gaze direction (e.g. participants stepped more to the left when foveating the right target). These results demonstrate that gaze is involved in both the planning and guidance of precision stepping movements and that stepping locations during precision stepping are coded in gaze centered coordinates.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Otter, Dr. A.R. den |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jun 2020 11:04 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2020 11:04 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2407 |
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