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A nonlinear model for probability estimation and revision in a human motor task

Katja Fiedler1, 2*, Sara A. Solla3 and J M. Herrmann2, 4
  • 1 Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Selforganization, MPI, Germany
  • 2 Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, BCCN- G, Germany
  • 3 Northwestern University, Department of Physiology, United States
  • 4 University of Edinburgh, IPAB, School of Informatics, United Kingdom

Reaching movements are governed by mainly unconscious estimates about the reliability of the own
sensory system as well as about properties of the environment. The formation and adjustment of
these estimates, more specifically the so-called prior, is examined in this study.
A complex movement task is performed by both right- and left-handed subjects. It includes an
obstacle which has to be passed either on the left or the right side dependent on the location of a
final movement target that is located behind the obstacle. The distribution of target positions is
varied randomly in course of the session. The participants' directional decisions are examined in
dependence on the bias in target presentation.
We find that all participants have a strong tendency to adopt an initial bias from the presented
distribution and that they stick to it when the final target appears equally often on either side. This tendency is even strengthened during breaks between the sessions. Yet after a large number of
stereotypic and rather “one-sided” repetitions the subjects seem to figure out that the developed
strategy does not apply throughout the whole session, and a small but significant adjustment in
favor of the “under-appreciated” direction takes place. These phenomena are shown to be
independent of handedness.
We present a nonlinear model of the development of the prior, and discuss the two time scales that
are involved in the formation of estimates underlying movement generation.

Keywords: computational neuroscience

Conference: Bernstein Conference on Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany, 27 Sep - 1 Oct, 2010.

Presentation Type: Presentation

Topic: Bernstein Conference on Computational Neuroscience

Citation: Fiedler K, Solla SA and Herrmann JM (2010). A nonlinear model for probability estimation and revision in a human motor task. Front. Comput. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Bernstein Conference on Computational Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/conf.fncom.2010.51.00126

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Received: 21 Sep 2010; Published Online: 23 Sep 2010.

* Correspondence: Dr. Katja Fiedler, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Selforganization, MPI, Göttingen, Germany, katja@nld.ds.mpg.de