Multimodal reference frame for the planning of vertical arms movements

In this study we investigated the reference frames used to plan arm movements. Specifically, we asked whether the body axis, visual cues and graviception can each play a role in defining “up” and “down” in the planning and execution of movements along the vertical axis. Horizontal and vertical pointing movements were tested in two postures (upright and reclined) and two visual conditions (with and without vision) to identify possible effects of each of these cues on kinematics of movement. Movements were recorded using an optical 3D tracking system and analysis was conducted on velocity profiles of the hand. Despite a major effect of gravity, our analysis shows an effect of the movement direction with respect to the body axis when subjects were reclined with eyes closed. These results suggest that our CNS takes into account multimodal information about vertical in order to compute an optimal motor command that anticipates the effects of gravity.