Coordinating Initial and Final Action Goals in Planning Grasp-to-Rotate Movements: An ERP Study

Action goals have often been investigated in previous studies within a single action. However, most of the manual actions (such as prehension) are not restricted to action towards object but can involve multiple follow-up achieve further purpose. The coordination initial (grip posture) and final (task purpose) such complex is still fully understood. In present experiment, neural mechanisms underlying goal were with help event-related potentials (ERP). With “first cue – second imperative signal” design, presented separately different sequences (either “final-initial” or “initial-final”), participants instructed plan execute grasp-to-rotate movement either free-choice specified grasping. Results revealed that shorter reaction times needed for final-initial than initial-final trials only when requires At moment information was incomplete (at first cue), evoked larger anterior P2 goals, whereas elicited N2 more robust frontal negativity (400–-550 ms) goals. When complete we found Moreover, also grasping trials. These neurophysiological results indicate critical grip postures planning prehensile movements. seem be preferably coordinated hierarchical manner, is, task purpose processed precedence, posture selected depending on