Auditory Reafferences in motor control? Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of compensation during interferences and deprivation

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Markus Raab, since 10/2016; Professorin Dr. Ricarda Ines Schubotz
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2011 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194699617

The current extension grant deepens and extends the questions that were addressed in the approved grant, which was reviewed by the Fachkollegium Allgemeine, Biologische und Mathematische Psychologie. There, we behaviorally showed inasmuch auditory reafferences (AR) are relevant for action observation and execution. We would like to deepen these studies by clarifying the mechanisms underlying the recorded behavioral effects using fMRI, with a particular focus on the interaction between behavior and fMRI signal.Moreover, we seek to enlarge upon the previous experiments by a systematic comparison between two classes of movement. A novel and unexpected finding of the previous studies was that the investigated AR had a different effect on motor control as is found in language or music, i.e., auditory action goals: AR manipulation impaired motor control, but only temporarily. We suggest that AR that are part of the action goal (ARZ hereafter) are differently processed than AR that seem to be a mere byproduct of the action (ARN hereafter). So far, the latter sounds of action have been virtually neglected in research. Although we would not say that the sounds of our steps are part of our action goal when walking, their absence would clearly surprise us. One of the most influential contemporary action concepts suggests that we plan our actions by their anticipated sensory consequences. Are ARN, after all, part of our action goals just as ARZ? This view is challenged by findings of the previous grant where ARN yielded different behavioral effects than ARZ.The current extension grant addresses at the following questions: Are auditory reafferences that seem to be not part of the action goal in the proper sense relevant for action control? Are there principal or partial differences in the psychophysiological processing of ARN and ARZ? In the preceding project we observed, for the first time, compensatory processes, i.e. a trial-to-trial recovery of motor performance during interference by ARN manipulation. We would like to focus on the psychophysiological interactions underlying these findings. To this end, we plan to use interference by AR delay as well as AR deprivation. Our schedule comprises 3 experiments in which participants observe videos of their own actions while being provided with original (Exp. 1), delayed (Exp. 2) or no (Exp. 3) auditory soundtrack (ARN and ARZ). We record both behavioral and fMRI data. Graph theoretical analyses will enable us to consider the dynamics and quality of compensatory mechanisms in a novel way.The expected insight of the current proposal is in a theoretical extension of our concept of auditory reafferences: Do existing neurocognitive models of auditory action goals (language, music) generalize to other everyday action sounds? This issue has further implications for the scientific notion of action goal and for the relationship between conscious and unconscious parts of our action goals.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Cooperation Partner: Professorin Dr. Karen Zentgraf
• Ehemalige Antragstellerin: Dr. Tanja Hohmann, until 10/2016