One-to-one and polyrhythmic temporal coordination in bimanual circle tracing

Abstract

The authors manipulated movement amplitude in a bimanual circle-tracing task to alter the natural tracing frequency of the arms. Participants (N = 14) traced different-diameter circles simultaneously with the two arms in either in-phase (0 degrees) or antiphase (180 degrees) coordination, using the index fingers or plastic styli. Movement amplitude altered the natural tracing frequency of the arms, as demonstrated by the following 2 findings: (a) The larger the difference in circle diameter, the larger was the shift from the fixed-point values of 0 degrees and 180 degrees, and the shift increased as movement frequency increased. Those results are consistent with the manipulation of delta omega in the bimanual pendulum paradigm. (b) Increasing movement frequency induced transitions from 1:1 to non-1:1 coordination, contrary to findings in previous investigations of polyrhythmic coordination. Tactile feedback played a minimal role in stabilizing bimanual coordination in the current tasks.