The role of attention in motor control and learning

Abstract

Performing and learning motor behaviors are fundamental to everyday life. The relations between perceptual input and motor output have been studied and are well understood for simple experimental settings. Recent findings, however, suggest that motor actions also critically depend on cognitive factors; these influences are most notable in complex environments that place high demands on attention and memory. In this review, the role of various aspects of attention in motor control is discussed, focusing on the following points: (1) recent findings concerning interactions between attentional resources and motor skill acquisition, (2) the consistency of attentional states (divided versus focused) and motor memory retrieval, and (3) the locus of attention (internal versus external) and motor performance. These findings collectively highlight the interplay between attention and motor systems, which in turn has practical implications for developing and improving motor training and rehabilitation programs.