BACKGROUND When exposed to a novel dynamic perturbation, participants adapt by changing their movements' dynamics. This adaptation is achieved by constructing an internal representation of the perturbation, which allows for applying forces that compensate for the novel external conditions. To form an internal representation, the sensorimotor system gathers and integrates sensory inputs, including kinesthetic and tactile information about the external load. The relative contribution of the kinesthetic and tactile information in force-field adaptation is poorly understood. METHODS In this study, we set out to establish the effect of augmented tactile information on adaptation to force-field. Two groups of participants received a velocity-dependent tangential skin deformation from a custom-built skin-stretch device together with a velocity-dependent force-field from a kinesthetic haptic device. One group experienced a skin deformation in the same direction of the force, and the other in the opposite direction. A third group received only the velocity-dependent force-field. RESULTS We found that adding a skin deformation did not affect the kinematics of the movement during adaptation. However, participants who received skin deformation in the opposite direction adapted their manipulation forces faster and to a greater extent than those who received skin deformation in the same direction of the force. In addition, we found that skin deformation in the same direction to the force-field caused an increase in the applied grip-force per amount of load force, both in response and in anticipation of the stretch, compared to the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS Augmented tactile information affects the internal representations for the control of manipulation and grip forces, and these internal representations are likely updated via distinct mechanisms. We discuss the implications of these results for assistive and rehabilitation devices.

中文翻译：

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在力场适应过程中，触觉增强对操纵和握力控制的影响。

背景技术当受到新颖的动态扰动时，参与者通过改变其动作的动力学来适应。通过构造扰动的内部表示可以实现这种适应，该内部表示允许施加可补偿新的外部条件的力。为了形成内部表示，感觉运动系统收集并整合感觉输入，包括有关外部负荷的动觉和触觉信息。运动力和触觉信息在力场适应中的相对贡献知之甚少。方法在这项研究中，我们着手建立增强触觉信息对力场适应的效果。两组参与者从定制的皮肤拉伸设备收到了与速度有关的切向皮肤变形，并从动觉触觉设备收到了与速度有关的力场。一组在力的相同方向上经历皮肤变形，另一组在相反的方向上经历皮肤变形。第三组仅接收速度相关的力场。结果我们发现增加皮肤变形不会影响适应过程中运动的运动学。然而，与在相同方向上受到皮肤变形的参与者相比，在相反方向上受到皮肤变形的参与者适应和更快地调整了他们的操纵力。此外，我们发现与其他两组相比，在与力场相同方向上的皮肤变形会导致每单位负载力所施加的抓地力增加，无论是响应还是预期拉伸。结论增强的触觉信息会影响用于控制操纵力和抓地力的内部表示，并且这些内部表示可能会通过不同的机制进行更新。我们讨论了这些结果对辅助和康复设备的影响。