Movements overtly sample sensory information, making sensory analysis an active-sensing process. In this study, we show that visual information sampling is not just locked to the (overt) movement dynamics but to the internal (covert) dynamics of cortico-motor control. We asked human participants to perform continuous isometric contraction while detecting unrelated and unpredictable near-threshold visual stimuli. The motor output (force) shows zero-lag coherence with brain activity (recorded via electroencephalography) in the beta-band, as previously reported. In contrast, cortical rhythms in the alpha-band systematically forerun the motor output by 200 milliseconds. Importantly, visual detection is facilitated when cortico-motor alpha (not beta) synchronization is enhanced immediately before stimulus onset, namely, at the optimal phase relationship for sensorimotor communication. These findings demonstrate an ongoing coupling between visual sampling and motor control, suggesting the operation of an internal and alpha-cycling visuomotor loop.

运动明显地收集了感官信息，使感官分析成为主动感应过程。在这项研究中，我们表明视觉信息采样不仅限于（显性）运动动力学，而且还限于皮质运动控制的内部（隐性）动力学。我们要求人类参与者执行连续的等距收缩，同时检测无关且不可预测的近阈视觉刺激。如先前报道，运动输出（力）在β波段显示与大脑活动（通过脑电图记录）的零滞后连贯性。相比之下，α波段的皮质节律系统性地使电动机输出降低了200毫秒。重要的是，当刺激发生之前即刻增强皮质运动α（而非beta）同步时，视觉检测就变得容易了。以最佳的相位关系进行感觉运动沟通。这些发现表明视觉采样和运动控制之间正在进行的耦合，表明内部和alpha循环视觉运动回路的操作。