How do past actions and rewards bias goal directed movement? (2018-2022)

It is often possible to perform the same physical task with movements that have very different characteristics. Current theories of sensorimotor control assume that the brain chooses from the abundance of possibilities by actively seeking the most accurate or economical way to move. However, human movements tend to resemble previous actions, even if this results in inaccuracies or inefficiencies. This project uses innovative timing methods and brain recordings to test how the history of movements we have executed in the past, and the rewards associated with those movements, interact to affect subsequent movement execution. In so doing, the project should advance our basic understanding of how the human brain controls movement.