Abstract
The present experiment examines how forward modeling can influence cutaneous temporal order judgements. We examined this concept by applying cutaneous vibrations to the index fingers of each hand during the planning stages of movement to investigate how it systematically influences temporal order judgements. It has been previously shown that crossing the arms induces a subjective reversal of spatially-defined cutaneous temporal order judgments. We had subjects plan to move to 4 different targets that would leave his or her hands in a uncrossed, perpendicular, partially crossed, or fully crossed final position, from an uncrossed starting position. The results demonstrated that even though cutaneous stimuli were applied before the movements, if subjects were planning to move into a partially crossed configuration, performance was impaired compared to movements made to uncrossed targets. Taken together, this data suggest the brain uses planning signals to predict sensations from arising during the subsequent movements.Acknowledgments: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada