Ability to discriminate movements at multiple joints around the body: global or site-specific

Percept Mot Skills. 2013 Feb;116(1):59-68. doi: 10.2466/24.10.23.PMS.116.1.59-68.

Abstract

This study tested whether proprioceptive discrimination of movement is a global, general ability, or an attribute that is specific to the joint tested. 40 right-handed, healthy, young adults (19 men, 21 women; M age = 20.4 yr., SD = 1.7) volunteered. A battery of versions of the Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus (AMEDA) were employed to generate the stimuli for movements of different extents at the ankle, knee, spine, shoulder, and finger; discrimination accuracy scores were derived from participants' responses. No significant correlations were found between the discrimination scores from the five sites (all rs < or = .21, all ps > or = .20). This finding extends a previous report of non-significantly correlated proprioception test scores at two lower limb sites, and the findings taken together suggest that rather than proprioception being a global, general ability, sensitivity to the proprioception that underlies movement control is site-specific.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Discrimination, Psychological / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Joints / physiology*
  • Male
  • Movement / physiology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Proprioception / physiology*
  • Young Adult