Auditory motor integration in oral and manual effectors

Sensorimotor integration of auditory feedback for oral and manual force control was compared in 10 healthy participants. Based on the notion that auditory-to-motor integration is a more typical form of feedback for oral articulators given their role in speech and singing, it was predicted that oral force generation would be more accurate and less variable on an auditory-motor task compared to manual force generation. However, finger force production showed similar accuracy and lower variability than lip force production. The authors propose that auditory feedback can be used for fine force control of both oral and manual effectors. Differences in performance are considered to arise from physiological differences between the effectors that are reflected in their typical functions. This novel study of oral and manual force control under auditory feedback is an important step in understanding how auditory information can be associated with fine force control.