Malfait N, Ostry DJ (2004)
J Neurosci 24:8084-8089.

Recently, Shadmehr and colleagues (Criscimagna-Hemminger et al. 2003) reported a pattern of generalization of force-field adaptation between arms that differs from the pattern that occurs across different configurations of the same arm. While the intralimb pattern of generalization points to an intrinsic encoding of dynamics, the interlimb transfer described by these authors indicates that information about force is represented in a frame of reference external to the body. In the present study, subjects adapted to a viscous curl-field in two experimental conditions. In one condition, the field was introduced suddenly and produced clear deviations in hand paths; in the second condition, the field was introduced gradually so that at no point during the adaptation process could subjects observe or had to correct for a substantial kinematic error. In the first case, a pattern of interlimb transfer consistent with Criscimagna-Hemminger et al. was observed, whereas no transfer of learning between limbs occurred in the second condition. The findings suggest that there is limited transfer of fine compensatory force adjustment between limbs. Transfer when it does occur may be largely the results of a "cognitive" strategy that arises as a result of the sudden introduction of load and associated kinematic error.