Modulation of tactile sensitivity in the lower limbs during goal-directed movements

Abstract

Tactile sensitivity drops in a moving than static limb due to a combination of central, predictive mechanisms and peripheral effects. This suppression is dynamically modulated during movement, as shown during upper-limb actions, yet little is known about its implication during complex lower-limb movements. We investigated tactile sensitivity during naturalistic kicking by delivering vibrotactile probe stimuli to the balancing and kicking feet at different movement phases. In Experiment 1, participants kicked a suspended ball while tactile sensitivity was probed at movement onset, mid-swing, ball contact, and after-contact. Results revealed distinct modulation patterns in each foot. When transitioning from bipedal to unipedal stance, tactile processing at the balancing foot was particularly suppressed but at the kicking foot it improved, suggesting concurrent modulation across the two legs depending on their motor function. Tactile sensitivity remained rather invariant at other time points, but was strongly suppressed on the kicking foot at the moment of ball contact. The strength of this suppression correlated with kicking speed, which could reflect either stronger predictive control or stronger peripheral processes that mask the vibrotactile probe. To test these, a new set of participants held their foot still while a ball collided with it at high or low speed. Suppression was greater with faster ball contacts, revealing that peripheral processes can modulate tactile processing. These findings show that lower-limb tactile sensitivity during goal-directed leg movements can be concurrently modulated across the legs, presumably reflecting an interplay between central sensorimotor processes guiding the movement and peripheral processes affecting sensitivity. Significance StatementTactile sensitivity is known to fluctuate during movement, but little is understood about how it is tuned during complex lower-limb actions. Using a naturalistic ball-kicking task, we reveal distinct modulation patterns in the balancing and kicking feet, showing that postural and guiding demands dynamically shape tactile sensitivity. We further demonstrate that the strength of tactile modulation is influenced by peripheral processes, such as tactile masking. These findings highlight that lower-limb tactile processing can be flexibly and concurrently modulated in the two legs during state transitions that impose different sensorimotor demands for complex natural behavior.