Body-part specificity for learning of multiple prior distributions in human coincidence timing

Abstract

During timing tasks, the brain learns the statistical distribution of target intervals and integrates this prior knowledge with sensory inputs to optimise task performance. Daily events can have different temporal statistics (e.g. fastball/slowball in baseball batting), making it important to learn and retain multiple priors. However, the rules governing this process are not yet understood. Here, we demonstrate that the learning of multiple prior distributions in a coincidence timing task is characterised by body-part specificity. In our experiments, two prior distributions (short and long intervals) were imposed on participants. When using only one body part for timing responses, regardless of the priors, participants learned a single prior by generalising over the two distributions. However, when the two priors were assigned to different body parts, participants concurrently learned the two independent priors. Moreover, body-part specific prior acquisition was faster when the priors were assigned to anatomically distant body parts (e.g. hand/foot) than when they were assigned to close body parts (e.g. index/middle fingers). This suggests that the body-part specific learning of priors is organised according to somatotopy.