Reduced felt arm sensation effects on visual adaptation

Proprioception is often considered to be critically involved in producing adaptation to a prism-induced visual displacement. The present study focused on reduction of proprioceptive feedback during prism exposure by means of hypnotically induced anesthesia in the adapting arm. In addition, intermanual transfer was considered. Results showed adaptation occurring in situations where S could feel arm sensations while viewing arm movement during a prism exposure. However, if the adapting arm was hypnotically anesthetized while still remaining mobile, adaptation did not occur. No intermanual transfer was found between the adapted arm and the unadapted arm.