sensorymotor

Sensorimotor, sometimes written sensory-motor, is a term used in neuroscience, psychology, and related fields to describe the integration of sensory information with motor activity. Sensorimotor systems transform sensory input from visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive sources into coordinated muscle actions. They rely on widespread neural networks, including primary sensory and motor cortices, the parietal and premotor areas, the basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem, and sensorimotor pathways that connect these regions. Real-time feedback from moving limbs and the environment allows for smooth, adaptive movement and skill learning.

Developmentally, sensorimotor processes underpin early cognitive and motor development. In Piaget's framework, the sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years) describes how infants learn about objects and their own actions through active exploration and the consequences of movements. Later, sensorimotor integration supports complex motor tasks, such as reaching, grasping, and tool use, and underlies motor learning.

Clinically, sensorimotor disorders involve impairments in the ability to sense, interpret, or respond to sensory information, or to perform coordinated movements. Examples include apraxia, proprioceptive deficits, and ataxia. Treatment often uses sensorimotor training and rehabilitation to improve functional movement. In technology, sensorimotor control is fundamental to robotics and human-computer interfaces, where sensory feedback controls actuation and adaptive behavior.