Overarm throwing speed in cerebellar subjects: effect of timing of ball release

Cerebellar subjects cannot throw fast and show variability in ball speed from throw to throw. One possible reason is that they release the ball at times when arm speed is not at its maximal value. Therefore, we investigated the hypothesis that the slow and variable speeds of throws made by cerebellar subjects are caused by their known large variability in the timing of ball release. Eight cerebellar subjects and matched controls were instructed to make overarm throws fast and accurately. Angular positions of arm segments were recorded with search coils at 1,000 Hz. Timing of ball release was measured with respect to the time of occurrence of seven arm kinematic reference points. All cerebellar subjects showed strong relations between ball speed and the timing of ball release, with faster ball speeds associated with late ball release. In agreement, faster ball speeds were also associated with longer hand paths to ball release, and with balls which went low on the target. However, when timing of ball release was optimal for achieving maximal ball speed in the cerebellar subjects, their fastest ball speeds were on average only 67% those of controls. Similarly, peak forearm angular velocity (one measure of arm speed) in the cerebellar group was 58% that of the control group. It is concluded that the large variability in timing ball release in cerebellar subjects contributes to their variability in ball speed, but is only a minor factor in their inability to throw fast. The major reason why cerebellar subjects do not throw fast is that they do not generate fast arm speeds.