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Scheller M, Nardini M. Correctly establishing evidence for cue combination via gains in sensory precision: Why the choice of comparator matters. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2842-2858. [PMID: 37730934 PMCID: PMC11133123 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Studying how sensory signals from different sources (sensory cues) are integrated within or across multiple senses allows us to better understand the perceptual computations that lie at the foundation of adaptive behaviour. As such, determining the presence of precision gains - the classic hallmark of cue combination - is important for characterising perceptual systems, their development and functioning in clinical conditions. However, empirically measuring precision gains to distinguish cue combination from alternative perceptual strategies requires careful methodological considerations. Here, we note that the majority of existing studies that tested for cue combination either omitted this important contrast, or used an analysis approach that, unknowingly, strongly inflated false positives. Using simulations, we demonstrate that this approach enhances the chances of finding significant cue combination effects in up to 100% of cases, even when cues are not combined. We establish how this error arises when the wrong cue comparator is chosen and recommend an alternative analysis that is easy to implement but has only been adopted by relatively few studies. By comparing combined-cue perceptual precision with the best single-cue precision, determined for each observer individually rather than at the group level, researchers can enhance the credibility of their reported effects. We also note that testing for deviations from optimal predictions alone is not sufficient to ascertain whether cues are combined. Taken together, to correctly test for perceptual precision gains, we advocate for a careful comparator selection and task design to ensure that cue combination is tested with maximum power, while reducing the inflation of false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Scheller
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
| | - Marko Nardini
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
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2
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Zhang X, Tan Q, Mu H. Flying enhances viewing from above bias on ambiguous visual stimuli. J Vis 2023; 23:11. [PMID: 37335570 DOI: 10.1167/jov.23.6.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The human spatial orientation system is well designed on the ground but is imperfect in the aeronautical three-dimensional (3D) environment. However, human perception systems perform Bayesian statistics based on encountered environments and form shortcuts to improve perceptual efficiency. It is unknown whether our perception of spatial orientation is modified by flying experience and forms perceptual biases. The current study tested pilot perceptual biases on ambiguous visual stimuli, the bistable point-light walkers, and found that flying experiences increased the pilot's tendency to perceive himself as higher than the target and the target as farther away from them. Such perceptual effects due to flight are likely to be attributed to experience of variable vestibular state in a higher position in 3D space, rather than the experience of a higher viewpoint. Our findings suggest that flying experience will modifies our visual perceptual biases, and that more attention should be paid to the enhanced viewing from above bias when flying to avoid overestimating altitude or viewing angle when the visual conditions are ambiguous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhang
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Aviation Psychology, Flight Technology College, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, China
| | - Qilong Tan
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Aviation Psychology, Flight Technology College, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, China
| | - Haiying Mu
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Aviation Psychology, Flight Technology College, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, China
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3
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Sinnott CB, Hausamann PA, MacNeilage PR. Natural statistics of human head orientation constrain models of vestibular processing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5882. [PMID: 37041176 PMCID: PMC10090077 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32794-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Head orientation relative to gravity determines how gravity-dependent environmental structure is sampled by the visual system, as well as how gravity itself is sampled by the vestibular system. Therefore, both visual and vestibular sensory processing should be shaped by the statistics of head orientation relative to gravity. Here we report the statistics of human head orientation during unconstrained natural activities in humans for the first time, and we explore implications for models of vestibular processing. We find that the distribution of head pitch is more variable than head roll and that the head pitch distribution is asymmetrical with an over-representation of downward head pitch, consistent with ground-looking behavior. We further suggest that pitch and roll distributions can be used as empirical priors in a Bayesian framework to explain previously measured biases in perception of both roll and pitch. Gravitational and inertial acceleration stimulate the otoliths in an equivalent manner, so we also analyze the dynamics of human head orientation to better understand how knowledge of these dynamics can constrain solutions to the problem of gravitoinertial ambiguity. Gravitational acceleration dominates at low frequencies and inertial acceleration dominates at higher frequencies. The change in relative power of gravitational and inertial components as a function of frequency places empirical constraints on dynamic models of vestibular processing, including both frequency segregation and probabilistic internal model accounts. We conclude with a discussion of methodological considerations and scientific and applied domains that will benefit from continued measurement and analysis of natural head movements moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter A Hausamann
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
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4
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Torricelli F, Tomassini A, Pezzulo G, Pozzo T, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. Motor invariants in action execution and perception. Phys Life Rev 2023; 44:13-47. [PMID: 36462345 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system is sensitive to statistical regularities of the external world and forms internal models of these regularities to predict environmental dynamics. Given the inherently social nature of human behavior, being capable of building reliable predictive models of others' actions may be essential for successful interaction. While social prediction might seem to be a daunting task, the study of human motor control has accumulated ample evidence that our movements follow a series of kinematic invariants, which can be used by observers to reduce their uncertainty during social exchanges. Here, we provide an overview of the most salient regularities that shape biological motion, examine the role of these invariants in recognizing others' actions, and speculate that anchoring socially-relevant perceptual decisions to such kinematic invariants provides a key computational advantage for inferring conspecifics' goals and intentions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Torricelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Thierry Pozzo
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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5
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How much I moved: Robust biases in self-rotation perception. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:2670-2683. [PMID: 36261764 PMCID: PMC9630243 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-022-02589-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vestibular cues are crucial to sense the linear and angular acceleration of our head in three-dimensional space. Previous literature showed that vestibular information precociously combines with other sensory modalities, such as proprioceptive and visual, to facilitate spatial navigation. Recent studies suggest that auditory cues may improve self-motion perception as well. The present study investigated the ability to estimate passive rotational displacements with and without virtual acoustic landmarks to determine how vestibular and auditory information interact in processing self-motion information. We performed two experiments. In both, healthy participants sat on a Rotational-Translational Chair. They experienced yaw rotations along the earth-vertical axis and performed a self-motion discrimination task. Their goal was to estimate both clockwise and counterclockwise rotations’ amplitude, with no visual information available, reporting whether they felt to be rotated more or less than 45°. According to the condition, vestibular-only or audio-vestibular information was present. Between the two experiments, we manipulated the procedure of presentation of the auditory cues (passive vs. active production of sounds). We computed the point of subjective equality (PSE) as a measure of accuracy and the just noticeable difference (JND) as the precision of the estimations for each condition and direction of rotations. Results in both experiments show a strong overestimation bias of the rotations, regardless of the condition, the direction, and the sound generation conditions. Similar to previously found heading biases, this bias in rotation estimation may facilitate the perception of substantial deviations from the most relevant directions in daily navigation activities.
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6
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Causal contribution of optic flow signal in Macaque extrastriate visual cortex for roll perception. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5479. [PMID: 36123363 PMCID: PMC9485245 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33245-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic flow is a powerful cue for inferring self-motion status which is critical for postural control, spatial orientation, locomotion and navigation. In primates, neurons in extrastriate visual cortex (MSTd) are predominantly modulated by high-order optic flow patterns (e.g., spiral), yet a functional link to direct perception is lacking. Here, we applied electrical microstimulation to selectively manipulate population of MSTd neurons while macaques discriminated direction of rotation around line-of-sight (roll) or direction of linear-translation (heading), two tasks which were orthogonal in 3D spiral coordinate using a four-alternative-forced-choice paradigm. Microstimulation frequently biased animal's roll perception towards coded labeled-lines of the artificial-stimulated neurons in either context with spiral or pure-rotation stimuli. Choice frequency was also altered between roll and translation flow-pattern. Our results provide direct causal-link evidence supporting that roll signals in MSTd, despite often mixed with translation signals, can be extracted by downstream areas for perception of rotation relative to gravity-vertical.
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Nestmann S, Röhrig L, Müller B, Ilg W, Karnath HO. Tilted 3D visual scenes influence lateropulsion: A single case study of pusher syndrome. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2022; 44:478-486. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2022.2121382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Nestmann
- Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Röhrig
- Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Björn Müller
- Section for Computational Sensomotorics, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Winfried Ilg
- Section for Computational Sensomotorics, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Otto Karnath
- Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Perceptual Biases as the Side Effect of a Multisensory Adaptive System: Insights from Verticality and Self-Motion Perception. Vision (Basel) 2022; 6:vision6030053. [PMID: 36136746 PMCID: PMC9502132 DOI: 10.3390/vision6030053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual biases can be interpreted as adverse consequences of optimal processes which otherwise improve system performance. The review presented here focuses on the investigation of inaccuracies in multisensory perception by focusing on the perception of verticality and self-motion, where the vestibular sensory modality has a prominent role. Perception of verticality indicates how the system processes gravity. Thus, it represents an indirect measurement of vestibular perception. Head tilts can lead to biases in perceived verticality, interpreted as the influence of a vestibular prior set at the most common orientation relative to gravity (i.e., upright), useful for improving precision when upright (e.g., fall avoidance). Studies on the perception of verticality across development and in the presence of blindness show that prior acquisition is mediated by visual experience, thus unveiling the fundamental role of visuo-vestibular interconnections across development. Such multisensory interactions can be behaviorally tested with cross-modal aftereffect paradigms which test whether adaptation in one sensory modality induces biases in another, eventually revealing an interconnection between the tested sensory modalities. Such phenomena indicate the presence of multisensory neural mechanisms that constantly function to calibrate self-motion dedicated sensory modalities with each other as well as with the environment. Thus, biases in vestibular perception reveal how the brain optimally adapts to environmental requests, such as spatial navigation and steady changes in the surroundings.
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9
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Tarnutzer AA, Duarte da Costa V, Baumann D, Hemm S. Heading Direction Is Significantly Biased by Preceding Whole-Body Roll-Orientation While Lying. Front Neurol 2022; 13:868144. [PMID: 35509993 PMCID: PMC9058079 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.868144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background After a prolonged static whole-body roll-tilt, a significant bias of the internal estimates of the direction of gravity has been observed when assessing the subjective visual vertical. Objective We hypothesized that this post-tilt bias represents a more general phenomenon, broadly affecting spatial orientation and navigation. Specifically, we predicted that after the prolonged roll-tilt to either side perceived straight-ahead would also be biased. Methods Twenty-five healthy participants were asked to rest in three different lying positions (supine, right-ear-down, and left-ear-down) for 5 min (“adaptation period”) prior to walking straight-ahead blindfolded for 2 min. Walking was recorded with the inertial measurement unit sensors attached to different body locations and with sensor shoe insoles. The raw data was segmented with a gait–event detection method. The Heading direction was determined and linear mixed-effects models were used for statistical analyses. Results A significant bias in heading into the direction of the previous roll-tilt position was observed in the post-adaptation trials. This bias was identified in both measurement systems and decreased again over the 2-min walking period. Conclusions The bias observed further confirms the influence of prior knowledge on spatial orientation and navigation. Specifically, it underlines the broad impact of a shifting internal estimate of direction of gravity over a range of distinct paradigms, illustrating similar decay time constants. In the broader context, the observed bias in perceived straight-ahead emphasizes that getting up in the morning after a good night's sleep is a vulnerable period, with an increased risk of falls and fall-related injuries due to non-availability of optimally tuned internal estimates of the direction of gravity and the direction of straight-ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer
- Department of Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer
| | - Vasco Duarte da Costa
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Denise Baumann
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Simone Hemm
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
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10
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Castro Abarca P, Hussain S, Mohamed OG, Kaski D, Arshad Q, Bronstein AM, Kheradmand A. Visuospatial orientation: Differential effects of head and body positions. Neurosci Lett 2022; 775:136548. [PMID: 35227775 PMCID: PMC8930610 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
To orientate in space, the brain must integrate sensory information that encodes the position of the body with the visual cues from the surrounding environment. In this process, the extent of reliance on visual information is known as the visual dependence. Here, we asked whether the relative positions of the head and body can modulate such visual dependence (VD). We used the effect of optokinetic stimulation (30°/s) on subjective visual vertical (SVV) to quantify VD as the average optokinetic-induced SVV bias in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. The VD bias was measured in eight subjects with a head-on-body tilt (HBT) where only the head was tilted on the body, and also with a whole-body tilt (WBT) where the head and body were tilted together. The VD bias with HBT of 20° was in the same direction of the head tilt position (left tilt VD -1.35 ± 0.1.2°; right VD 1.60 ± 0.9°), whereas the VD bias with WBT of 20° was in a direction away from the body tilt position (left tilt VD 2.5 ± 1.1°; right tilt VD -2.1 ± 0.9°). These findings show differential effects of relative head and body positions on visual cue integration, a process which could facilitate optimal interaction with the surrounding environment for spatial orientation.
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11
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Tekgün E, Erdeniz B. Contributions of Body-Orientation to Mental Ball Dropping Task During Out-of-Body Experiences. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 15:781935. [PMID: 35058754 PMCID: PMC8764241 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.781935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) provide fascinating insights into our understanding of bodily self-consciousness and the workings of the brain. Studies that examined individuals with brain lesions reported that OBEs are generally characterized by participants experiencing themselves outside their physical body (i.e., disembodied feeling) (Blanke and Arzy, 2005). Based on such a characterization, it has been shown that it is possible to create virtual OBEs in immersive virtual environments (Ehrsson, 2007; Ionta et al., 2011b; Bourdin et al., 2017). However, the extent to which body-orientation influences virtual OBEs is not well-understood. Thus, in the present study, 30 participants (within group design) experienced a full-body ownership illusion (synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation only) induced with a gender-matched full-body virtual avatar seen from the first-person perspective (1PP). At the beginning of the experiment, participants performed a mental ball dropping (MBD) task, seen from the location of their virtual avatar, to provide a baseline measurement. After this, a full-body ownership illusion (embodiment phase) was induced in all participants. This was followed by the virtual OBE illusion phase of the experiment (disembodiment phase) in which the first-person viewpoint was switched to a third-person perspective (3PP), and participants' disembodied viewpoint was gradually raised to 14 m above the virtual avatar, from which altitude they repeated the MBD task. During the experiment, this procedure was conducted twice, and the participants were allocated first to the supine or the standing body position at random. Results of the MBD task showed that the participants experienced increased MBD durations during the supine condition compared to the standing condition. Furthermore, although the findings from the subjective reports confirmed the previous findings of virtual OBEs, no significant difference between the two postures was found for body ownership. Taken together, the findings of the current study make further contributions to our understanding of both the vestibular system and time perception during OBEs.
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12
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Stapel JC, Medendorp WP. Panoramic Uncertainty in Vertical Perception. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:738768. [PMID: 34867226 PMCID: PMC8635489 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.738768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Judgments of the orientation of a visual line with respect to earth vertical are affected by panoramic visual cues. This is illustrated by the rod-and-frame effect (RFE), the finding that the perceived orientation of a luminous rod is biased by the orientation of a surrounding squared frame. In this study, we tested how the uncertainty of frame orientation affects the RFE by asking upright or tilted participants to psychometrically judge the orientation of a briefly flashed rod contained within either a circular frame, a squared frame, or either of two intermediate frame forms, called squircles, presented in various orientations. Results showed a cyclical modulation of frame-induced bias across the range of the square and squircular frame orientations. The magnitude of this bias increased with increasing squaredness of the frame, as if the more unequivocal the orientation cues of the frame, the larger the reliance on them for rod orientation judgments. These findings are explained with a Bayesian optimal integration model in which participants flexibly weigh visual panoramic cues, depending on their orientation reliability, and non-visual cues in the perception of vertical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janny C Stapel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Uppsala Child and Babylab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - W Pieter Medendorp
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Delle Monache S, Indovina I, Zago M, Daprati E, Lacquaniti F, Bosco G. Watching the Effects of Gravity. Vestibular Cortex and the Neural Representation of "Visual" Gravity. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:793634. [PMID: 34924968 PMCID: PMC8671301 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.793634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gravity is a physical constraint all terrestrial species have adapted to through evolution. Indeed, gravity effects are taken into account in many forms of interaction with the environment, from the seemingly simple task of maintaining balance to the complex motor skills performed by athletes and dancers. Graviceptors, primarily located in the vestibular otolith organs, feed the Central Nervous System with information related to the gravity acceleration vector. This information is integrated with signals from semicircular canals, vision, and proprioception in an ensemble of interconnected brain areas, including the vestibular nuclei, cerebellum, thalamus, insula, retroinsula, parietal operculum, and temporo-parietal junction, in the so-called vestibular network. Classical views consider this stage of multisensory integration as instrumental to sort out conflicting and/or ambiguous information from the incoming sensory signals. However, there is compelling evidence that it also contributes to an internal representation of gravity effects based on prior experience with the environment. This a priori knowledge could be engaged by various types of information, including sensory signals like the visual ones, which lack a direct correspondence with physical gravity. Indeed, the retinal accelerations elicited by gravitational motion in a visual scene are not invariant, but scale with viewing distance. Moreover, the "visual" gravity vector may not be aligned with physical gravity, as when we watch a scene on a tilted monitor or in weightlessness. This review will discuss experimental evidence from behavioral, neuroimaging (connectomics, fMRI, TMS), and patients' studies, supporting the idea that the internal model estimating the effects of gravity on visual objects is constructed by transforming the vestibular estimates of physical gravity, which are computed in the brainstem and cerebellum, into internalized estimates of virtual gravity, stored in the vestibular cortex. The integration of the internal model of gravity with visual and non-visual signals would take place at multiple levels in the cortex and might involve recurrent connections between early visual areas engaged in the analysis of spatio-temporal features of the visual stimuli and higher visual areas in temporo-parietal-insular regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Delle Monache
- UniCamillus—Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Iole Indovina
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Center for Space Biomedicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Department of Civil and Computer Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Daprati
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Center for Space Biomedicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Center for Space Biomedicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Bosco
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Center for Space Biomedicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
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Park JH, Cho SI, Choi J, Han J, Rah YC. Pupil responses associated with the perception of gravitational vertical under directional optic flows. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21303. [PMID: 34716355 PMCID: PMC8556311 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00346-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the pupil responses in the sensory integration of various directional optic flows during the perception of gravitational vertical. A total of 30 healthy participants were enrolled with normal responses to conventional subjective visual vertical (SVV) which was determined by measuring the difference (error angles) between the luminous line adjusted by the participants and the true vertical. SVV was performed under various types of rotational (5°/s, 10°/s, and 50°/s) and straight (5°/s and 10°/s) optic flows presented via a head-mounted display. Error angles (°) of the SVV and changes in pupil diameters (mm) were measured to evaluate the changes in the visually assessed subjective verticality and related cognitive demands. Significantly larger error angles were measured under rotational optic flows than under straight flows (p < 0.001). The error angles also significantly increased as the velocity of the rotational optic flow increased. The pupil diameter increased after starting the test, demonstrating the largest diameter during the final fine-tuning around the vertical. Significantly larger pupil changes were identified under rotational flows than in straight flows. Pupil changes were significantly correlated with error angles and the visual analog scale representing subjective difficulties during each test. These results suggest increased pupil changes for integrating more challenging visual sensory inputs in the process of gravity perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo Hyun Park
- grid.416665.60000 0004 0647 2391Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Ik Cho
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University College of Informatics, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - June Choi
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - JungHyun Han
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University College of Informatics, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Chan Rah
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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15
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Nedelkou A, Hatzitaki V, Chatzinikolaou K, Grouios G. Does somatosensory feedback from the plantar foot sole contribute to verticality perception? Somatosens Mot Res 2021; 38:214-222. [PMID: 34256655 DOI: 10.1080/08990220.2021.1949977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY In upright standing, the human foot sole is the only point of contact with the ground conveying information about the pressure distribution under the feet. We examined how the altered somatosensory input from the plantar foot receptors, when standing on a soft surface, affects the subjective estimation of the earth vertical in different sensory contexts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twelve (12) healthy young females (mean age: 21.8 ± 2.4 years) adjusted the orientation of a visual line (35 × 1.5 cm) representing the roll orientation of a hand-held (attached on a 24.9 × 4 cm cylinder) or head-attached electromagnetic tracking sensor (Nest of Birds, Ascension Technologies Inc., VT. USA, 60 Hz) under two visual conditions (eyes open, eyes closed) while standing on a soft or firm surface. The mean absolute (accuracy) and variable (precision) error in the verticality estimate was depicted in the sensor's roll deviation from the gravitational vertical. RESULTS The accuracy and the precision of the estimate decreased in the absence of vision, while standing on the soft surface and when the estimate was provided by an active hand rather than head rotation. The surface effect was significant only in the absence of vision and when the estimate was provided by the hand. CONCLUSIONS The contribution of the plantar foot mechanoreceptors to gravity perception is sensory context dependent. Perception of the earth vertical is more accurate when estimated by active head rotation due to the integration of the vestibular and neck proprioceptive afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Nedelkou
- Laboratory of Motor Behavior and Adapted Physical Activity, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - V Hatzitaki
- Laboratory of Motor Behavior and Adapted Physical Activity, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - K Chatzinikolaou
- Laboratory of Motor Behavior and Adapted Physical Activity, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - G Grouios
- Laboratory of Motor Behavior and Adapted Physical Activity, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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16
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Rodriguez R, Crane BT. Effect of timing delay between visual and vestibular stimuli on heading perception. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:304-312. [PMID: 34191637 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00351.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Heading direction is perceived based on visual and inertial cues. The current study examined the effect of their relative timing on the ability of offset visual headings to influence inertial perception. Seven healthy human subjects experienced 2 s of translation along a heading of 0°, ±35°, ±70°, ±105°, or ±140°. These inertial headings were paired with 2-s duration visual headings that were presented at relative offsets of 0°, ±30°, ±60°, ±90°, or ±120°. The visual stimuli were also presented at 17 temporal delays ranging from -500 ms (visual lead) to 2,000 ms (visual delay) relative to the inertial stimulus. After each stimulus, subjects reported the direction of the inertial stimulus using a dial. The bias of the inertial heading toward the visual heading was robust at ±250 ms when examined across subjects during this period: 8.0° ± 0.5° with a 30° offset, 12.2° ± 0.5° with a 60° offset, 11.7° ± 0.6° with a 90° offset, and 9.8° ± 0.7° with a 120° offset (mean bias toward visual ± SE). The mean bias was much diminished with temporal misalignments of ±500 ms, and there was no longer any visual influence on the inertial heading when the visual stimulus was delayed by 1,000 ms or more. Although the amount of bias varied between subjects, the effect of delay was similar.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The effect of timing on visual-inertial integration on heading perception has not been previously examined. This study finds that visual direction influence inertial heading perception when timing differences are within 250 ms. This suggests visual-inertial stimuli can be integrated over a wider range than reported for visual-auditory integration and may be due to the unique nature of inertial sensation, which can only sense acceleration while the visual system senses position but encodes velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Rodriguez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Benjamin T Crane
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.,Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
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17
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Meskers AJH, Houben MMJ, Pennings HJM, Clément G, Groen EL. Underestimation of self-tilt increases in reduced gravity conditions. J Vestib Res 2021; 31:345-352. [PMID: 33867364 DOI: 10.3233/ves-201512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During large angles of self-tilt in the roll plane on Earth, measurements of the subjective visual vertical (SVV) in the dark show a bias towards the longitudinal body axis, reflecting a systematic underestimation of self-tilt. OBJECTIVE This study tested the hypothesis that self-tilt is underestimated in partial gravity conditions, and more so at lower gravity levels. METHODS The SVV was measured in parabolic flight at three partial gravity levels: 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 g. Self-tilt was varied amongst 0, 15, 30, and 45 deg, using a tiltable seat. The participants indicated their SVV by setting a linear array of dots projected inside a head mounted display to the perceived vertical. The angles of participants' body and head roll tilt relative to the gravito-inertial vertical were measured by two separate inertial measurement units. RESULTS Data on six participants were collected. Per G-level, a regression analysis was performed with SVV setting as dependent variable and head tilt as independent variable. The latter was used instead of chair tilt, because not all the participants' heads were aligned with their bodies. The estimated regression slopes significantly decreased with smaller G-levels, reflecting an increased bias of the SVV towards the longitudinal body axis. On average, the regression slopes were 0.95 (±0.38) at 0.75 g; 0.84 (±0.22) at 0.5 g; and 0.63 (±0.33) at 0.25 g. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study show that reduced gravity conditions lead to increased underestimation of roll self-tilt.
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18
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Wedtgrube A, Bockisch CJ, Straumann D, Tarnutzer AA. Prolonged Static Whole-Body Roll-Tilt and Optokinetic Stimulation Significantly Bias the Subjective Postural Vertical in Healthy Human Subjects. Front Neurol 2020; 11:595975. [PMID: 33178130 PMCID: PMC7593480 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.595975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Prolonged static whole-body roll-tilt has been shown to bias estimates of the direction of gravity when assessed by static paradigms such as the subjective visual vertical and the subjective haptic vertical. Objective: We hypothesized that these shifts are paradigm-independent and thus predicted a post-tilt bias as well for self-adjustments along perceived vertical (subjective postural vertical, SPV). Likewise, rotatory optokinetic stimuli, which have been shown to shift the SPV when presented at the time of adjustments, may have an lasting effect on the SPV, predicting a shift in the perceived direction of gravity in the direction of the optokinetic rotatory stimulation. Methods: Self-adjustments along perceived vertical by use of a motorized turntable were recorded at baseline and after 5 min of static whole-body roll-tilt (orientation = ±90°, adaptation period) in 10 healthy human subjects. During adaptation subjects were either in darkness (no OKN stimulation) or were presented a full-field rotatory optokinetic stimulus (velocity = ±60°/s). Statistical analysis of adjustment errors for the different conditions was performed using a generalized linear model. Results: After 5 min of static whole-body roll-tilt in darkness, we observed significant (p < 0.001) shifts in the SPV averaging −2.8° (adaptation position: −90°) and 3.1° (+90°), respectively. Adding an optokinetic rotatory stimulus resulted in an additional, significant shift of SPV adjustments toward the direction of the previously presented optokinetic rotation (optokinetic clockwise rotation: 1.4°, p = 0.034; optokinetic counter-clockwise rotation: −1.3°, p = 0.037). Trial-to-trial variability of turntable adjustments was not significantly affected by adaptation. Conclusions: Prolonged static roll-tilt results in a significant post-tilt bias of the perceived direction of gravity when assessed by the SPV, confirming previous findings from other vision-dependent and vision-independent paradigms. This finding emphasizes the impact of recent whole-body roll orientations relative to gravity. Such adaptational shifts in verticality estimates may be explained in the context of Bayesian optimal observer theory with a bias of prior knowledge (i.e., expectation biased by experience). Our findings also have clinical implications, as the observed post-tilt bias may contribute to postural instability when standing up in the morning with an increasing risk for falls and fall-related injuries in humans with preexisting balance disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Wedtgrube
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher J Bockisch
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Straumann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander A Tarnutzer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden, Switzerland
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19
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The Effects of Visual Parabolic Motion on the Subjective Vertical and on Interception. Neuroscience 2020; 453:124-137. [PMID: 33010347 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Observers typically present a strong bias in estimating the orientation of a visual bar when their body is tilted >60° in the roll plane and in the absence of visual background information. Known as the A-effect, this phenomenon likely results from the under-compensation of body tilt. Static visual cues can reduce such bias in the perceived vertical. Yet, it is unknown whether dynamic visual cues would be also effective. Here we presented projectile motions of a visual target along parabolic trajectories with different orientations relative to physical gravity. The aim of the experiment was twofold: First, we assessed whether the projectile motions could bias the estimation of the perceived orientation of a visual bar, measured with a classical subjective visual vertical (SVV) task. Second, we evaluated whether the ability to estimate time-to-contact of the visual target in an interception task was influenced by the orientation of these parabolic trajectories. Two groups of participants performed the experiment, either with their head and body tilted 90° along the roll plane or in an upright position. We found that the perceived orientation of the visual bar in the SVV task was affected by the orientation of the parabolic trajectories. This result was present in the tilted but not in the upright participants. In the interception task, the timing error increased linearly as a function of the orientation of the parabola. These results support the hypothesis that a gravity vector estimated from dynamic visual stimuli contributes to the subjective visual vertical.
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20
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Young and Older Adults Differ in Integration of Sensory Cues for Vertical Perception. J Aging Res 2020; 2020:8284504. [PMID: 32802506 PMCID: PMC7415115 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8284504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The subjective visual vertical (SVV) measures the perception of a person's spatial orientation relative to gravity. Weighted central integration of vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive inputs is essential for SVV perception. Without any visual references and minimal proprioceptive contribution, the static SVV reflects balance of the otolith organs. Normal aging is associated with bilateral and progressive decline in otolith organ function, but age-dependent effects on SVV are inconclusive. Studies on sensory reweighting for visual vertical and multisensory integration strategies reveal age-dependent differences, but most studies have included elderly participants in comparison to younger adults. The aim of this study was to compare young adults with older adults, an age group younger than the elderly. Methods Thirty-three young and 28 older adults (50–65 years old) adjusted a tilted line accurately to their perceived vertical. The rod's final position from true vertical was recorded as tilt error in degrees. For otolithic balance, visual vertical was recorded in the dark without any visual references. The rod and frame task (RFT) with tilted disorienting visual frames was used for creating visuovestibular conflict. We adopted Nyborg's analysis method to derive the rod and frame effect (RFE) and trial-to-trial variability measures. Rod alignment times were also analyzed. Results There was no age difference in signed tilts of SVV without visual reference. There was an age effect on RFE and on overall trial-to-trial variability of rod tilt, with older adults displaying larger frame effects and greater variability in rod tilts. Alignment times were longer in the tilted-frame conditions for both groups and in the older adults compared to their younger counterparts. The association between tilt accuracy and tilt precision was significant for older adults only during visuovestibular conflict, revealing an increase in RFE with an increase in tilt variability. Correlation of σSVV, which represents vestibular input precision, with RFE yielded exactly the same contribution of σSVV to the variance in RFE for both age groups. Conclusions Older adults have balanced otolithic input in an upright position. Increased reliance on visual cues may begin at ages younger than what is considered elderly. Increased alignment times for older adults may create a broader time window for integration of relevant and irrelevant sensory information, thus enhancing their multisensory integration. In parallel with the elderly, older adults may differ from young adults in their integration of sensory cues for visual vertical perception.
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21
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Which way is down? Visual and tactile verticality perception in expert dancers and non-experts. Neuropsychologia 2020; 146:107546. [PMID: 32610097 PMCID: PMC7534035 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gravity provides an absolute verticality reference for all spatial perception, allowing us to move within and interact effectively with our world. Bayesian inference models explain verticality perception as a combination of online sensory cues with a prior prediction that the head is usually upright. Until now, these Bayesian models have been formulated for judgements of the perceived orientation of visual stimuli. Here, we investigated whether judgements of the verticality of tactile stimuli follow a similar pattern of Bayesian perceptual inference. We also explored whether verticality perception is affected by the postural and balance expertise of dancers. We tested both the subjective visual vertical (SVV) and the subjective tactile vertical (STV) in ballet dancers and non-dancers. A robotic arm traced downward-moving visual or tactile stimuli in separate blocks while participants held their head either upright or tilted 30° to their right. Participants reported whether these stimuli deviated to the left (clockwise) or right (anti-clockwise) of the gravitational vertical. Tilting the head biased the SVV away from the longitudinal head axis (the classical E-effect), consistent with a failure to compensate for the vestibulo-ocular counter-roll reflex. On the contrary, tilting the head biased the STV toward the longitudinal head axis (the classical A-effect), consistent with a strong upright head prior. Critically, tilting the head reduced the precision of verticality perception, particularly for ballet dancers' STV judgements. Head tilt is thought to increase vestibular noise, so ballet dancers seem to be surprisingly susceptible to degradation of vestibular inputs, giving them an inappropriately high weighting in verticality judgements.
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22
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Time Course of Sensory Substitution for Gravity Sensing in Visual Vertical Orientation Perception following Complete Vestibular Loss. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0021-20.2020. [PMID: 32561572 PMCID: PMC7358335 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0021-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of vestibular function causes severe acute symptoms of dizziness and disorientation, yet the brain can adapt and regain near to normal locomotor and orientation function through sensory substitution. Animal studies quantifying functional recovery have yet been limited to reflexive eye movements. Here, we studied the interplay between vestibular and proprioceptive graviception in macaque monkeys trained in an earth-vertical visual orientation (subjective visual vertical; SVV) task and measured the time course of sensory substitution for gravity perception following complete bilateral vestibular loss (BVL). Graviceptive gain, defined as the ratio of perceived versus actual tilt angle, decreased to 20% immediately following labyrinthectomy, and recovered to nearly prelesion levels with a time constant of approximately three weeks of postsurgery testing. We conclude that proprioception accounts for up to 20% of gravity sensing in normal animals, and is re-weighted to substitute completely perceptual graviception after vestibular loss. We show that these results can be accounted for by an optimal sensory fusion model.
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23
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Nestmann S, Karnath HO, Bülthoff HH, Nikolas de Winkel K. Changes in the perception of upright body orientation with age. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233160. [PMID: 32469902 PMCID: PMC7259641 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine own upright body orientation the brain creates a sense of verticality by a combination of multisensory inputs. To test whether this process is affected by aging, we placed younger and older adults on a motion platform and systematically tilted the orientation of their visual surroundings by using an augmented reality setup. In a series of trials, participants adjusted the orientation of the platform until they perceived themselves to be upright. Tilting the visual scene around the roll axis induced a bias in subjective postural vertical determination in the direction of scene tilt in both groups. In the group of older participants, however, the observed peak bias was larger and occurred at larger visual tilt angles. This indicates that the susceptibility to visually induced biases increases with age, possibly caused by a reduced reliability of sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Nestmann
- Division of Neuropsychology, Centre of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Otto Karnath
- Division of Neuropsychology, Centre of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
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Wedtgrube A, Bockisch C, Tarnutzer A. Effects of prolonged roll-tilt on the subjective visual and haptic vertical in healthy human subjects. J Vestib Res 2020; 30:1-16. [DOI: 10.3233/ves-200690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Wedtgrube
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - C.J. Bockisch
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Center of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A.A. Tarnutzer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Center of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
- Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden, Switzerland
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25
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Variance based weighting of multisensory head rotation signals for verticality perception. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227040. [PMID: 31940387 PMCID: PMC6961893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that the brain uses a variance-based weighting of multisensory cues to estimate head rotation to perceive which way is up. The hypothesis predicts that the known bias in perceived vertical, which occurs when the visual environment is rotated in a vertical-plane, will be reduced by the addition of visual noise. Ten healthy participants sat head-fixed in front of a vertical screen presenting an annulus filled with coloured dots, which could rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise at six angular velocities (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16°/s) and with six levels of noise (0, 25, 50, 60, 75, 80%). Participants were required to keep a central bar vertical by rotating a hand-held dial. Continuous adjustments of the bar were required to counteract low-amplitude low-frequency noise that was added to the bar's angular position. During visual rotation, the bias in verticality perception increased over time to reach an asymptotic value. Increases in visual rotation velocity significantly increased this bias, while the addition of visual noise significantly reduced it, but did not affect perception of visual rotation velocity. The biasing phenomena were reproduced by a model that uses a multisensory variance-weighted estimate of head rotation velocity combined with a gravito-inertial acceleration signal (GIA) from the vestibular otoliths. The time-dependent asymptotic behaviour depends on internal feedback loops that act to pull the brain's estimate of gravity direction towards the GIA signal. The model's prediction of our experimental data furthers our understanding of the neural processes underlying human verticality perception.
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Abstract
Our research described in this article was motivated by the puzzling finding of the Skylab M131 experiments: head movements made while rotating that are nauseogenic and disorienting on Earth are innocuous in a weightless, 0-g environment. We describe a series of parabolic flight experiments that directly addressed this puzzle and discovered the gravity-dependent responses to semicircular canal stimulation, consistent with the principles of velocity storage. We describe a line of research that started in a different direction, investigating dynamic balancing, but ended up pointing to the gravity dependence of angular velocity-to-position integration of semicircular canal signals. Together, these lines of research and the theoretical framework of velocity storage provide an answer to at least part of the M131 puzzle. We also describe recently discovered neural circuits by which active, dynamic vestibular, multisensory, and motor signals are interpreted as either appropriate for action and orientation or as conflicts evoking motion sickness and disorientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Lackner
- Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Paul DiZio
- Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
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Tani K, Ishimaru S, Yamamoto S, Kodaka Y, Kushiro K. Effect of dynamic visual motion on perception of postural vertical through the modulation of prior knowledge of gravity. Neurosci Lett 2019; 716:134687. [PMID: 31838018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
To internally estimate gravitational direction and body orientation, the central nervous system considers several sensory inputs from the periphery and prior knowledge of gravity. It is hypothesized that the modulation of visual inputs, supplying indirect information of gravity, affects the prior knowledge established internally by other sensory inputs from vestibular and somatosensory systems, leading to the alteration of perceived body orientation relative to gravity. In order to test the hypothesis, we examined the effect of presenting a visual motion stimulus during a whole-body static tilt on the subsequent evaluation of the perceived postural vertical. Fifteen subjects watched a target moving along the body longitudinal axis directing from head to feet with constant downward acceleration (CA condition) or constant velocity (CV condition), or they did not receive any visual stimulation (NV condition) during the whole-body static tilt. Subsequently, the direction of the subjective postural vertical (SPV) was evaluated. The result showed that the SPV in the CA condition was significantly tilted toward the direction of the preceding tilt compared to that in the NV condition while those in the CV and NV conditions were not significantly different. The present result suggests that dynamic visual motion along body longitudinal axis with downward acceleration can modulate prior knowledge of gravity, and in turn this affects the perception of body verticality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Tani
- Laboratory of Psychology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan.
| | - Sho Ishimaru
- Faculty of Integrated Human Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Shinji Yamamoto
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Nihon Fukushi University, Okuda, Mihama-cho, Chita-gun, Aichi, 470-3295, Japan.
| | - Yasushi Kodaka
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Automotive Human Factors Research Center, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8568, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Kushiro
- Faculty of Integrated Human Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
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Khosravi‐Hashemi N, Forbes PA, Dakin CJ, Blouin J. Virtual signals of head rotation induce gravity‐dependent inferences of linear acceleration. J Physiol 2019; 597:5231-5246. [DOI: 10.1113/jp278642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick A. Forbes
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCUniversity Medical Center Rotterdam Rotterdam The Netherlands
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29
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Moroz M, Garzorz I, Folmer E, MacNeilage P. Sensitivity to Visual Speed Modulation in Head-Mounted Displays Depends on Fixation. DISPLAYS 2019; 58:12-19. [PMID: 32863474 PMCID: PMC7454227 DOI: 10.1016/j.displa.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A primary cause of simulator sickness in head-mounted displays (HMDs) is conflict between the visual scene displayed to the user and the visual scene expected by the brain when the user's head is in motion. It is useful to measure perceptual sensitivity to visual speed modulation in HMDs because conditions that minimize this sensitivity may prove less likely to elicit simulator sickness. In prior research, we measured sensitivity to visual gain modulation during slow, passive, full-body yaw rotations and observed that sensitivity was reduced when subjects fixated a head-fixed target compared with when they fixated a scene-fixed target. In the current study, we investigated whether this pattern of results persists when (1) movements are faster, active head turns, and (2) visual stimuli are presented on an HMD rather than on a monitor. Subjects wore an Oculus Rift CV1 HMD and viewed a 3D scene of white points on a black background. On each trial, subjects moved their head from a central position to face a 15° eccentric target. During the head movement they fixated a point that was either head-fixed or scene-fixed, depending on condition. They then reported if the visual scene motion was too fast or too slow. Visual speed on subsequent trials was modulated according to a staircase procedure to find the speed increment that was just noticeable. Sensitivity to speed modulation during active head movement was reduced during head-fixed fixation, similar to what we observed during passive whole-body rotation. We conclude that fixation of a head-fixed target is an effective way to reduce sensitivity to visual speed modulation in HMDs, and may also be an effective strategy to reduce susceptibility to simulator sickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Moroz
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno
| | - Isabelle Garzorz
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
| | - Eelke Folmer
- Department of Computer Science, University of Nevada, Reno
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Spatial orientation: Model-based approach to multi-sensory mechanisms. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019. [PMID: 31239133 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Perception of spatial orientation is generated through multimodal sensory integration. In this process, there are systematic errors with changes in the head or body position, which reflect challenges for the brain in maintaining a common sensory reference frame for spatial orientation. Here, we focus on this multisensory aspect of spatial orientation. We review a Bayesian spatial perception model that can be used as a framework to study sensory contributions to spatial orientation during lateral head tilts and probe neural networks involved in this process.
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Clark TK, Newman MC, Karmali F, Oman CM, Merfeld DM. Mathematical models for dynamic, multisensory spatial orientation perception. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 248:65-90. [PMID: 31239146 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Mathematical models have been proposed for how the brain interprets sensory information to produce estimates of self-orientation and self-motion. This process, spatial orientation perception, requires dynamically integrating multiple sensory modalities, including visual, vestibular, and somatosensory cues. Here, we review the progress in mathematical modeling of spatial orientation perception, focusing on dynamic multisensory models, and the experimental paradigms in which they have been validated. These models are primarily "black box" or "as if" models for how the brain processes spatial orientation cues. Yet, they have been effective scientifically, in making quantitative hypotheses that can be empirically assessed, and operationally, in investigating aircraft pilot disorientation, for example. The primary family of models considered, the observer model, implements estimation theory approaches, hypothesizing that internal models (i.e., neural systems replicating the behavior/dynamics of physical systems) are used to produce expected sensory measurements. Expected signals are then compared to actual sensory afference, yielding sensory conflict, which is weighted to drive central perceptions of gravity, angular velocity, and translation. This approach effectively predicts a wide range of experimental scenarios using a small set of fixed free parameters. We conclude with limitations and applications of existing mathematical models and important areas of future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torin K Clark
- Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.
| | - Michael C Newman
- Environmental Tectonics Corporation, Southampton, PA, United States
| | - Faisal Karmali
- Jenks Vestibular Physiology Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, United States; Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Charles M Oman
- Human Systems Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Daniel M Merfeld
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Naval Aerospace Medical Research Lab (NAMRL), Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton (NAMRUD), Dayton, OH, United States
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de Winkel KN, Kurtz M, Bülthoff HH. Effects of visual stimulus characteristics and individual differences in heading estimation. J Vis 2019; 18:9. [PMID: 30347100 DOI: 10.1167/18.11.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual heading estimation is subject to periodic patterns of constant (bias) and variable (noise) error. The nature of the errors, however, appears to differ between studies, showing underestimation in some, but overestimation in others. We investigated whether field of view (FOV), the availability of binocular disparity cues, motion profile, and visual scene layout can account for error characteristics, with a potential mediating effect of vection. Twenty participants (12 females) reported heading and rated vection for visual horizontal motion stimuli with headings ranging the full circle, while we systematically varied the above factors. Overall, the results show constant errors away from the fore-aft axis. Error magnitude was affected by FOV, disparity, and scene layout. Variable errors varied with heading angle, and depended on scene layout. Higher vection ratings were associated with smaller variable errors. Vection ratings depended on FOV, motion profile, and scene layout, with the highest ratings for a large FOV, cosine-bell velocity profile, and a ground plane scene rather than a dot cloud scene. Although the factors did affect error magnitude, differences in its direction were observed only between participants. We show that the observations are consistent with prior beliefs that headings align with the cardinal axes, where the attraction of each axis is an idiosyncratic property.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksander N de Winkel
- Department of Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Max Kurtz
- Department of Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Human Factors and Engineering Psychology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Heinrich H Bülthoff
- Department of Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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Pomante A, Selen LPJ, Medendorp WP. Visual orientation uncertainty in the rod-and-frame illusion. J Vis 2019; 19:19. [DOI: 10.1167/19.4.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Pomante
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Luc P. J. Selen
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - W. Pieter Medendorp
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Dieterich M, Brandt T. Perception of Verticality and Vestibular Disorders of Balance and Falls. Front Neurol 2019; 10:172. [PMID: 31001184 PMCID: PMC6457206 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To review current knowledge of the perception of verticality, its normal function and disorders. This is based on an integrative graviceptive input from the vertical semicircular canals and the otolith organs. Methods: The special focus is on human psychophysics, neurophysiological and imaging data on the adjustments of subjective visual vertical (SVV) and the subjective postural vertical. Furthermore, examples of mathematical modeling of specific vestibular cell functions for orientation in space in rodents and in patients are briefly presented. Results: Pathological tilts of the SVV in the roll plane are most sensitive and frequent clinical vestibular signs of unilateral lesions extending from the labyrinths via the brainstem and thalamus to the parieto-insular vestibular cortex. Due to crossings of ascending graviceptive fibers, peripheral vestibular and pontomedullary lesions cause ipsilateral tilts of the SVV; ponto-mesencephalic lesions cause contralateral tilts. In contrast, SVV tilts, which are measured in unilateral vestibular lesions at thalamic and cortical levels, have two different characteristic features: (i) they may be ipsi- or contralateral, and (ii) they are smaller than those found in lower brainstem or peripheral lesions. Motor signs such as head tilt and body lateropulsion, components of ocular tilt reaction, are typical for vestibular lesions of the peripheral vestibular organ and the pontomedullary brainstem (vestibular nucleus). They are less frequent in midbrain lesions (interstitial nucleus of Cajal) and rare in cortical lesions. Isolated body lateropulsion is chiefly found in caudal lateral medullary brainstem lesions. Vestibular function in the roll plane and its disorders can be mathematically modeled by an attractor model of angular head velocity cell and head direction cell function. Disorders manifesting with misperception of the body vertical are the pusher syndrome, the progressive supranuclear palsy, or the normal pressure hydrocephalus; they may affect roll and/or pitch plane. Conclusion: Clinical determinations of the SVV are easy and reliable. They indicate acute unilateral vestibular dysfunctions, the causative lesion of which extends from labyrinth to cortex. They allow precise topographical diagnosis of side and level in unilateral brainstem or peripheral vestibular disorders. SVV tilts may coincide with or differ from the perception of body vertical, e.g., in isolated body lateropulsion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Dieterich
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Brandt
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Clinical Neuroscience, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
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Guterman PS, Allison RS. The A-Effect and Global Motion. Vision (Basel) 2019; 3:vision3020013. [PMID: 31735814 PMCID: PMC6802772 DOI: 10.3390/vision3020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
When the head is tilted, an objectively vertical line viewed in isolation is typically perceived as tilted. We explored whether this shift also occurs when viewing global motion displays perceived as either object-motion or self-motion. Observers stood and lay left side down while viewing (1) a static line, (2) a random-dot display of 2-D (planar) motion or (3) a random-dot display of 3-D (volumetric) global motion. On each trial, the line orientation or motion direction were tilted from the gravitational vertical and observers indicated whether the tilt was clockwise or counter-clockwise from the perceived vertical. Psychometric functions were fit to the data and shifts in the point of subjective verticality (PSV) were measured. When the whole body was tilted, the perceived tilt of both a static line and the direction of optic flow were biased in the direction of the body tilt, demonstrating the so-called A-effect. However, we found significantly larger shifts for the static line than volumetric global motion as well as larger shifts for volumetric displays than planar displays. The A-effect was larger when the motion was experienced as self-motion compared to when it was experienced as object-motion. Discrimination thresholds were also more precise in the self-motion compared to object-motion conditions. Different magnitude A-effects for the line and motion conditions—and for object and self-motion—may be due to differences in combining of idiotropic (body) and vestibular signals, particularly so in the case of vection which occurs despite visual-vestibular conflict.
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La Scaleia B, Lacquaniti F, Zago M. Body orientation contributes to modelling the effects of gravity for target interception in humans. J Physiol 2019; 597:2021-2043. [PMID: 30644996 DOI: 10.1113/jp277469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS It is known that interception of targets accelerated by gravity involves internal models coupled with visual signals. Non-visual signals related to head and body orientation relative to gravity may also contribute, although their role is poorly understood. In a novel experiment, we asked pitched observers to hit a virtual target approaching with an acceleration that was either coherent or incoherent with their pitch-tilt. Initially, the timing errors were large and independent of the coherence between target acceleration and observer's pitch. With practice, however, the timing errors became substantially smaller in the coherent conditions. The results show that information about head and body orientation can contribute to modelling the effects of gravity on a moving target. Orientation cues from vestibular and somatosensory signals might be integrated with visual signals in the vestibular cortex, where the internal model of gravity is assumed to be encoded. ABSTRACT Interception of moving targets relies on visual signals and internal models. Less is known about the additional contribution of non-visual cues about head and body orientation relative to gravity. We took advantage of Galileo's law of motion along an incline to demonstrate the effects of vestibular and somatosensory cues about head and body orientation on interception timing. Participants were asked to hit a ball rolling in a gutter towards the eyes, resulting in image expansion. The scene was presented in a head-mounted display, without any visual information about gravity direction. In separate blocks of trials participants were pitched backwards by 20° or 60°, whereas ball acceleration was randomized across trials so as to be compatible with rolling down a slope of 20° or 60°. Initially, the timing errors were large, independently of the coherence between ball acceleration and pitch angle, consistent with responses based exclusively on visual information because visual stimuli were identical at both tilts. At the end of the experiment, however, the timing errors were systematically smaller in the coherent conditions than the incoherent ones. Moreover, the responses were significantly (P = 0.007) earlier when participants were pitched by 60° than when they were pitched by 20°. Therefore, practice with the task led to incorporation of information about head and body orientation relative to gravity for response timing. Instead, posture did not affect response timing in a control experiment in which participants hit a static target in synchrony with the last of a predictable series of stationary audiovisual stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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37
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Alberts BBGT, Selen LPJ, Medendorp WP. Age-related reweighting of visual and vestibular cues for vertical perception. J Neurophysiol 2019; 121:1279-1288. [PMID: 30699005 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00481.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As we age, the acuity of our sensory organs declines, which may affect our lifestyle. Sensory deterioration in the vestibular system is typically bilateral and gradual, and could lead to problems with balance and spatial orientation. To compensate for the sensory deterioration, it has been suggested that the brain reweights the sensory information sources according to their relative noise characteristics. For rehabilitation and training programs, it is important to understand the consequences of this reweighting, preferably at the individual subject level. We psychometrically examined the age-dependent reweighting of visual and vestibular cues used in spatial orientation in a group of 32 subjects (age range: 19-76 yr). We asked subjects to indicate the orientation of a line (clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the gravitational vertical) presented within an oriented square visual frame when seated upright or with their head tilted 30° relative to the body. Results show that subjects' vertical perception is biased by the orientation of the visual frame. Both the magnitude of this bias and response variability become larger with increasing age. Deducing the underlying sensory noise characteristics, using Bayesian inference, suggests an age-dependent reweighting of sensory information, with an increasing weight of the visual contextual information. Further scrutiny of the model suggests that this shift in sensory weights is the result of an increase in the noise of the vestibular signal. Our approach quantifies how noise properties of visual and vestibular systems change over the life span, which helps to understand the aging process at the neurocomputational level. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Perception of visual vertical involves a weighted fusion of visual and vestibular tilt cues. Using a Bayesian approach and experimental psychophysics, we quantify how this fusion process changes with age. We show that, with age, the vestibular information is down-weighted whereas the visual weight is increased. This shift in sensory reweighting is primarily due to an age-related increase of the noise of vestibular signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart B G T Alberts
- Radboud University , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen , The Netherlands
| | - Luc P J Selen
- Radboud University , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen , The Netherlands
| | - W Pieter Medendorp
- Radboud University , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen , The Netherlands
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38
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Cuturi LF, Gori M. Biases in the Visual and Haptic Subjective Vertical Reveal the Role of Proprioceptive/Vestibular Priors in Child Development. Front Neurol 2019; 9:1151. [PMID: 30666230 PMCID: PMC6330314 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigation of the perception of verticality permits to disclose the perceptual mechanisms that underlie balance control and spatial navigation. Estimation of verticality in unusual body orientation with respect to gravity (e.g., laterally tilted in the roll plane) leads to biases that change depending on the encoding sensory modality and the amount of tilt. A well-known phenomenon is the A-effect, that is a bias toward the body tilt often interpreted in a Bayesian framework to be the byproduct of a prior peaked at the most common head and body orientation, i.e., upright. In this study, we took advantage of this phenomenon to study the interaction of visual, haptic sensory information with vestibular/proprioceptive priors across development. We tested children (5-13 y.o) and adults (>22 y.o.) in an orientation discrimination task laterally tilted 90° to their left-ear side. Experimental conditions differed for the tested sensory modality: visual-only, haptic-only, both modalities. Resulting accuracy depended on the developmental stage and the encoding sensory modality, showing A-effects in vision across all ages and in the haptic modality only for the youngest children whereas bimodal judgments show lack of multisensory integration in children. A Bayesian prior model nicely predicts the behavioral data when the peak of the prior distribution shifts across age groups. Our results suggest that vision is pivotal to acquire an idiotropic vector useful for improving precision when upright. The acquisition of such a prior might be related to the development of head and trunk coordination, a process that is fundamental for gaining successful spatial navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi F Cuturi
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Science and Technology for Children and Adults, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Monica Gori
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Science and Technology for Children and Adults, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
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Abstract
This chapter deals with the problem of including motion cues in VR applications. From the challenges of this technology to the latest trends in the field, the authors discuss the benefits and problems of including these particular perceptual cues. First, readers will know how motion cues are usually generated in simulators and VR applications in general. Then, the authors list the major problems of this process and the reasons why its development has not followed the pace of the rest of VR elements (mainly the display technology), reviewing the motion vs. no-motion question from several perspectives. The general answer to this discussion is that motion cues are necessary in VR applications—mostly vehicle simulators—that rely on motion, although, unlike audio-visual cues, there can be specific considerations for each particular solution that may suggest otherwise. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to analyze the requirements of each VR application before deciding upon this question.
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Abstract
The cerebellum is known to support motor behaviors, including postural stability, but new research supports the view that cerebellar function is also critical for perception of spatial orientation, particularly because of its role in vestibular processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R MacNeilage
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
| | - Stefan Glasauer
- Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Medical Technology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, Germany.
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41
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Klatt BN, Sparto PJ, Terhorst L, Winser S, Heyman R, Whitney SL. Relationship between subjective visual vertical and balance in individuals with multiple sclerosis. PHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 24:e1757. [PMID: 30403321 DOI: 10.1002/pri.1757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Subjective visual vertical (SVV) deviations have been correlated to abnormal cerebellar function in individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). It has been shown that individuals with MS have increased incidence of SVV abnormalities, yet this is not routinely tested in this population during physical therapy evaluation. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine if there is a relationship between SVV and balance performance in people with MS who have cerebellar involvement. We hypothesize that individuals with greater SVV deviations will have worse balance performance. METHODS Fifteen females and five males (mean age 54.5 years [±7.03 SD]) with the diagnosis of MS and cerebellar involvement participated. Computerized SVV testing included rod and rod-and-frame conditions. None of the balance outcomes were correlated with the rod-only condition. Because there was a difference in magnitude of results within the rod-and-frame condition, based on whether the frame was rotated clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW), they were analysed independently. RESULTS For all six of the balance outcomes, there was a statistically significant moderate correlation with SVV deviations when the frame was tilted CCW: Barthel Index (r = -0.47, p = 0.018), Berg Balance Score (r = -0.59, p = 0.003), gait velocity (r = -0.52, p = 0.010), International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (r = 0.56, p = 0.006), Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (r = 0.62, p = 0.002), and Timed Up and Go (r = 0.58, p = 0.003). Interestingly, the Barthel Index was the only outcome that had statistical significance with a moderate correlation (r = -0.66, p = 0.001) when the frame was rotated CW. In this cohort, greater deviations during the rod-and-frame condition of SVV testing correlated with worse functional outcomes, especially when the frame was tilted CCW. CONCLUSION Individuals with MS who demonstrate decreased balance performance may rely more heavily on visual backgrounds. Implementation of SVV assessment for individuals with MS may provide clinicians with valuable information to identify clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke N Klatt
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Patrick J Sparto
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren Terhorst
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Stanley Winser
- School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rock Heyman
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Susan L Whitney
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Barnett-Cowan M, Ernst MO, Bülthoff HH. Gravity-dependent change in the 'light-from-above' prior. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15131. [PMID: 30310139 PMCID: PMC6181920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In environments where orientation is ambiguous, the visual system uses prior knowledge about lighting coming from above to recognize objects, determine which way is up, and reorient the body. Here we investigated the extent with which assumed light from above preferences are affected by body orientation and the orientation of the retina relative to gravity. We tested the ability to extract shape-from-shading with seven human male observers positioned in multiple orientations relative to gravity using a modified KUKA anthropomorphic robot arm. Observers made convex-concave judgments of a central monocularly viewed stimulus with orientations of a shading gradient consistent with being lit from one of 24 simulated illumination directions. By positioning observers in different roll-tilt orientations relative to gravity and when supine, we were able to monitor change in the light-from-above prior (the orientation at which a shaded disk appears maximally convex). The results confirm previous findings that the light-from-above prior changes with body orientation relative to gravity. Interestingly, the results varied also with retinal orientation as well as an additional component that was approximately twice the frequency of retinal orientation. We use a modelling approach to show that the data are well predicted by summing retinal orientation with cross-multiplied utricle and saccule signals of the vestibular system, yielding gravity-dependent biases in the ability to extract shape-from-shading. We conclude that priors such as light coming from above appear to be constantly updated by neural processes that monitor self-orientation to achieve optimal object recognition over moderate deviations from upright posture at the cost of poor recognition when extremely tilted relative to gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Barnett-Cowan
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany. .,Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
| | - Marc O Ernst
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Applied Cognitive Psychology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Haynes W, Waddington G, Adams R, Isableu B. Relationships Between Accuracy in Predicting Direction of Gravitational Vertical and Academic Performance and Physical Fitness in Schoolchildren. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1528. [PMID: 30190696 PMCID: PMC6115510 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced levels of cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) and physical activity (PA) are both positively associated with health and academic outcomes, but less is known about the spatial processing and perceptual components of PA. Perception of vertical (PV) is a spatial orientation ability that is important for PA, and is usually measured as relative accuracy in aligning an object to gravitational vertical against a tilted background. However, evidence is inconclusive regarding the relationship of PV to educational outcomes – most importantly, numeracy. Students were recruited from primary schools in the Australian Capital Territory. A group of 341 (females n = 162, mean age 11.3 years) children performed all the tests required for this study. A computerised rod and frame test of PV employing a small (20°) visual angle was administered, and socio-economic status (SES), national education test results (NAPLAN, 2010), and CRF and PA data were collected. Correlation and hierarchical regression analysis were used to examine the inter-relationships between PV and CRF, PA, SES and NAPLAN results. The two extreme quartile score groups from the measures of PV, PA and CRF were examined in relation to NAPLAN scores. PV scores arising from testing with a small visual angle and SES were found to be significantly associated with overall academic scores, and with the Numeracy, Reading, and Writing components of academic performance. Female gender was significantly associated with Writing score, and male with Numeracy score. Being less influenced by the background tilted frame, and therefore having visual field independence (FI), was associated with significantly higher academic scores, with the largest effect in Numeracy scores (effect size, d = 0.82) and also associated with higher CRF and PA levels. FI was positively associated with all the academic modules examined, and most strongly with Numeracy test results, suggesting that FI provides an indicator of STEM ability. These findings suggest that further longitudinal research into strategies designed to enhance visual FI deserve consideration, with a focus on specialized PA programs for pre-pubescent children. It is possible that small visual angle spatial tasks during PA may stimulate neural networks involved in numerical cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Haynes
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Gordon Waddington
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Roger Adams
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Brice Isableu
- Aix-Marseille Univ., PSYCLE, Aix-en-Provence, France
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Casas S, Portalés C, Morillo P, Fernández M. A particle swarm approach for tuning washout algorithms in vehicle simulators. Appl Soft Comput 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.asoc.2018.03.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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45
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Saeys W, Herssens N, Verwulgen S, Truijen S. Sensory information and the perception of verticality in post-stroke patients. Another point of view in sensory reweighting strategies. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199098. [PMID: 29958286 PMCID: PMC6025873 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Perception of verticality is highly related to balance control in human. Head-on-body tilt <60° results in the E-effect, meaning that a tilt of the perceived vertical is observed contralateral to the head tilt in the frontal plane. Furthermore, somatosensory loss also impacts the accuracy of verticality perception. However, when several input sources are absent or biased, less options for sensory weighting and balance control occur. Therefore, this study aims to identify the E-effect and assess the effect of somatosensory loss on the extent of the E-effect. METHODS All patients with a first stroke admitted to a Belgian rehabilitation hospital were eligible for inclusion. Patients aged above 80 with other neurological and orthopaedic impairments as well as brainstem, cerebellar or multiple lesions were excluded. In addition, patients with visuospatial neglect and pusher behaviour were also excluded as this can affect verticality perception. The Rivermead Assessment of Somatosensory Performance (RASP), the Subjective Visual (SVV) and Subjective Postural (SPV) Vertical Test were administered. RESULTS In total, 37 patients were included in the analysis of which 24 patients completed both SVV and SPV assessment. Results show that the E-effect occurred in our sample of stroke survivors for both SVV and SPV. In addition, the presence of somatosensory loss will increase the E-effect in both SVV as SPV assessment. A significant difference in verticality perception was noted for both SVV and SPV between the group with no (SVV: 5.13°(6.92); SPV: 0.30°(1.85)) and highly severe (SVV: 10.54°(13.19); SPV: 5.96°(9.27)) sensory loss. CONCLUSIONS The E-effect occurs in stroke subjects and increases when patients experience somatosensory loss. This suggests that the lack of available afferent information impede estimation of verticality. Therefore, stroke survivors have fewer alternative input sources as a result of impairments, leading to fewer options about sensory reweighting strategies and balance recovery after perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Saeys
- University of Antwerp, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Rehabilitation Hospital Revarte, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Nolan Herssens
- University of Antwerp, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Stijn Verwulgen
- University of Antwerp, Department of Product Development, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steven Truijen
- University of Antwerp, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Wilrijk, Belgium
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Medendorp WP, Alberts BBGT, Verhagen WIM, Koppen M, Selen LPJ. Psychophysical Evaluation of Sensory Reweighting in Bilateral Vestibulopathy. Front Neurol 2018; 9:377. [PMID: 29910766 PMCID: PMC5992424 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of spatial orientation is thought to rely on the brain's integration of visual, vestibular, proprioceptive, and somatosensory signals, as well as internal beliefs. When one of these signals breaks down, such as the vestibular signal in bilateral vestibulopathy, patients start compensating by relying more on the remaining cues. How these signals are reweighted in this integration process is difficult to establish, since they cannot be measured in isolation during natural tasks, are inherently noisy, and can be ambiguous or in conflict. Here, we review our recent work, combining experimental psychophysics with a reverse engineering approach, based on Bayesian inference principles, to quantify sensory noise levels and optimal (re)weighting at the individual subject level, in both patients with bilateral vestibular deficits and healthy controls. We show that these patients reweight the remaining sensory information, relying more on visual and other nonvestibular information than healthy controls in the perception of spatial orientation. This quantification approach could improve diagnostics and prognostics of multisensory integration deficits in vestibular patients, and contribute to an evaluation of rehabilitation therapies directed toward specific training programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Pieter Medendorp
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Bart B. G. T. Alberts
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Wim I. M. Verhagen
- Department of Neurology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Koppen
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Luc P. J. Selen
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Dockheer KM, Bockisch CJ, Tarnutzer AA. Effects of Optokinetic Stimulation on Verticality Perception Are Much Larger for Vision-Based Paradigms Than for Vision-Independent Paradigms. Front Neurol 2018; 9:323. [PMID: 29867732 PMCID: PMC5954029 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Verticality perception as assessed by the subjective visual vertical (SVV) is significantly biased by a rotating optokinetic stimulus. The underlying mechanisms of this effect remain open. Potentially, the optokinetic stimulus induces a shift of the internal estimate of the direction of gravity. This hypothesis predicts a shift of perceived vertical using other, non-vision dependent, paradigms as well. Alternatively, an optokinetic stimulus may only induce a shift of visual orientation, and so would be task specific. Methods To test this prediction, both vision-dependent SVV and vision-independent [subjective haptic vertical (SHV)] paradigms were applied. In 12 healthy human subjects, perceived vertical was measured in different whole-body roll positions (up to ±120°, steps = 30°) while watching a clockwise or counterclockwise rotating optokinetic stimulus. For comparison, baseline trials were collected in darkness. A generalized linear model was applied for statistical analysis. Results A significant main effect for optokinetic stimulation was noted both for the SVV paradigm (p < 0.001) and the SHV paradigm (p = 0.013). However, while pairwise comparisons demonstrated significant optokinetic-induced shifts (p ≤ 0.035) compared to baseline in all roll-tilted orientations except 30° and 60° left-ear-down position and counterclockwise optokinetic stimulation for the SVV paradigm, significant shifts were found in only 1 of the 18 test conditions (120° left-ear-down roll orientation, counterclockwise optokinetic stimulation) for the SHV paradigm. Compared to the SHV, the SVV showed significantly (p < 0.001) larger shifts of perceived vertical when presenting a clockwise (15.3 ± 16.0° vs. 1.1 ± 5.2°, mean ± 1 SD) or counterclockwise (−12.6 ± 7.7° vs. −2.6 ± 5.4°) rotating optokinetic stimulus. Conclusion Comparing the effect of optokinetic stimulation on verticality perception in both vision-dependent and vision-independent paradigms, we demonstrated distinct patterns. While significant large and roll-angle dependent shifts were noted for the SVV, offsets were minor and reached significance only in one test condition for the SHV. These results suggest that optokinetic stimulation predominately affects vision-related mechanisms, possibly due to induced torsional eye displacements, and that any shifts of the internal estimate of the direction of gravity are relatively minor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja M Dockheer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher J Bockisch
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander A Tarnutzer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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de Winkel KN, Katliar M, Diers D, Bülthoff HH. Causal Inference in the Perception of Verticality. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5483. [PMID: 29615728 PMCID: PMC5882842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23838-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The perceptual upright is thought to be constructed by the central nervous system (CNS) as a vector sum; by combining estimates on the upright provided by the visual system and the body's inertial sensors with prior knowledge that upright is usually above the head. Recent findings furthermore show that the weighting of the respective sensory signals is proportional to their reliability, consistent with a Bayesian interpretation of a vector sum (Forced Fusion, FF). However, violations of FF have also been reported, suggesting that the CNS may rely on a single sensory system (Cue Capture, CC), or choose to process sensory signals based on inferred signal causality (Causal Inference, CI). We developed a novel alternative-reality system to manipulate visual and physical tilt independently. We tasked participants (n = 36) to indicate the perceived upright for various (in-)congruent combinations of visual-inertial stimuli, and compared models based on their agreement with the data. The results favor the CI model over FF, although this effect became unambiguous only for large discrepancies (±60°). We conclude that the notion of a vector sum does not provide a comprehensive explanation of the perception of the upright, and that CI offers a better alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksander N de Winkel
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition, and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Mikhail Katliar
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition, and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Diers
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition, and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Heinrich H Bülthoff
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition, and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Kim SH, Kim JS. Effects of Head Position on Perception of Gravity in Vestibular Neuritis and Lateral Medullary Infarction. Front Neurol 2018; 9:60. [PMID: 29483891 PMCID: PMC5816270 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Internal representation of gravity can be quantified by measuring the subjective visual vertical (SVV). Modulation of verticality perception during head tilts may be perturbed in vestibular disorders causing SVV tilts in the upright head position. This study aimed to determine the influence of head tilts on the estimation of SVV in acute vestibular disorders. Methods We measured the SVV in 37 patients with acute vestibular symptoms due to unilateral vestibular neuritis (VN) (n = 28) and lateral medullary infarction (LMI) (n = 9). Measurements of the SVV were performed under head upright, head tilt 30° and 60° in each direction. Seventeen normal subjects served as the control. Results In controls, head tilt of 30° produced a contraversive shift of the SVV (the E-effect), and head tilt of 60° generated an ipsiversive shift (the A-effect). Patients with VN showed only the A-effect irrespective of the direction and amplitude of head tilt. Patients with LMI could estimate earth verticality accurately during head tilts. Patients with VN during the recovery phase showed the patterns of SVV modulation similar to those observed in the controls either with head upright or tilted. Conclusion Given the absence of the E-effect in acute VN, the peripheral otolithic inputs appear to be essential in the perception of earth vertical during small static head tilts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Hee Kim
- Department of Neurology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Ji-Soo Kim
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
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Dakin CJ, Rosenberg A. Gravity estimation and verticality perception. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 159:43-59. [PMID: 30482332 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63916-5.00003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Gravity is a defining force that governs the evolution of mechanical forms, shapes and anchors our perception of the environment, and imposes fundamental constraints on our interactions with the world. Within the animal kingdom, humans are relatively unique in having evolved a vertical, bipedal posture. Although a vertical posture confers numerous benefits, it also renders us less stable than quadrupeds, increasing susceptibility to falls. The ability to accurately and precisely estimate our orientation relative to gravity is therefore of utmost importance. Here we review sensory information and computational processes underlying gravity estimation and verticality perception. Central to gravity estimation and verticality perception is multisensory cue combination, which serves to improve the precision of perception and resolve ambiguities in sensory representations by combining information from across the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems. We additionally review experimental paradigms for evaluating verticality perception, and discuss how particular disorders affect the perception of upright. Together, the work reviewed here highlights the critical role of multisensory cue combination in gravity estimation, verticality perception, and creating stable gravity-centered representations of our environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Dakin
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States.
| | - Ari Rosenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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