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Markkula G, Uludağ Z, Wilkie RM, Billington J. Accumulation of continuously time-varying sensory evidence constrains neural and behavioral responses in human collision threat detection. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009096. [PMID: 34264935 PMCID: PMC8282001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence accumulation models provide a dominant account of human decision-making, and have been particularly successful at explaining behavioral and neural data in laboratory paradigms using abstract, stationary stimuli. It has been proposed, but with limited in-depth investigation so far, that similar decision-making mechanisms are involved in tasks of a more embodied nature, such as movement and locomotion, by directly accumulating externally measurable sensory quantities of which the precise, typically continuously time-varying, magnitudes are important for successful behavior. Here, we leverage collision threat detection as a task which is ecologically relevant in this sense, but which can also be rigorously observed and modelled in a laboratory setting. Conventionally, it is assumed that humans are limited in this task by a perceptual threshold on the optical expansion rate-the visual looming-of the obstacle. Using concurrent recordings of EEG and behavioral responses, we disprove this conventional assumption, and instead provide strong evidence that humans detect collision threats by accumulating the continuously time-varying visual looming signal. Generalizing existing accumulator model assumptions from stationary to time-varying sensory evidence, we show that our model accounts for previously unexplained empirical observations and full distributions of detection response. We replicate a pre-response centroparietal positivity (CPP) in scalp potentials, which has previously been found to correlate with accumulated decision evidence. In contrast with these existing findings, we show that our model is capable of predicting the onset of the CPP signature rather than its buildup, suggesting that neural evidence accumulation is implemented differently, possibly in distinct brain regions, in collision detection compared to previously studied paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav Markkula
- Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Zeynep Uludağ
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jac Billington
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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Diaz-Artiles A, Karmali F. Vestibular Precision at the Level of Perception, Eye Movements, Posture, and Neurons. Neuroscience 2021; 468:282-320. [PMID: 34087393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Precision and accuracy are two fundamental properties of any system, including the nervous system. Reduced precision (i.e., imprecision) results from the presence of neural noise at each level of sensory, motor, and perceptual processing. This review has three objectives: (1) to show the importance of studying vestibular precision, and specifically that studying accuracy without studying precision ignores fundamental aspects of the vestibular system; (2) to synthesize key hypotheses about precision in vestibular perception, the vestibulo-ocular reflex, posture, and neurons; and (3) to show that groups of studies that are thoughts to be distinct (e.g., perceptual thresholds, subjective visual vertical variability, neuronal variability) are actually "two sides of the same coin" - because the methods used allow results to be related to the standard deviation of a Gaussian distribution describing the underlying neural noise. Vestibular precision varies with age, stimulus amplitude, stimulus frequency, body orientation, motion direction, pathology, medication, and electrical/mechanical vestibular stimulation, but does not vary with sex. The brain optimizes precision during integration of vestibular cues with visual, auditory, and/or somatosensory cues. Since a common concern with precision metrics is time required for testing, we describe approaches to optimize data collection and provide evidence that fatigue and session effects are minimal. Finally, we summarize how precision is an individual trait that is correlated with clinical outcomes in patients as well as with performance in functional tasks like balance. These findings highlight the importance of studying vestibular precision and accuracy, and that knowledge gaps remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Diaz-Artiles
- Bioastronautics and Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3141, USA. https://bhp.engr.tamu.edu
| | - Faisal Karmali
- Jenks Vestibular Physiology Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA.
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Human vestibular perceptual thresholds for pitch tilt are slightly worse than for roll tilt across a range of frequencies. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:1499-1509. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05830-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Velocity influences the relative contributions of visual and vestibular cues to self-acceleration. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:1423-1432. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05824-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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de Winkel KN, Soyka F, Bülthoff HH. The role of acceleration and jerk in perception of above-threshold surge motion. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:699-711. [PMID: 32060563 PMCID: PMC7080688 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05745-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Inertial motions may be defined in terms of acceleration and jerk, the time-derivative of acceleration. We investigated the relative contributions of these characteristics to the perceived intensity of motions. Participants were seated on a high-fidelity motion platform, and presented with 25 above-threshold 1 s forward (surge) motions that had acceleration values ranging between 0.5 and 2.5 [Formula: see text] and jerks between 20 and 60 [Formula: see text], in five steps each. Participants performed two tasks: a magnitude estimation task, where they provided subjective ratings of motion intensity for each motion, and a two-interval forced choice task, where they provided judgments on which motion of a pair was more intense, for all possible combinations of the above motion profiles. Analysis of the data shows that responses on both tasks may be explained by a single model, and that this model should include acceleration only. The finding that perceived motion intensity depends on acceleration only appears inconsistent with previous findings. We show that this discrepancy can be explained by considering the frequency content of the motions, and demonstrate that a linear time-invariant systems model of the otoliths and subsequent processing can account for the present data as well as for previous findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksander N. de Winkel
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 14, 72076 Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg Germany
| | - Florian Soyka
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 14, 72076 Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg Germany
| | - Heinrich H. Bülthoff
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max-Planck-Ring 14, 72076 Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg Germany
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6
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Lupo J, Barnett-Cowan M. Impaired perceived timing of falls in the elderly. Gait Posture 2018; 59:40-45. [PMID: 28987765 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths and hospitalizations, with older adults at an increased risk. As humans age, physical changes and health conditions make falls more likely. While we know how the body reflexively responds to prevent injury during a fall, we know little about how people perceive the fall itself. We previously found that young adults required a fall to precede a comparison sound stimulus by approximately 44ms to perceive the two events as simultaneous. This may relate to common anecdotal reports suggesting that humans often describe distortions in their perception of time - time seems to slow down during a fall - with very little recollection of how and when the fall began. Here we examine whether fall perception changes with age. Young (19-25y) and older (61-72y) healthy adults made temporal order judgments identifying whether the onset of their fall or the onset of a comparison sound came first to measure the point of subjective simultaneity. Results show that fall perception is nearly twice as slow for older adults, where perturbation onset has to precede sound onset by ∼88ms to appear coincident, compared to younger adults (∼44ms). We suggest that such age-related differences in fall perception may relate to increased fall rates in older adults. We conclude that a better understanding of how younger versus older adults perceive falls may identify important factors for innovative fall prevention strategies and rehabilitative training exercises to improve fall awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Lupo
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Michael Barnett-Cowan
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Varghese JP, McIlroy RE, Barnett-Cowan M. Perturbation-evoked potentials: Significance and application in balance control research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 83:267-280. [PMID: 29107828 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Historically, balance control was thought to be mediated solely by subcortical structures based on animal research. However, recent findings provide compelling evidence of cortical involvement during balance reactions evoked by whole-body postural perturbations. In humans, an external perturbation elicits an evoked potential, termed the perturbation-evoked potential (PEP). PEPs are widely distributed over fronto-centro-parietal areas with maximal amplitude at the FCz/Cz electrode. From our literature review it is evident that the PEPs are comprised of a small positive potential (P1) that peaks around 30-90ms after perturbation onset, a large negative potential (N1) that peaks around 90-160ms, followed by positive (P2) and negative (N2) potentials between 200 and 400ms. Converging results across multiple studies suggest that these different PEP components are influenced by perturbation characteristics, postural set, environmental, and psychological factors. This review summarizes and integrates seminal research on the PEP, with a special emphasis on the PEP N1. Implications for future studies in PEP research are discussed to encourage further empirical investigation of PEP characteristics in healthy and patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy Parokaran Varghese
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Robert E McIlroy
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Michael Barnett-Cowan
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Lupo J, Barnett-Cowan M. Perceived timing of a postural perturbation. Neurosci Lett 2017; 639:167-172. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.12.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Nash CJ, Cole DJ, Bigler RS. A review of human sensory dynamics for application to models of driver steering and speed control. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2016; 110:91-116. [PMID: 27086133 PMCID: PMC4903114 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-016-0682-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In comparison with the high level of knowledge about vehicle dynamics which exists nowadays, the role of the driver in the driver-vehicle system is still relatively poorly understood. A large variety of driver models exist for various applications; however, few of them take account of the driver's sensory dynamics, and those that do are limited in their scope and accuracy. A review of the literature has been carried out to consolidate information from previous studies which may be useful when incorporating human sensory systems into the design of a driver model. This includes information on sensory dynamics, delays, thresholds and integration of multiple sensory stimuli. This review should provide a basis for further study into sensory perception during driving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Nash
- Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ UK
| | - David J. Cole
- Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ UK
| | - Robert S. Bigler
- Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ UK
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Soyka F, Bülthoff HH, Barnett-Cowan M. Integration of Semi-Circular Canal and Otolith Cues for Direction Discrimination during Eccentric Rotations. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136925. [PMID: 26322782 PMCID: PMC4555836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are capable of moving about the world in complex ways. Every time we move, our self-motion must be detected and interpreted by the central nervous system in order to make appropriate sequential movements and informed decisions. The vestibular labyrinth consists of two unique sensory organs the semi-circular canals and the otoliths that are specialized to detect rotation and translation of the head, respectively. While thresholds for pure rotational and translational self-motion are well understood surprisingly little research has investigated the relative role of each organ on thresholds for more complex motion. Eccentric (off-center) rotations during which the participant faces away from the center of rotation stimulate both organs and are thus well suited for investigating integration of rotational and translational sensory information. Ten participants completed a psychophysical direction discrimination task for pure head-centered rotations, translations and eccentric rotations with 5 different radii. Discrimination thresholds for eccentric rotations reduced with increasing radii, indicating that additional tangential accelerations (which increase with radius length) increased sensitivity. Two competing models were used to predict the eccentric thresholds based on the pure rotation and translation thresholds: one assuming that information from the two organs is integrated in an optimal fashion and another assuming that motion discrimination is solved solely by relying on the sensor which is most strongly stimulated. Our findings clearly show that information from the two organs is integrated. However the measured thresholds for 3 of the 5 eccentric rotations are even more sensitive than predictions from the optimal integration model suggesting additional non-vestibular sources of information may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Soyka
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Department: Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (FS); (HHB)
| | - Heinrich H. Bülthoff
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Department: Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Anamdong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (FS); (HHB)
| | - Michael Barnett-Cowan
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Department: Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Peters RM, Rasman BG, Inglis JT, Blouin JS. Gain and phase of perceived virtual rotation evoked by electrical vestibular stimuli. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:264-73. [PMID: 25925318 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00114.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) evokes a perception of rotation; however, very few quantitative data exist on the matter. We performed psychophysical experiments on virtual rotations experienced when binaural bipolar electrical stimulation is applied over the mastoids. We also performed analogous real whole body yaw rotation experiments, allowing us to compare the frequency response of vestibular perception with (real) and without (virtual) natural mechanical stimulation of the semicircular canals. To estimate the gain of vestibular perception, we measured direction discrimination thresholds for virtual and real rotations. Real direction discrimination thresholds decreased at higher frequencies, confirming multiple previous studies. Conversely, virtual direction discrimination thresholds increased at higher frequencies, implying low-pass filtering of the virtual perception process occurring potentially anywhere between afferent transduction and cortical responses. To estimate the phase of vestibular perception, participants manually tracked their perceived position during sinusoidal virtual and real kinetic stimulation. For real rotations, perceived velocity was approximately in phase with actual velocity across all frequencies. Perceived virtual velocity was in phase with the GVS waveform at low frequencies (0.05 and 0.1 Hz). As frequency was increased to 1 Hz, the phase of perceived velocity advanced relative to the GVS waveform. Therefore, at low frequencies GVS is interpreted as an angular velocity signal and at higher frequencies GVS becomes interpreted increasingly as an angular position signal. These estimated gain and phase spectra for vestibular perception are a first step toward generating well-controlled virtual vestibular percepts, an endeavor that may reveal the usefulness of GVS in the areas of clinical assessment, neuroprosthetics, and virtual reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Peters
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brandon G Rasman
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J Timothy Inglis
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and
| | - Jean-Sébastien Blouin
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Institute for Computing, Information, and Cognitive Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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