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Harris JWC, Saccone EJ, Chong R, Buckingham G, Murphy MJ, Chouinard PA. New evidence for the sensorimotor mismatch theory of weight perception and the size-weight illusion. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1623-1643. [PMID: 38780803 PMCID: PMC11208202 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06849-0] [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] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The size-weight illusion is a phenomenon where a smaller object is perceived heavier than an equally weighted larger object. The sensorimotor mismatch theory proposed that this illusion occurs because of a mismatch between efferent motor commands and afferent sensory feedback received when lifting large and small objects (i.e., the application of too little and too much lifting force, respectively). This explanation has been undermined by studies demonstrating a separation between the perceived weight of objects and the lifting forces that are applied on them. However, this research suffers from inconsistencies in the choice of lifting force measures reported. Therefore, we examined the contribution of sensorimotor mismatch in the perception of weight in the size-weight illusion and in non-size-weight illusion stimuli and evaluated the use of a lifting force aggregate measure comprising the four most common lifting force measures used in previous research. In doing so, the sensorimotor mismatch theory was mostly supported. In a size-weight illusion experiment, the lifting forces correlated with weight perception and, contrary to some earlier research, did not adapt over time. In a non-size-weight illusion experiment, switches between lifting light and heavy objects resulted in perceiving the weight of these objects differently compared to no switch trials, which mirrored differences in the manner participants applied forces on the objects. Additionally, we reveal that our force aggregate measure can allow for a more sensitive and objective examination of the effects of lifting forces on objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrod W C Harris
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Saccone
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca Chong
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Gavin Buckingham
- Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Melanie J Murphy
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Philippe A Chouinard
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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Eaves DL, Hodges NJ, Buckingham G, Buccino G, Vogt S. Enhancing motor imagery practice using synchronous action observation. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022:10.1007/s00426-022-01768-7. [PMID: 36574019 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01768-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss a variety of ways in which practising motor actions by means of motor imagery (MI) can be enhanced via synchronous action observation (AO), that is, by AO + MI. We review the available research on the (mostly facilitatory) behavioural effects of AO + MI practice in the early stages of skill acquisition, discuss possible theoretical explanations, and consider several issues related to the choice and presentation schedules of suitable models. We then discuss considerations related to AO + MI practice at advanced skill levels, including expertise effects, practical recommendations such as focussing attention on specific aspects of the observed action, using just-ahead models, and possible effects of the perspective in which the observed action is presented. In section "Coordinative AO + MI", we consider scenarios where the observer imagines performing an action that complements or responds to the observed action, as a promising and yet under-researched application of AO + MI training. In section "The dual action simulation hypothesis of AO + MI", we review the neurocognitive hypothesis that AO + MI practice involves two parallel action simulations, and we consider opportunities for future research based on recent neuroimaging work on parallel motor representations. In section "AO + MI training in motor rehabilitation", we review applications of AO, MI, and AO + MI training in the field of neurorehabilitation. Taken together, this evidence-based, exploratory review opens a variety of avenues for future research and applications of AO + MI practice, highlighting several clear advantages over the approaches of purely AO- or MI-based practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Eaves
- School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - Nicola J Hodges
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Gavin Buckingham
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Giovanni Buccino
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele and Vita Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefan Vogt
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
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Rens G, Davare M, van Polanen V. The effects of explicit and implicit information on modulation of corticospinal excitability during hand-object interactions. Neuropsychologia 2022; 177:108402. [PMID: 36328119 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Fingertip force scaling during hand-object interactions typically relies on visual information about the object and sensorimotor memories from previous object interactions. Here, we investigated whether contextual information, that is not explicitly linked to the intrinsic object properties (e.g., size or weight) but that is informative for motor control requirements, can mediate force scaling. For this, we relied on two separate behavioral tasks during which we applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to probe corticospinal excitability (CSE), as a window onto the primary motor cortex role in controlling fingertip forces. In experiment 1, participants performed a force tracking task, where we manipulated available implicit and explicit visual information. That is, either the force target was fully visible, or only the force error was displayed as a deviation from a horizontal line. We found that participants' performance was better when the force target was fully visible, i.e., when they had explicit access to predictive information. However, we did not find differences in CSE modulation based on the type of visual information. On the other hand, CSE was modulated by the change in muscle contraction, i.e., contraction vs. relaxation and fast vs. slow changes. In sum, these findings indicate that CSE only reflects the ongoing motor command. In experiment 2, other participants performed a sequential object lifting task of visually identical objects that were differently weighted, in a seemingly random order. Within this task, we hid short series of incrementally increasing object weights. This allowed us to investigate whether participants would scale their forces for specific object weights based on the previously lifted object (i.e., sensorimotor effect) or based on the implicit information about the hidden series of incrementally increasing weights (i.e., extrapolation beyond sensorimotor effects). Results showed that participants did not extrapolate fingertip forces based on the hidden series but scaled their forces solely on the previously lifted object. Unsurprisingly, CSE was not modulated differently when lifting series of random weights versus series of increasing weights. Altogether, these results in two different grasping tasks suggest that CSE encodes ongoing motor components but not sensorimotor cues that are hidden within contextual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Rens
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Marco Davare
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Vonne van Polanen
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
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Action Observation Facilitates Anticipatory Control of Grasp for Object Mass but not Weight Distribution. Neurosci Lett 2022; 775:136549. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Kemmerer D. What modulates the Mirror Neuron System during action observation?: Multiple factors involving the action, the actor, the observer, the relationship between actor and observer, and the context. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 205:102128. [PMID: 34343630 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Seeing an agent perform an action typically triggers a motor simulation of that action in the observer's Mirror Neuron System (MNS). Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that during action observation the patterns and strengths of responses in the MNS are modulated by multiple factors. The first aim of this paper is therefore to provide the most comprehensive survey to date of these factors. To that end, 22 distinct factors are described, broken down into the following sets: six involving the action; two involving the actor; nine involving the observer; four involving the relationship between actor and observer; and one involving the context. The second aim is to consider the implications of these findings for four prominent theoretical models of the MNS: the Direct Matching Model; the Predictive Coding Model; the Value-Driven Model; and the Associative Model. These assessments suggest that although each model is supported by a wide range of findings, each one is also challenged by other findings and relatively unaffected by still others. Hence, there is now a pressing need for a richer, more inclusive model that is better able to account for all of the modulatory factors that have been identified so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kemmerer
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Lyles-Porter Hall, Purdue University, 715 Clinic Drive, United States.
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Rens G, Orban de Xivry JJ, Davare M, van Polanen V. Motor resonance is modulated by an object's weight distribution. Neuropsychologia 2021; 156:107836. [PMID: 33775703 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies showed that corticospinal excitability (CSE) is modulated during observation of object lifting, an effect termed 'motor resonance'. Specifically, motor resonance is driven by movement features indicating object weight, such as object size or observed movement kinematics. We investigated in 16 humans (8 females) whether motor resonance is also modulated by an object's weight distribution. Participants were asked to lift an inverted T-shaped manipulandum with interchangeable center of mass after first observing an actor lift the same manipulandum. Participants and actor were instructed to minimize object roll and rely on constrained digit positioning during lifting. Constrained positioning was either collinear (i.e., fingertips on the same height) or noncollinear (i.e., fingertip on the heavy side higher than the one on the light side). The center of mass changed unpredictably before the actor's lifts and participants were explained that their weight distribution always matched the actor's one. Last, TMS was applied during both lift observation and planning of lift actions. Our results showed that CSE was similarly modulated during lift observation and planning: when participants observed or planned lifts in which the weight distribution was asymmetrically right-sided, CSE recorded from the thumb muscles was significantly increased compared to when the weight distribution was left-sided. During both lift observation and planning, this increase seemed to be primarily driven by the weight distribution and not specifically by the (observed) digit positioning or muscle contraction. In conclusion, our results indicate that complex intrinsic object properties such as weight distributions can modulate activation of the motor system during both observation and planning of lifting actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Rens
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marco Davare
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UB8 3PN, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vonne van Polanen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
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Ramsey R, Kaplan DM, Cross ES. Watch and Learn: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Learning from Others' Actions. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:478-491. [PMID: 33637286 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The mirror neuron system has dominated understanding of observational learning from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Our review highlights the value of observational learning frameworks that integrate a more diverse and distributed set of cognitive and brain systems, including those implicated in sensorimotor transformations, as well as in more general processes such as executive control, reward, and social cognition. We argue that understanding how observational learning occurs in the real world will require neuroscientific frameworks that consider how visuomotor processes interface with more general aspects of cognition, as well as how learning context and action complexity shape mechanisms supporting learning from watching others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Ramsey
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
| | - David M Kaplan
- Department of Cognitive Science, Perception in Action Research Centre, Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Emily S Cross
- Department of Cognitive Science, Perception in Action Research Centre, Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
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Rens G, Orban de Xivry JJ, Davare M, van Polanen V. Lift observation conveys object weight distribution but partly enhances predictive lift planning. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:1348-1366. [PMID: 33471619 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00374.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Observation of object lifting allows updating of internal object representations for object weight, in turn enabling accurate scaling of fingertip forces when lifting the same object. Here, we investigated whether lift observation also enables updating of internal representations for an object's weight distribution. We asked participants to lift an inverted T-shaped manipulandum, of which the weight distribution could be changed, in turns with an actor. Participants were required to minimize object roll (i.e., "lift performance") during lifting and were allowed to place their fingertips at self-chosen locations. The center of mass changed unpredictably every third to sixth trial performed by the actor, and participants were informed that they would always lift the same weight distribution as the actor. Participants observed either erroneous (i.e., object rolling toward its heavy side) or skilled (i.e., minimized object roll) lifts. Lifting performance after observation was compared with lifts without prior observation and with lifts after active lifting, which provided haptic feedback about the weight distribution. Our results show that observing both skilled and erroneous lifts convey an object's weight distribution similar to active lifting, resulting in altered digit positioning strategies. However, minimizing object roll on novel weight distributions was only improved after observing error lifts and not after observing skilled lifts. In sum, these findings suggest that although observing motor errors and skilled motor performance enables updating of digit positioning strategy, only observing error lifts enables changes in predictive motor control when lifting objects with unexpected weight distributions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Individuals are able to extract an object's size and weight by observing interactions with objects and subsequently integrate this information in their own motor repertoire. Here, we show that this ability extrapolates to weight distributions. Specifically, we highlighted that individuals can perceive an object's weight distribution during lift observation but can only partially embody this information when planning their own actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Rens
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marco Davare
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London,, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vonne van Polanen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Maiello G, Schepko M, Klein LK, Paulun VC, Fleming RW. Humans Can Visually Judge Grasp Quality and Refine Their Judgments Through Visual and Haptic Feedback. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:591898. [PMID: 33510608 PMCID: PMC7835720 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.591898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How humans visually select where to grasp objects is determined by the physical object properties (e.g., size, shape, weight), the degrees of freedom of the arm and hand, as well as the task to be performed. We recently demonstrated that human grasps are near-optimal with respect to a weighted combination of different cost functions that make grasps uncomfortable, unstable, or impossible, e.g., due to unnatural grasp apertures or large torques. Here, we ask whether humans can consciously access these rules. We test if humans can explicitly judge grasp quality derived from rules regarding grasp size, orientation, torque, and visibility. More specifically, we test if grasp quality can be inferred (i) by using visual cues and motor imagery alone, (ii) from watching grasps executed by others, and (iii) through performing grasps, i.e., receiving visual, proprioceptive and haptic feedback. Stimuli were novel objects made of 10 cubes of brass and wood (side length 2.5 cm) in various configurations. On each object, one near-optimal and one sub-optimal grasp were selected based on one cost function (e.g., torque), while the other constraints (grasp size, orientation, and visibility) were kept approximately constant or counterbalanced. Participants were visually cued to the location of the selected grasps on each object and verbally reported which of the two grasps was best. Across three experiments, participants were required to either (i) passively view the static objects and imagine executing the two competing grasps, (ii) passively view videos of other participants grasping the objects, or (iii) actively grasp the objects themselves. Our results show that, for a majority of tested objects, participants could already judge grasp optimality from simply viewing the objects and imagining to grasp them, but were significantly better in the video and grasping session. These findings suggest that humans can determine grasp quality even without performing the grasp-perhaps through motor imagery-and can further refine their understanding of how to correctly grasp an object through sensorimotor feedback but also by passively viewing others grasp objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Maiello
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany,*Correspondence: Guido Maiello,
| | - Marcel Schepko
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Lina K. Klein
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Vivian C. Paulun
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Roland W. Fleming
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Skiba RM, Vuilleumier P. Brain Networks Processing Temporal Information in Dynamic Facial Expressions. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:6021-6038. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
This fMRI study examines the role of local and global motion information in facial movements during exposure to novel dynamic face stimuli. We found that synchronous expressions distinctively engaged medial prefrontal areas in the rostral and caudal sectors of anterior cingulate cortex (r/cACC) extending to inferior supplementary motor areas, as well as motor cortex and bilateral superior frontal gyrus (global temporal-spatial processing). Asynchronous expressions in which one part of the face unfolded before the other activated more the right superior temporal sulcus (STS) and inferior frontal gyrus (local temporal-spatial processing). These differences in temporal dynamics had no effect on visual face-responsive areas. Dynamic causal modeling analysis further showed that processing of asynchronous expression features was associated with a differential information flow, centered on STS, which received direct input from occipital cortex and projected to the amygdala. Moreover, STS and amygdala displayed selective interactions with cACC where the integration of both local and global motion cues could take place. These results provide new evidence for a role of local and global temporal dynamics in emotional expressions, extracted in partly separate brain pathways. Importantly, we show that dynamic expressions with synchronous movement cues may distinctively engage brain areas responsible for motor execution of expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafal M Skiba
- Laboratory for Behavioural Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Science, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Laboratory for Behavioural Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Science, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
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Sensorimotor Expectations Bias Motor Resonance during Observation of Object Lifting: The Causal Role of pSTS. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3995-4009. [PMID: 32284337 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2672-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation studies have highlighted that corticospinal excitability is increased during observation of object lifting, an effect termed "motor resonance." This facilitation is driven by movement features indicative of object weight, such as object size or observed movement kinematics. Here, we investigated in 35 humans (23 females) how motor resonance is altered when the observer's weight expectations, based on visual information, do not match the actual object weight as revealed by the observed movement kinematics. Our results highlight that motor resonance is not robustly driven by object weight but easily masked by a suppressive mechanism reflecting the correctness of weight expectations. Subsequently, we investigated in 24 humans (14 females) whether this suppressive mechanism was driven by higher-order cortical areas. For this, we induced "virtual lesions" to either the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) or dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) before having participants perform the task. Importantly, virtual lesion of pSTS eradicated this suppressive mechanism and restored object weight-driven motor resonance. In addition, DLPFC virtual lesion eradicated any modulation of motor resonance. This indicates that motor resonance is heavily mediated by top-down inputs from both pSTS and DLPFC. Together, these findings shed new light on the theorized cortical network driving motor resonance. That is, our findings highlight that motor resonance is not only driven by the putative human mirror neuron network consisting of the primary motor and premotor cortices as well as the anterior intraparietal sulcus, but also by top-down input from pSTS and DLPFC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Observation of object lifting activates the observer's motor system in a weight-specific fashion: Corticospinal excitability is larger when observing lifts of heavy objects compared with light ones. Interestingly, here we demonstrate that this weight-driven modulation of corticospinal excitability is easily suppressed by the observer's expectations about object weight and that this suppression is mediated by the posterior superior temporal sulcus. Thus, our findings show that modulation of corticospinal excitability during observed object lifting is not robust but easily altered by top-down cognitive processes. Finally, our results also indicate how cortical inputs, originating remotely from motor pathways and processing action observation, overlap with bottom-up motor resonance effects.
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Abstract
The current study comprises the first systematic meta-analysis of weight illusions. We obtained descriptive data from studies in which subjective heaviness estimates were made for pairs or groups of objects that had the same mass and different volumes (size-weight illusion; SWI) or different apparent material properties (material-weight illusion; MWI). Using these data, we calculated mean effect sizes to represent illusion strength. Other study details, including stimulus mass, volume, density, and degree of visual and somatosensory access to the stimuli were also recorded to quantify the contribution of these variables to effect sizes for the SWI. The results indicate that the SWI has a larger mean effect size than the MWI and that the former is consistent in strength when information about stimulus size is gained through somatosensory channels, regardless of visual access. The SWI is weaker when only the visual system provides size information. Effect sizes for the SWI were larger when there was a greater difference in volume across the stimuli. There was also a positive correlation between SWI strength and the difference in physical density across the different experimental stimuli, even after controlling for volume differences. Together, we argue that these findings provide support for theories of weight illusions that are based on conceptual expectancies as well as those that are based on bottom-up processing of physical density. We further propose that these processes, which have been considered dichotomously in the past, may not be mutually exclusive from each other and could both contribute to our perception of weight when we handle objects in everyday life.
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Chiu HY, Kang YN, Wang WL, Chen CC, Hsu W, Tseng MF, Wei PL. The Role of Active Engagement of Peer Observation in the Acquisition of Surgical Skills in Virtual Reality Tasks for Novices. JOURNAL OF SURGICAL EDUCATION 2019; 76:1655-1662. [PMID: 31130508 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Peer-assisted learning has been regarded as an adjunct to teaching modalities. It remains inconclusive regarding the benefits of peer observation in skills learning. Hence, we investigated whether the active engagement (AE) of peer observation in addition to expert demonstration would facilitate the performance in the virtual reality (VR) tasks. SETTING/DESIGN The programs involved 4 VR tasks including basic (camera targeting), intermediate (energy dissection and energy switching), and advanced (suture sponge) tasks in the da Vinci Skills Simulators, which were set up in the operating room at Taipei Medical University Hospital. Fifty medical students participated in the study. The AE of the participants was defined as the total number of peer observations in addition to expert observation before their performance. We assessed the correlations between AE and surgical task performance using Pearson correlation and the concept of learning analytics. PARTICIPANTS Medical students (sixth-year students in Taiwan, equivalent to fourth-year students in the US system) from Taipei Medical University were recruited. RESULTS AE was correlated with the energy dissection task (r = 0.329, p = 0.02) and marginally associated with the energy switching task (r = 0.271, p = 0.057). However, AE was not correlated with either task scores for camera targeting (r = 0.096, p = 0.509) or task scores for suture sponge (r = -0.091, p = 0.529). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that AE of peer observation may facilitate learning energy dissection task, which is an intermediate-level task, but not in other basic or advanced tasks in a VR context. The study highlights the potential effect of AE of peer observation on surgical learning based on a distinct level of tasks. Tasks that fit the learners' level are recommended. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of peer observation on surgical training still has to be explored to ensure favorable results and optimal learning outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yi Chiu
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Education, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Education and Humanities in Medicine, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-No Kang
- Department of Medical Education, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Education and Humanities in Medicine, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lin Wang
- Division of Acute Care Surgery and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Che Chen
- Division of Acute Care Surgery and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wayne Hsu
- Division of Acute Care Surgery and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Feng Tseng
- Center for General Education, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Li Wei
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Cancer Research Center and Translational Laboratory, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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14
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Rens G, Davare M. Observation of Both Skilled and Erroneous Object Lifting Can Improve Predictive Force Scaling in the Observer. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:373. [PMID: 31695601 PMCID: PMC6817912 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted that the observation of hand-object interactions can influence perceptual weight judgments made by an observer. Moreover, observing salient motor errors during object lifting allows individuals to update their internal sensorimotor representation about object weight. Embodying observed visuomotor cues for the planning of a motor command further enables individuals to accurately scale their fingertip forces when subsequently lifting the same object. However, it is still unknown whether the observation of a skilled lift is equally able to mediate predictive motor control in the observer. Here, we tested this hypothesis by asking participants to grasp and lift a manipulandum after observing an actor's lift. The object weight changed unpredictably (light or heavy) every fourth to sixth trial performed by the actor. Participants were informed that they would always lift the same weight as the actor and that, based on the experimental condition, they would have to observe skilled or erroneously performed lifts. Our results revealed that the observation of both skilled and erroneously performed lifts allows participants to update their internal sensorimotor object representation, in turn enabling them to predict force scaling accurately. These findings suggest that the observation of salient motor errors, as well as subtle features of skilled motor performance, are embodied in the observer's motor repertoire and can drive changes in predictive motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Rens
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marco Davare
- Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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15
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van Polanen V, Tibold R, Nuruki A, Davare M. Visual delay affects force scaling and weight perception during object lifting in virtual reality. J Neurophysiol 2019; 121:1398-1409. [PMID: 30673365 PMCID: PMC6485735 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00396.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Lifting an object requires precise scaling of fingertip forces based on a prediction of object weight. At object contact, a series of tactile and visual events arise that need to be rapidly processed online to fine-tune the planned motor commands for lifting the object. The brain mechanisms underlying multisensory integration serially at transient sensorimotor events, a general feature of actions requiring hand-object interactions, are not yet understood. In this study we tested the relative weighting between haptic and visual signals when they are integrated online into the motor command. We used a new virtual reality setup to desynchronize visual feedback from haptics, which allowed us to probe the relative contribution of haptics and vision in driving participants’ movements when they grasped virtual objects simulated by two force-feedback robots. We found that visual delay changed the profile of fingertip force generation and led participants to perceive objects as heavier than when lifts were performed without visual delay. We further modeled the effect of vision on motor output by manipulating the extent to which delayed visual events could bias the force profile, which allowed us to determine the specific weighting the brain assigns to haptics and vision. Our results show for the first time how visuo-haptic integration is processed at discrete sensorimotor events for controlling object-lifting dynamics and further highlight the organization of multisensory signals online for controlling action and perception. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Dexterous hand movements require rapid integration of information from different senses, in particular touch and vision, at different key time points as movement unfolds. The relative weighting between vision and haptics for object manipulation is unknown. We used object lifting in virtual reality to desynchronize visual and haptic feedback and find out their relative weightings. Our findings shed light on how rapid multisensory integration is processed over a series of discrete sensorimotor control points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vonne van Polanen
- Department of Movement Sciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Robert Tibold
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London , London , United Kingdom
| | - Atsuo Nuruki
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London , London , United Kingdom.,Central for General Education, Kagoshima University , Kagoshima , Japan
| | - Marco Davare
- Department of Movement Sciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London , London , United Kingdom
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16
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Harris DJ, Vine SJ, Wilson MR, McGrath JS, LeBel ME, Buckingham G. Action observation for sensorimotor learning in surgery. Br J Surg 2018; 105:1713-1720. [DOI: 10.1002/bjs.10991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Acquiring new motor skills to learn complex movements and master the use of a diverse range of instruments is fundamental for developing expertise in surgery. Although aspects of skill development occur through trial and error, watching the performance of another individual (action observation) is an increasingly important adjunct for the acquisition of these complex skills before performing a procedure. The aim of this review was to examine the evidence in support of the use of action observation in surgery.
Methods
A narrative review of observational learning for surgical motor skills was undertaken. Searches of PubMed and PsycINFO databases were performed using the terms ‘observational learning’ OR ‘action observation’ AND ‘motor learning’ OR ‘skill learning’.
Results
Factors such as the structure of physical practice, the skill level of the demonstrator and the use of feedback were all found to be important moderators of the effectiveness of observational learning. In particular, observation of both expert and novice performance, cueing attention to key features of the task, and watching the eye movements of expert surgeons were all found to enhance the effectiveness of observation. It was unclear, however, whether repeated observations were beneficial for skill learning. The evidence suggests that these methods can be employed to enhance surgical training curricula.
Conclusion
Observational learning is an effective method for learning surgical skills. An improved understanding of observational learning may further inform the refinement and use of these methods in contemporary surgical training curricula.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Harris
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - S J Vine
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - M R Wilson
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - J S McGrath
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Exeter Surgical Health Services Research Unit, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, UK
| | - M-E LeBel
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - G Buckingham
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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17
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McGregor HR, Cashaback JGA, Gribble PL. Somatosensory perceptual training enhances motor learning by observing. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:3017-3025. [PMID: 30230990 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00313.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Action observation activates brain regions involved in sensory-motor control. Recent research has shown that action observation can also facilitate motor learning; observing a tutor undergoing motor learning results in functional plasticity within the motor system and gains in subsequent motor performance. However, the effects of observing motor learning extend beyond the motor domain. Converging evidence suggests that observation also results in somatosensory functional plasticity and somatosensory perceptual changes. This work has raised the possibility that the somatosensory system is also involved in motor learning that results from observation. Here we tested this hypothesis using a somatosensory perceptual training paradigm. If the somatosensory system is indeed involved in motor learning by observing, then improving subjects' somatosensory function before observation should enhance subsequent motor learning by observing. Subjects performed a proprioceptive discrimination task in which a robotic manipulandum moved the arm, and subjects made judgments about the position of their hand. Subjects in a Trained Learning group received trial-by-trial feedback to improve their proprioceptive perception. Subjects in an Untrained Learning group performed the same task without feedback. All subjects then observed a learning video showing a tutor adapting her reaches to a left force field. Subjects in the Trained Learning group, who had superior proprioceptive acuity before observation, benefited more from observing learning than subjects in the Untrained Learning group. Improving somatosensory function can therefore enhance subsequent observation-related gains in motor learning. This study provides further evidence in favor of the involvement of the somatosensory system in motor learning by observing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that improving somatosensory performance before observation can improve the extent to which subjects learn from watching others. Somatosensory perceptual training may prime the sensory-motor system, thereby facilitating subsequent observational learning. The findings of this study suggest that the somatosensory system supports motor learning by observing. This finding may be useful if observation is incorporated as part of therapies for diseases affecting movement, such as stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R McGregor
- The Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada.,Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada
| | - Joshua G A Cashaback
- The Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada
| | - Paul L Gribble
- The Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada.,Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada.,Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada.,Haskins Laboratories , New Haven, Connecticut
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18
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Changes in corticospinal excitability associated with motor learning by observing. Exp Brain Res 2018; 236:2829-2838. [PMID: 30032353 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-5339-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
While many of our motor skills are acquired through physical practice, we can also learn how to make movements by observing others. For example, individuals can learn how to reach in novel dynamical environments ('force fields', FF) by observing the movements of a tutor. Previous neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies in humans suggest a role for the motor system in motor learning by observing. Here, we tested the role of primary motor cortex (M1) in motor learning by observing. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in hand muscles at rest. MEPs were elicited before and after participants observed either a video showing a tutor adapting her reaches to an FF or a control video showing a tutor performing reaches in an unlearnable FF. During MEP acquisition, participants fixated a crosshair while their hand muscles were relaxed. We predicted that observing motor learning would result in greater increases in offline M1 excitability compared to observing movements that did not involve learning. We found that observing FF learning resulted in subsequent increases in MEP amplitudes recorded from right first dorsal interosseous and right abductor pollicis brevis muscles at rest. There were no changes in MEP amplitudes after control participants observed a tutor performing similar movements but not learning. The observed MEP changes can thus be specifically linked to observing motor learning. These results are consistent with the idea that observing motor learning produces functional changes in M1, corticospinal networks or both.
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19
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Ikegami T, Ganesh G, Takeuchi T, Nakamoto H. Prediction error induced motor contagions in human behaviors. eLife 2018; 7:33392. [PMID: 29807568 PMCID: PMC5973832 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor contagions refer to implicit effects on one's actions induced by observed actions. Motor contagions are believed to be induced simply by action observation and cause an observer's action to become similar to the action observed. In contrast, here we report a new motor contagion that is induced only when the observation is accompanied by prediction errors - differences between actions one observes and those he/she predicts or expects. In two experiments, one on whole-body baseball pitching and another on simple arm reaching, we show that the observation of the same action induces distinct motor contagions, depending on whether prediction errors are present or not. In the absence of prediction errors, as in previous reports, participants' actions changed to become similar to the observed action, while in the presence of prediction errors, their actions changed to diverge away from it, suggesting distinct effects of action observation and action prediction on human actions. Watching sports sometimes causes people to unintentionally move in the same way as the athlete they are observing. This type of unconscious mimicry is called a motor contagion. Observing everyday actions can also trigger motor contagion, and plays an important role in social interactions. So far, studies have focused on understanding how observing an action leads to motor contagion. They have not factored in the fact that in everyday life individuals consciously or unconsciously predict observed actions by others. Sometimes these predictions are wrong, leading to so called ‘prediction errors’. It was not clear whether motor contagion occurs when the viewer has made an incorrect prediction, or if prediction errors change the behavior of the viewer. Now, Ikegami, Ganesh et al. show that prediction errors influence motor contagion. In one experiment, baseball players were asked to watch a video of an actor pitching a ball toward a target and predict where on the target the ball would hit. Some of the players were given misleading information intended to increase the likelihood they would incorrectly predict where the actor would throw. The players then pitched the ball towards a target themselves. When the players had just watched the actor’s throw, their throws became similar to it. When their predictions were wrong, their throws were very different from the actor’s throw. The players were not aware of the changes to their throw in either case. Ikegami, Ganesh et al. also conducted a similar experiment in which other volunteers were asked to observe an actor reaching for a target and then reach for the target themselves. The results were similar: when the volunteers’ predictions were wrong, they reached in different ways to the actor. This may be a new type of motor contagion. Learning more about this effect could help researchers to better understand the adjustments people make to their social behaviors and give new insights about the brain mechanisms that underlie normal human actions and social interactions. Sports trainers or physical therapists might also use this information to develop better strategies for maintaining athlete performances or helping people to recover movement after an injury or illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Ikegami
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Gowrishankar Ganesh
- CNRS-AIST JRL (Joint Robotics Laboratory), UMI3218/RL, Intelligent Systems Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Takeuchi
- Faculty of Physical Education, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nakamoto
- Faculty of Physical Education, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan
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20
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Wolf C, Bergmann Tiest WM, Drewing K. A mass-density model can account for the size-weight illusion. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190624. [PMID: 29447183 PMCID: PMC5813910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
When judging the heaviness of two objects with equal mass, people perceive the smaller and denser of the two as being heavier. Despite the large number of theories, covering bottom-up and top-down approaches, none of them can fully account for all aspects of this size-weight illusion and thus for human heaviness perception. Here we propose a new maximum-likelihood estimation model which describes the illusion as the weighted average of two heaviness estimates with correlated noise: One estimate derived from the object's mass, and the other from the object's density, with estimates' weights based on their relative reliabilities. While information about mass can directly be perceived, information about density will in some cases first have to be derived from mass and volume. However, according to our model at the crucial perceptual level, heaviness judgments will be biased by the objects' density, not by its size. In two magnitude estimation experiments, we tested model predictions for the visual and the haptic size-weight illusion. Participants lifted objects which varied in mass and density. We additionally varied the reliability of the density estimate by varying the quality of either visual (Experiment 1) or haptic (Experiment 2) volume information. As predicted, with increasing quality of volume information, heaviness judgments were increasingly biased towards the object's density: Objects of the same density were perceived as more similar and big objects were perceived as increasingly lighter than small (denser) objects of the same mass. This perceived difference increased with an increasing difference in density. In an additional two-alternative forced choice heaviness experiment, we replicated that the illusion strength increased with the quality of volume information (Experiment 3). Overall, the results highly corroborate our model, which seems promising as a starting point for a unifying framework for the size-weight illusion and human heaviness perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Wolf
- Experimental Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Wouter M. Bergmann Tiest
- School of Communication, Media & Information Technology, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Knut Drewing
- Experimental Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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21
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LeBel ME, Haverstock J, Cristancho S, van Eimeren L, Buckingham G. Observational Learning During Simulation-Based Training in Arthroscopy: Is It Useful to Novices? JOURNAL OF SURGICAL EDUCATION 2018; 75:222-230. [PMID: 28651976 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Observing experts constitutes an important and common learning experience for surgical residents before operating under direct guidance. However, studies suggest that exclusively observing experts may induce suboptimal motor learning, and watching errors from non-experts performing simple motor tasks may generate better performance. We investigated whether observational learning is transferrable to arthroscopy learning using virtual reality (VR) simulation. SETTING/DESIGN In our surgical simulation laboratory, we compared students learning basic skills on a VR arthroscopy simulator after watching an expert video demonstration of VR arthroscopy tasks or a non-expert video demonstration of the same tasks to a Control group without video demonstration. Ninety students in 3 observing groups (expert, non-expert, and Control) subsequently completed the same procedure on a VR arthroscopy simulator. We hypothesized the non-expert-watching group would outperform the expert-watching group, and both groups to outperform the Control group. We examined performance pretest, posttest, and 1 week later. PARTICIPANTS Participants were recruited from the final year of medical school and the very early first year of surgical residency training programs (orthopaedic surgery, urology, plastic surgery, and general surgery) at Western University (Ontario, Canada). RESULTS All participants improved their overall performance from pretest to retention (p < 0.001). At initial retention testing, non-expert-watching group outperformed the other groups in camera path length p < 0.05 and time to completion, p < 0.05, and both the expert/non-expert groups surpassed the Control group in camera path length (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION We suggest that error-observation may contribute to skills improvement in the non-expert-watching group. Allowing novices to observe techniques/errors of other novices may assist internalization of specific movements/skills required for effective motor performances. This study highlights the potential effect of observational learning on surgical skills acquisition and offers preliminary evidence for peer-based practice (combined non-experts and experts) as a complementary surgical motor skills training strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Eve LeBel
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - John Haverstock
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sayra Cristancho
- Centre for Education, Research & Innovation, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lucia van Eimeren
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gavin Buckingham
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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22
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Harris DJ, Vine SJ, Wilson MR, McGrath JS, LeBel ME, Buckingham G. The effect of observing novice and expert performance on acquisition of surgical skills on a robotic platform. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188233. [PMID: 29141046 PMCID: PMC5687728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational learning plays an important role in surgical skills training, following the traditional model of learning from expertise. Recent findings have, however, highlighted the benefit of observing not only expert performance but also error-strewn performance. The aim of this study was to determine which model (novice vs. expert) would lead to the greatest benefits when learning robotically assisted surgical skills. METHODS 120 medical students with no prior experience of robotically-assisted surgery completed a ring-carrying training task on three occasions; baseline, post-intervention and at one-week follow-up. The observation intervention consisted of a video model performing the ring-carrying task, with participants randomly assigned to view an expert model, a novice model, a mixed expert/novice model or no observation (control group). Participants were assessed for task performance and surgical instrument control. RESULTS There were significant group differences post-intervention, with expert and novice observation groups outperforming the control group, but there were no clear group differences at a retention test one week later. There was no difference in performance between the expert-observing and error-observing groups. CONCLUSIONS Similar benefits were found when observing the traditional expert model or the error-strewn model, suggesting that viewing poor performance may be as beneficial as viewing expertise in the early acquisition of robotic surgical skills. Further work is required to understand, then inform, the optimal curriculum design when utilising observational learning in surgical training.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Harris
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel J. Vine
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mark R. Wilson
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - John S. McGrath
- Exeter Surgical Health Services Research Unit, RD&E Hospital, Exeter, United Kingdom
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Marie-Eve LeBel
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Gavin Buckingham
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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23
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Grierson LEM, Roberts JW, Welsher AM. The effect of modeled absolute timing variability and relative timing variability on observational learning. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2017; 176:71-77. [PMID: 28376345 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is much evidence to suggest that skill learning is enhanced by skill observation. Recent research on this phenomenon indicates a benefit of observing variable/erred demonstrations. In this study, we explore whether it is variability within the relative organization or absolute parameterization of a movement that facilitates skill learning through observation. To do so, participants were randomly allocated into groups that observed a model with no variability, absolute timing variability, relative timing variability, or variability in both absolute and relative timing. All participants performed a four-segment movement pattern with specific absolute and relative timing goals prior to and following the observational intervention, as well as in a 24h retention test and transfers tests that featured new relative and absolute timing goals. Absolute timing error indicated that all groups initially acquired the absolute timing, maintained their performance at 24h retention, and exhibited performance deterioration in both transfer tests. Relative timing error revealed that the observation of no variability and relative timing variability produced greater performance at the post-test, 24h retention and relative timing transfer tests, but for the no variability group, deteriorated at absolute timing transfer test. The results suggest that the learning of absolute timing following observation unfolds irrespective of model variability. However, the learning of relative timing benefits from holding the absolute features constant, while the observation of no variability partially fails in transfer. We suggest learning by observing no variability and variable/erred models unfolds via similar neural mechanisms, although the latter benefits from the additional coding of information pertaining to movements that require a correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence E M Grierson
- Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, David Braley Health Sciences Centre, 100 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8P 1H6, Canada; Program for Educational Research and Development, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - James W Roberts
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, 200 Columbia St W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Health Sciences, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool L16 9JD, United Kingdom
| | - Arthur M Welsher
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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24
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Learning by observing: the effect of multiple sessions of action-observation training on the spontaneous movement tempo and motor resonance. Neuropsychologia 2016; 96:89-95. [PMID: 27769797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study was designed to explore the changes in motor performance and motor resonance after multiple sessions of action observation (AO) training. Subjects were exposed to the observation of a video showing finger tapping movements executed at 3Hz, a frequency higher than the spontaneous one (2Hz) for four consecutive days. Motor performance and motor resonance were tested before the AO training on the first day, and on the last day. Results showed that multiple sessions of AO training induced a shift of the speed of execution of finger tapping movements toward the observed one and a change in motor resonance. Before the 3Hz-AO training cortical excitability was highest during the observation of the 2Hz video. This motor resonance effect was lost after one single session of 3Hz-AO training whereas after multiple sessions of 3Hz-AO training cortical excitability was highest during the observation of the 3Hz video. Our study shows for the first time that multiple sessions of AO training are able not only to induce performance gains but also to change the way by which the observer's motor system recognizes a certain movement as belonging to the individual motor repertoire. These results may encourage the development of novel rehabilitative protocols based on multiple sessions of action observation aimed to regain a correct movement when its spontaneous speed is modified by pathologies or to modify the innate temporal properties of certain movements.
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25
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Fercho K, Baugh LA. Cognitive attribution of the source of an error in object-lifting results in differences in motor generalization. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:2667-76. [PMID: 27150316 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4670-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
To lift an object, the motor system must predict the weight of the object and use this information to program appropriate lifting forces. If this prediction is erroneous, people may assign blame for the error to either themselves or an external source-a process called credit assignment. In the present study, we explored the role of credit assignment on weight predictions during a lifting task. Participants were told that the EMG surface electrodes attached to their lifting hand were either part of a "passive" system that recorded muscular activity, or part of an "active" system that would apply energy to the muscle, influencing weight perception. Participants performed 90 lifts of the training blocks, followed by 10 lifts of a newly encountered larger test block. In between training and test trials, the experimenter turned off the recording system and removed the surface electrodes for participants in the "active" group. For each lift, we determined the initial peak rate of change of vertical load force rate and load-phase duration, estimates of predicted object weight. Analysis of the first 10 training lifts and the last 10 training lifts revealed no effect of Active versus Passive EMG on weight predictions. However, after removing the EMG equipment, participants in the "active" group failed to scale their predictive load forces in the same manner as those in the "passive" condition when lifting a novel block. We conclude that cognitive information may play a role in credit assignment, influencing weight prediction when lifting novel objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelene Fercho
- Sanford School of Medicine, Lee Medical Building, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Lee A Baugh
- Sanford School of Medicine, Lee Medical Building, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA.
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA.
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Patel M, Roberts RE, Riyaz MU, Ahmed M, Buckwell D, Bunday K, Ahmad H, Kaski D, Arshad Q, Bronstein AM. Locomotor adaptation is modulated by observing the actions of others. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:1538-44. [PMID: 26156386 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00446.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Observing the motor actions of another person could facilitate compensatory motor behavior in the passive observer. Here we explored whether action observation alone can induce automatic locomotor adaptation in humans. To explore this possibility, we used the "broken escalator" paradigm. Conventionally this involves stepping upon a stationary sled after having previously experienced it actually moving (Moving trials). This history of motion produces a locomotor aftereffect when subsequently stepping onto a stationary sled. We found that viewing an actor perform the Moving trials was sufficient to generate a locomotor aftereffect in the observer, the size of which was significantly correlated with the size of the movement (postural sway) observed. Crucially, the effect is specific to watching the task being performed, as no motor adaptation occurs after simply viewing the sled move in isolation. These findings demonstrate that locomotor adaptation in humans can be driven purely by action observation, with the brain adapting motor plans in response to the size of the observed individual's motion. This mechanism may be mediated by a mirror neuron system that automatically adapts behavior to minimize movement errors and improve motor skills through social cues, although further neurophysiological studies are required to support this theory. These data suggest that merely observing the gait of another person in a challenging environment is sufficient to generate appropriate postural countermeasures, implying the existence of an automatic mechanism for adapting locomotor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitesh Patel
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - R Edward Roberts
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Mohammed U Riyaz
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Maroof Ahmed
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - David Buckwell
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Karen Bunday
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hena Ahmad
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Diego Kaski
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Qadeer Arshad
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Adolfo M Bronstein
- Department of Neuro-otology, Division of Brain Sciences, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; and
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Comparative ergonomic workflow and user experience analysis of MRI versus fluoroscopy-guided vascular interventions: an iliac angioplasty exemplar case study. Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg 2015; 10:1639-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s11548-015-1152-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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28
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Andrieux M, Proteau L. Mixed observation favors motor learning through better estimation of the model’s performance. Exp Brain Res 2014; 232:3121-32. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-4000-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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The relative influences of movement kinematics and extrinsic object characteristics on the perception of lifted weight. Atten Percept Psychophys 2013; 75:1906-13. [PMID: 24027032 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-013-0539-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Humans are able to perceive unique types of biological motion presented as point-light displays (PLDs). Thirty years ago, Runeson and Frykholm (Human Perception and Performance, 7(4), 733, 1981, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 112(4), 585, 1983) studied observers' perceptions of weights lifted by actors and identified that the kinematic information in a PLD is sufficient for an observer to form an accurate perception of the object weight. However, research has also shown that extrinsic object size characteristics also influence the perception of object weight (Gordon, Forssberg, Johansson, & Westling in Experimental Brain Research, 83(3), 477-482, 1991). This study addresses the relative contributions of these two types of visual information to observers' perceptions of lifted weight, through an experiment in which participants viewed an actor lifting boxes of various sizes (small, medium, or large) and weights (25, 50, or 75 lb) under four PLD conditions-box-at-rest, moving-box, actor-only, and actor-and-box-and one full-vision video condition, and then provided a weight estimate for each box lifted. The results indicated that lift kinematics and box size contributed independently to weight perception. Interestingly, the most robust weight differentiations were elicited in the conditions in which both types of information were presented concurrently, despite their converse natures. Furthermore, full-vision video presentation, which contained visual information beyond kinematics and object information, elicited the best estimates.
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