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Morfoisse T, Herrera Altamira G, Angelini L, Clément G, Beraneck M, McIntyre J, Tagliabue M. Modality-Independent Effect of Gravity in Shaping the Internal Representation of 3D Space for Visual and Haptic Object Perception. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2457202023. [PMID: 38267257 PMCID: PMC10977025 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2457-20.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual and haptic perceptions of 3D shape are plagued by distortions, which are influenced by nonvisual factors, such as gravitational vestibular signals. Whether gravity acts directly on the visual or haptic systems or at a higher, modality-independent level of information processing remains unknown. To test these hypotheses, we examined visual and haptic 3D shape perception by asking male and female human subjects to perform a "squaring" task in upright and supine postures and in microgravity. Subjects adjusted one edge of a 3D object to match the length of another in each of the three canonical reference planes, and we recorded the matching errors to obtain a characterization of the perceived 3D shape. The results show opposing, body-centered patterns of errors for visual and haptic modalities, whose amplitudes are negatively correlated, suggesting that they arise in distinct, modality-specific representations that are nevertheless linked at some level. On the other hand, weightlessness significantly modulated both visual and haptic perceptual distortions in the same way, indicating a common, modality-independent origin for gravity's effects. Overall, our findings show a link between modality-specific visual and haptic perceptual distortions and demonstrate a role of gravity-related signals on a modality-independent internal representation of the body and peripersonal 3D space used to interpret incoming sensory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Morfoisse
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 8002, INCC - Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Gabriela Herrera Altamira
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 8002, INCC - Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Leonardo Angelini
- HumanTech Institute, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland//HES-SO, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
- School of Management Fribourg, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland//HES-SO, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Clément
- Université de Caen Normandie, Inserm, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, Normandie Univ, Caen 14000, France
| | - Mathieu Beraneck
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 8002, INCC - Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Joseph McIntyre
- Tecnalia, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, San Sebastian 20009, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48009, Spain
| | - Michele Tagliabue
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 8002, INCC - Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Paris F-75006, France
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Kheradmand A, Winnick A. Perception of Upright: Multisensory Convergence and the Role of Temporo-Parietal Cortex. Front Neurol 2017; 8:552. [PMID: 29118736 PMCID: PMC5660972 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We inherently maintain a stable perception of the world despite frequent changes in the head, eye, and body positions. Such "orientation constancy" is a prerequisite for coherent spatial perception and sensorimotor planning. As a multimodal sensory reference, perception of upright represents neural processes that subserve orientation constancy through integration of sensory information encoding the eye, head, and body positions. Although perception of upright is distinct from perception of body orientation, they share similar neural substrates within the cerebral cortical networks involved in perception of spatial orientation. These cortical networks, mainly within the temporo-parietal junction, are crucial for multisensory processing and integration that generate sensory reference frames for coherent perception of self-position and extrapersonal space transformations. In this review, we focus on these neural mechanisms and discuss (i) neurobehavioral aspects of orientation constancy, (ii) sensory models that address the neurophysiology underlying perception of upright, and (iii) the current evidence for the role of cerebral cortex in perception of upright and orientation constancy, including findings from the neurological disorders that affect cortical function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Kheradmand
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ariel Winnick
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Lipshits M, Bengoetxea A, Cheron G, McIntyre J. Two Reference Frames for Visual Perception in Two Gravity Conditions. Perception 2016; 34:545-55. [PMID: 15991691 DOI: 10.1068/p5358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The processing and storage of visual information concerning the orientation of objects in space is carried out in anisotropic reference frames in which all orientations are not treated equally. The perceptual anisotropies, and the implicit reference frames that they define, are evidenced by the observation of ‘oblique effects’ in which performance on a given perceptual task is better for horizontally and vertically oriented stimuli. The question remains how the preferred horizontal and vertical reference frames are defined. In these experiments cosmonaut subjects reproduced the remembered orientation of a visual stimulus in 1g (on the ground) and in 0g, both attached to a chair and while free-floating within the International Space Station. Results show that while the remembered orientation of a visual stimulus may be stored in a multimodal reference frame that includes gravity, an egocentric reference is sufficient to elicit the oblique effect when all gravitational and haptic cues are absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Lipshits
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Which way is down? Positional distortion in the tilt illusion. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110729. [PMID: 25343463 PMCID: PMC4208767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Contextual information can have a huge impact on our sensory experience. The tilt illusion is a classic example of contextual influence exerted by an oriented surround on a target's perceived orientation. Traditionally, the tilt illusion has been described as the outcome of inhibition between cortical neurons with adjacent receptive fields and a similar preference for orientation. An alternative explanation is that tilted contexts could produce a re-calibration of the subjective frame of reference. Although the distinction is subtle, only the latter model makes clear predictions for unoriented stimuli. In the present study, we tested one such prediction by asking four naive subjects to estimate three positions (4, 6, and 8 o'clock) on an imaginary clock face within a tilted surround. To indicate their estimates, they used either an unoriented dot or a line segment, with one endpoint at fixation in the middle of the surround. The surround's tilt was randomly chosen from a set of orientations (± 75°, ± 65°, ± 55°, ± 45°, ± 35°, ± 25°, ± 15°, ± 5° with respect to vertical) across trials. Our results showed systematic biases consistent with the tilt illusion in both conditions. Biases were largest when observers attempted to estimate the 4 and 8 o'clock positions, but there was no significant difference between data gathered with the dot and data gathered with the line segment. A control experiment confirmed that biases were better accounted for by a local coordinate shift than to torsional eye movements induced by the tilted context. This finding supports the idea that tilted contexts distort perceived positions as well as perceived orientations and cannot be readily explained by lateral interactions between orientation selective cells in V1.
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Abstract
The perception of verticality is critical for balance control and interaction with the world. But this complex process fails badly under certain circumstances—usually as the result of an illusion. Here, we report on a real-world example of how the brain fails to disregard body position on a moving mountain tram and adopts an inappropriate frame of reference, which prompts passengers to perceive skyscrapers leaning by as much as 30°. To elucidate the sensory origin of this misperception, we conducted field experiments on the moving tram to systematically disentangle the contributions of four sensory systems known to affect verticality perception, namely, vestibular, tactile, proprioceptive, and visual cues. Our results refute the intuitive assumption that the perceived tilt of the buildings is based on visual error signals and demonstrate instead that a unified percept of verticality is a product of the synergistic interaction among multiple sensory systems and the contextual information available in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiu Mei Chow
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong
| | - Lothar Spillmann
- Graduate Institute of Neural and Cognitive Sciences, China Medical University
- Department of Anatomy, University of Freiburg
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De Saedeleer C, Vidal M, Lipshits M, Bengoetxea A, Cebolla AM, Berthoz A, Cheron G, McIntyre J. Weightlessness alters up/down asymmetries in the perception of self-motion. Exp Brain Res 2013; 226:95-106. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-013-3414-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Guardia D, Carey A, Cottencin O, Thomas P, Luyat M. Disruption of spatial task performance in anorexia nervosa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54928. [PMID: 23349990 PMCID: PMC3548773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In anorexia nervosa (AN), body distortions have been associated with parietal cortex (PC) dysfunction. The PC is the anatomical substrate for a supramodal reference framework involved in spatial orientation constancy. Here, we sought to evaluate spatial orientation constancy and the perception of body orientation in AN patients. In the present study, we investigated the effect of passive lateral body inclination on the visual and tactile subjective vertical (SV) and body Z-axis in 25 AN patients and 25 healthy controls. Subjects performed visual- and tactile-spatial judgments of axis orientations in an upright position and tilted 90° clockwise or counterclockwise. We observed a significant deviation of the tactile and visual SV towards the body (an A-effect) under tilted conditions, suggesting a multisensory impairment in spatial orientation. Deviation of the Z-axis in the direction of the tilt was also observed in the AN group. The greater A-effect in AN patients may reflect reduced interoceptive awareness and thus inadequate consideration of gravitational inflow. Furthermore, marked body weight loss could decrease the somatosensory inputs required for spatial orientation. Our study results suggest that spatial references are impaired in AN. This may be due to particular integration of visual, tactile and gravitational information (e.g. vestibular and proprioceptive cues) in the PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dewi Guardia
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Fonctionnelles et Pathologies, EA-4559, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille,
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Baud-Bovy G, Gentaz E. The perception and representation of orientations: a study in the haptic modality. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2012; 141:24-30. [PMID: 22820456 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2010] [Revised: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This research examines the haptic perception of orientations in the frontal plane in order to identify the nature of their representation. Blindfolded participants inserted the tip of the index finger into a thimble mounted on the extremity of a haptic interface and manually explored the orientation of a "virtual rod". After a short delay, participants had to reproduce the scanned orientation with the same hand without the guidance of the virtual rod. The analysis of the systematic errors showed that the recalled orientations were markedly biased toward the nearest diagonal in each quadrant with the exception of the orientations nearest to the vertical, which were biased toward the vertical. The variable error was greater for the oblique orientations than for the horizontal or vertical orientation. These results are interpreted with the Category-Adjustment model, which posits that orientations are categorically represented. We show that it is necessary to assume the existence of vertical and horizontal categories in addition to the previously postulated oblique categories to predict the error patterns observed in the present and former studies. The similarity of the error patterns in the visual and haptic modalities suggests that a common mechanism is at play in perceiving and reproducing orientations in both sensory modalities.
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Tarnutzer AA, Bockisch CJ, Olasagasti I, Straumann D. Egocentric and allocentric alignment tasks are affected by otolith input. J Neurophysiol 2012; 107:3095-106. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00724.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gravicentric visual alignments become less precise when the head is roll-tilted relative to gravity, which is most likely due to decreasing otolith sensitivity. To align a luminous line with the perceived gravity vector (gravicentric task) or the perceived body-longitudinal axis (egocentric task), the roll orientation of the line on the retina and the torsional position of the eyes relative to the head must be integrated to obtain the line orientation relative to the head. Whether otolith input contributes to egocentric tasks and whether the modulation of variability is restricted to vision-dependent paradigms is unknown. In nine subjects we compared precision and accuracy of gravicentric and egocentric alignments in various roll positions (upright, 45°, and 75° right-ear down) using a luminous line (visual paradigm) in darkness. Trial-to-trial variability doubled for both egocentric and gravicentric alignments when roll-tilted. Two mechanisms might explain the roll-angle–dependent modulation in egocentric tasks: 1) Modulating variability in estimated ocular torsion, which reflects the roll-dependent precision of otolith signals, affects the precision of estimating the line orientation relative to the head; this hypothesis predicts that variability modulation is restricted to vision-dependent alignments. 2) Estimated body-longitudinal reflects the roll-dependent variability of perceived earth-vertical. Gravicentric cues are thereby integrated regardless of the task's reference frame. To test the two hypotheses the visual paradigm was repeated using a rod instead (haptic paradigm). As with the visual paradigm, precision significantly decreased with increasing head roll for both tasks. These findings propose that the CNS integrates input coded in a gravicentric frame to solve egocentric tasks. In analogy to gravicentric tasks, where trial-to-trial variability is mainly influenced by the properties of the otolith afferents, egocentric tasks may also integrate otolith input. Such a shared mechanism for both paradigms and frames of reference is supported by the significantly correlated trial-to-trial variabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher J. Bockisch
- Departments of 1Neurology,
- Ophthalmology, and
- Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Luyat M, Noël M, Thery V, Gentaz E. Gender and line size factors modulate the deviations of the subjective visual vertical induced by head tilt. BMC Neurosci 2012; 13:28. [PMID: 22420467 PMCID: PMC3329413 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The subjective visual vertical (SVV, the visual estimation of gravitational direction) is commonly considered as an indicator of the sense of orientation. The present study examined the impact of two methodological factors (the angle size of the stimulus and the participant's gender) on deviations of the SVV caused by head tilt. Forty healthy participants (20 men and 20 women) were asked to make visual vertical adjustments of a light bar with their head held vertically or roll-tilted by 30° to the left or to the right. Line angle sizes of 0.95° and 18.92° were presented. Results The SVV tended to move in the direction of head tilt in women but away from the direction of head tilt in men. Moreover, the head-tilt effect was also modulated by the stimulus' angle size. The large angle size led to deviations in the direction of head-tilt, whereas the small angle size had the opposite effect. Conclusions Our results showed that gender and line angle size have an impact on the evaluation of the SVV. These findings must be taken into account in the growing body of research that uses the SVV paradigm in disease settings. Moreover, this methodological issue may explain (at least in part) the discrepancies found in the literature on the head-tilt effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Luyat
- Department of Psychology, University of Lille, Laboratory of Functional Neurosciences and Pathology EA4559, 4 rue du Barreau, Villeneuve d'Ascq, 59653, France.
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Guardia D, Cottencin O, Thomas P, Dodin V, Luyat M. Spatial orientation constancy is impaired in anorexia nervosa. Psychiatry Res 2012; 195:56-9. [PMID: 21872340 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2011] [Revised: 06/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In anorexia nervosa (AN), body distortions have been associated with parietal cortex (PC) dysfunction. The PC is also the anatomical substrate of a supramodal reference framework involved in spatial orientation constancy. Given the impaired spatial orientation constancy found in hemineglect, we sought to determine whether similar disturbances could be observed in anorexic patients. We investigated the effect of passive lateral body inclination on the tactile subjective vertical (SV). Fifty participants (25 AN patients and 25 healthy controls) were asked to manually set a rod into the vertical position under three postural conditions. For tilted conditions, we observed a significant deviation of the tactile SV towards the body. This effect was abnormally accentuated in AN patients and might be caused by higher weighting with respect to the egocentric frame of reference. Our findings reinforce the role of the PC in AN and suggest that this dysfunction affects spatial orientation constancy as well as body boundaries.
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Utz K, Keller I, Artinger F, Stumpf O, Funk J, Kerkhoff G. Multimodal and multispatial deficits of verticality perception in hemispatial neglect. Neuroscience 2011; 188:68-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.04.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2011] [Revised: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 04/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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13
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Effect of selective and distributed training on visual identification of orientation. Exp Brain Res 2010; 202:605-11. [PMID: 20169339 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-010-2167-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2009] [Accepted: 01/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
An experiment contrasted the effect of four training schedules in a visual orientation reproduction task. Two selective schedules involved repeated presentation of a single target orientation. Two non-selective schedules involved targets covering the first quadrant either at fixed, equispaced orientations, or distributed randomly. In pre-training sessions, we observed the classical oblique effect (precision for vertical and horizontal stimuli higher than for oblique ones). Practice improved precision with both distributed schedules, but was ineffectual for non-selective schedules. However, a significant oblique effect persisted under all conditions. We argue that the pattern of results is compatible with the hypothesis that the oblique effect reflects both the intrinsic neuronal properties of the primary visual system, and the structure of the visual space imposed by higher, more cognitive processes. The results challenge the thesis that only attentional and post-perceptual factors are able to affect the working of the early visual system.
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Egocentric and allocentric reference frames for catching a falling object. Exp Brain Res 2009; 201:653-62. [PMID: 20024651 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-009-2081-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2009] [Accepted: 11/02/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
When programming movement, one must account for gravitational acceleration. This is particularly important when catching a falling object because the task requires a precise estimate of time-to-contact. Knowledge of gravity's effects is intimately linked to our definition of 'up' and 'down'. Both directions can be described in an allocentric reference frame, based on visual and/or gravitational cues, or in an egocentric reference frame in which the body axis is taken as vertical. To test which frame humans use to predict gravity's effect, we asked participants to intercept virtual balls approaching from above or below with artificially controlled acceleration that could be congruent or not with gravity. To dissociate between these frames, subjects were seated upright (trunk parallel to gravity) or lying down (body axis orthogonal to the gravitational axis). We report data in line with the use of an allocentric reference frame and discuss its relevance depending on available gravity-related cues.
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Barnett-Cowan M, Harris LR. Perceived self-orientation in allocentric and egocentric space: effects of visual and physical tilt on saccadic and tactile measures. Brain Res 2008; 1242:231-43. [PMID: 18706895 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.07.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2008] [Revised: 07/11/2008] [Accepted: 07/12/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Do physical tilt and tilt of the visual environment affect perception of allocentric and egocentric space? We addressed this question using two perceptual-motor tasks: alignment of a tactile rod (ROD) and saccadic eye movements (EM). Nine participants indicated the vertical axis of their heads (egocentric task), as well as the direction of gravity (allocentric task). Head orientation (+/-60 degrees and 0 degrees) and visual environment orientation (+/-120 degrees, +/-60 degrees and 0 degrees) were independently manipulated in the fronto-planar roll plane. ROD and EM estimates of both allocentric and egocentric reference directions varied with head and room orientation. Physical tilt dominated allocentric estimates in the dark where overestimates of physical tilt were noted up to 11 degrees using both measures. Allocentric ROD and EM estimates were significantly correlated across all head orientations (r=.70, p<.01) but only when upright for egocentric estimates (r=.38, p<.01). The relative contributions of the visual environment, gravity's direction and long-body axis to the estimation of allocentric and egocentric directions were determined by vector modeling. This modeling found that vision determined about 14% of the allocentric ROD and EM estimates, that the long-axis body reference played no discernible role, and that the largest factor was gravity, the effective direction of which was non-veridical. For egocentric estimates, vision contributed about 3% with the largest factor being the body reference. We conclude that perception of allocentric and egocentric space is likely influenced by multiple senses that define common egocentric and allocentric frames of reference accessible for saccadic and tactile estimates of perceived self-orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Barnett-Cowan
- Multisensory Integration Laboratory, Centre for Vision Research, Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Gentaz E, Baud-Bovy G, Luyat M. The haptic perception of spatial orientations. Exp Brain Res 2008; 187:331-48. [PMID: 18446332 PMCID: PMC2373857 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-008-1382-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2007] [Accepted: 04/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This review examines the isotropy of the perception of spatial orientations in the haptic system. It shows the existence of an oblique effect (i.e., a better perception of vertical and horizontal orientations than oblique orientations) in a spatial plane intrinsic to the haptic system, determined by the gravitational cues and the cognitive resources and defined in a subjective frame of reference. Similar results are observed from infancy to adulthood. In 3D space, the haptic processing of orientations is also anisotropic and seems to use both egocentric and allocentric cues. Taken together, these results revealed that the haptic oblique effect occurs when the sensory motor traces associated with exploratory movement are represented more abstractly at a cognitive level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard Gentaz
- National Center of Scientific Research, University of Grenoble 2, Grenoble, France.
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McIntyre J, Lipshits M. Central processes amplify and transform anisotropies of the visual system in a test of visual-haptic coordination. J Neurosci 2008; 28:1246-61. [PMID: 18234902 PMCID: PMC6671415 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2066-07.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2007] [Revised: 12/09/2007] [Accepted: 12/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The CNS may use multimodal reference frames to combine proprioceptive, visual, and gravitational information. Indeed, spatial information could be encoded simultaneously with respect to egocentric and allocentric references such as the body axis and gravity, respectively. It has further been proposed that gravity might serve to align reference frames between different sensory modalities. We performed a series of experiments in which human subjects matched the orientation of a visual stimulus to a visual reference (visual-visual), a haptic stimulus to a haptic reference (haptic-haptic), or a visual stimulus to a haptic reference (visual-haptic). These tests were performed in a normal upright posture, with the body tilted with respect to gravity, and in the weightless environment of Earth orbit. We found systematic patterns of errors in the matching of stimulus orientations. For an upright posture on Earth, a classic oblique effect appeared in the visual-visual comparison, which was then amplified in the haptic-visual task. Leftward or rightward whole-body tilt on Earth abolished both of these effects, yet each persisted in the absence of gravity. Leftward and rightward tilt also produced asymmetric biases in the visual-haptic but not in the visual-visual or haptic-haptic responses. These results illustrate how spatial anisotropy can be molded by sensorimotor transformations in the CNS. Furthermore, the results indicate that gravity plays a significant, but nonessential role in defining the reference frames for these tasks. These results provide insight into how the nervous system processes spatial information between different sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph McIntyre
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie des Réseaux Sensorimoteurs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université Paris Descartes, 75006 Paris, France.
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18
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Darling WG, Viaene AN, Peterson CR, Schmiedeler JP. Perception of hand motion direction uses a gravitational reference. Exp Brain Res 2007; 186:237-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-007-1227-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2006] [Accepted: 11/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Kushiro K, Taga G, Watanabe H. Frame of reference for visual perception in young infants during change of body position. Exp Brain Res 2007; 183:523-9. [PMID: 17673991 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-007-1070-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2006] [Accepted: 07/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The visual and vestibular systems begin functioning early in life. However, it is unclear whether young infants perceive the dynamic world based on the retinal coordinate (egocentric reference frame) or the environmental coordinate (allocentric reference frame) when they encounter incongruence between frames of reference due to changes in body position. In this study, we performed the habituation-dishabituation procedure to assess novelty detection in a visual display, and a change in body position was included between the habituation and dishabituation phases in order to test whether infants dishabituate to the change in stimulus on the retinal or environmental coordinate. Twenty infants aged 3-4 months were placed in the right-side-down position (RSDp) and habituated to an animated human-like character that walked horizontally in the environmental frame of reference. Subsequently, their body position was changed in the roll plane. Ten infants were repositioned to the upright position (UPp) and the rest, to the RSDp after rotation. In the test phase, the displays that were spatially identical to those shown in the habituation phase and 90 degrees rotated displays were alternately presented, and visual preference was examined. The results revealed that infants looked longer at changes in the display on the retinal coordinate than at changes in the display on the environmental coordinate. This suggests that changes in body position from lying to upright produced incongruence of the egocentric and allocentric reference frames for perception of dynamic visual displays and that infants may rely more on the egocentric reference frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kushiro
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsucho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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20
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Baud-Bovy G, Gentaz E. The haptic reproduction of orientations in three-dimensional space. Exp Brain Res 2006; 172:283-300. [PMID: 16468026 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-005-0333-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2005] [Accepted: 11/21/2005] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This research studied the haptic perception of orientations in space rather than in a plane. It aimed at identifying the nature of the system of coordinate used to represent an orientation in space, when two parameters are necessary to code an orientation. Blindfolded participants inserted the tip of the index finger in a thimble mounted at the extremity of a haptic interface, explored the orientation of a "virtual rod" with to-and-fro movements and, after a short delay, reproduced the same orientation with the same fingertip in the absence of the virtual rod. Globally, the haptic reproduction of orientations was anisotropic. When the reproduction of orientations was carried out in the frontal plane, a classical oblique effect (lower performance for the diagonal orientations than for the vertical and horizontal orientations) occurred. When the reproduction of orientations was carried out in space, orientations seemed to be coded in a coordinate system based on the sagittal plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Baud-Bovy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 58, via Olgettina, 20132 Milan, Italy.
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21
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Meng X, Qian N. The oblique effect depends on perceived, rather than physical, orientation and direction. Vision Res 2005; 45:3402-13. [PMID: 16023170 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2005.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2005] [Revised: 05/03/2005] [Accepted: 05/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Observers can better discriminate orientation or direction near the cardinal axes than near an oblique axis. We investigated whether this well-known oblique effect is determined by the physical or the perceived axis of the stimuli. Using the simultaneous tilt illusion, we generated perceptually different orientations for the same inner (target) grating by contrasting it with differently oriented outer gratings. Subjects compared the target orientation with a set of reference orientations. If orientation discriminability was determined by the physical orientations, the psychometric curves for the same target grating would be identical. Instead, all subjects produced steeper curves when perceiving target gratings near vertically as opposed to more obliquely. This result of orientation discrimination was confirmed by using adaptation-generated tilt aftereffect to manipulate the perceived orientation of a given physical orientation. Moreover, we obtained the same result in direction discrimination by using motion repulsion to alter the perceived direction of a given physical direction. We conclude that when the perceived orientation or direction differs from the physical orientation or direction, the oblique effect depends on perceived, rather than physical, orientation or direction. Finally, as a by-product of the study, we found that, around the vertical direction, motion repulsion is much stronger when the inducing direction is more clockwise to the test direction than when it is more counterclockwise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Meng
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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22
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Kaas AL, Mier HIV. Haptic spatial matching in near peripersonal space. Exp Brain Res 2005; 170:403-13. [PMID: 16328265 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-005-0223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2005] [Accepted: 09/05/2005] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Research has shown that haptic spatial matching at intermanual distances over 60 cm is prone to large systematic errors. The error pattern has been explained by the use of reference frames intermediate between egocentric and allocentric coding. This study investigated haptic performance in near peripersonal space, i.e. at intermanual distances of 60 cm and less. Twelve blindfolded participants (six males and six females) were presented with two turn bars at equal distances from the midsagittal plane, 30 or 60 cm apart. Different orientations (vertical/horizontal or oblique) of the left bar had to be matched by adjusting the right bar to either a mirror symmetric (/ \) or parallel (/ /) position. The mirror symmetry task can in principle be performed accurately in both an egocentric and an allocentric reference frame, whereas the parallel task requires an allocentric representation. Results showed that parallel matching induced large systematic errors which increased with distance. Overall error was significantly smaller in the mirror task. The task difference also held for the vertical orientation at 60 cm distance, even though this orientation required the same response in both tasks, showing a marked effect of task instruction. In addition, men outperformed women on the parallel task. Finally, contrary to our expectations, systematic errors were found in the mirror task, predominantly at 30 cm distance. Based on these findings, we suggest that haptic performance in near peripersonal space might be dominated by different mechanisms than those which come into play at distances over 60 cm. Moreover, our results indicate that both inter-individual differences and task demands affect task performance in haptic spatial matching. Therefore, we conclude that the study of haptic spatial matching in near peripersonal space might reveal important additional constraints for the specification of adequate models of haptic spatial performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Kaas
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Universiteit Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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23
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Abstract
Body-tilt effect on the haptic discrimination of orientations and the 'oblique effect' (better discrimination of the vertical orientation than of an oblique orientation) were examined in 5-month-old infants. Body tilt leads to a mismatch between egocentric and gravitational reference frames and indicates in which reference frame orientations and oblique effect are defined. A familiarization/reaction to novelty procedure was used in upright body and tilted body conditions. Results revealed the occurrence of a haptic oblique effect in the upright body position, which disappeared when the body was tilted. The results suggest that spatial orientations and the oblique effect depend on a mixed reference frame that integrates not only gravitational information but also egocentric information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Kerzerho
- Laboratory Cognition and Development, Université René-Descartes, Boulogne-Billancourt Cedex, France
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24
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Luyat M, Mobarek S, Leconte C, Gentaz E. The plasticity of gravitational reference frame and the subjective vertical: peripheral visual information affects the oblique effect. Neurosci Lett 2005; 385:215-9. [PMID: 15964678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2005] [Revised: 05/07/2005] [Accepted: 05/11/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The experiment examined the human visual perception of orientations and the nature of reference frame in which the oblique effect (lower performance in oblique orientations than in vertical or horizontal ones) was defined. Previous research [M. Luyat, E. Gentaz, Body tilt effect on the reproduction of orientations: studies on the visual oblique effect and subjective orientations, J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 28 (2002) 1002-1011. M. Luyat, E. Gentaz, T.R. Corte, M. Guerraz, Reference frames and haptic perception of orientation: body and head tilt effects on the oblique effect, Percept. Psychophys. 63 (2001) 541-554], using head tilt paradigm to uncouple the gravitational, egocentric and subjective reference frames, showed that the oblique effect was mapped in a subjective gravitational reference frame with the subjective vertical as a cardinal orientation. However, the subjective vertical is not only affected by the tilt of head but also by the tilt of visual context. Then, the tilt of visual oriented cues is another paradigm permitting to evidence the role of the subjective gravitational reference frame. Sixteen participants were asked to reproduce five different orientations of a luminous line: horizontal (0 degrees ), 45 degrees (oblique), 90 degrees (vertical), 135 degrees (oblique) and the subjective vertical. These orientations were reproduced with no visual contextual cues and with tilted visual contextual cues tilted 15 degrees either to the left or to the right. The results showed that the oblique effect decreased with tilted visual contexts but was not completely suppressed. These results proved that this oblique effect is defined in a multimodal reference frame which integrates not only vestibular and proprioceptive cues but also peripheral visual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Luyat
- Laboratory of Functional Neurosciences and Pathology, CNRS, Service EFV, Hôpital Roger Salengro, 59037 Lille, France.
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25
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Luyat M, Moroni C, Gentaz E. The role of contextual cues in the haptic perception of orientations and the oblique effect. Psychon Bull Rev 2005; 12:760-6. [PMID: 16447394 DOI: 10.3758/bf03196770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Blindfolded right-handed participants were asked to position, with the right hand, a frontoparallel rod to one of three orientations: vertical (0 degrees) and left 45 degrees and right 45 degrees obliques. Simultaneously, three different backgrounds were explored with the left hand: smooth, congruent stripes (parallel to the orientation to be produced), or incongruent stripes (tilted relative to the orientation to be produced). The analysis of variable errors showed that the oblique effect (higher precision for the vertical orientation than for the oblique orientations) was weakened in the presence of contextual cues, because of an improvement in oblique precision. Moreover, the analysis of constant errors revealed that the perception of orientations erred in the direction of the stripes, similar to the effect that has been found with vision, where visual contextual cues (tilted frame or lines) divert the perception of the vertical. These results are discussed in relation to a patterncentric frame of reference hypothesis or as a congruency effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Luyat
- Université Charles-de-Gaulle-Lille 3, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
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26
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Darling WG, Robert B. The visual perception coordinate system uses axes defined by the earth, trunk, and vision. Perception 2005; 34:17-30. [PMID: 15773604 DOI: 10.1177/030100660503400101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Eight young adults adjusted a line located on one side of a computer display parallel to internally specified Earth-fixed vertical (display in frontal plane), to the horizontal trunk-fixed anterior-posterior axis (display in horizontal plane), and to an oblique line (display in horizontal and vertical planes). All tasks were completed in a dark room with the head and trunk in both a standard erect posture and varied postures. Errors were lowest when setting the line to internally specified vertical in the frontal plane and to an oblique line in the horizontal plane when head and trunk orientations were varied. Constant errors for setting one line parallel to a second line were in opposite directions when the second line was located on the left versus right side of the display, but did not differ in direction when setting the line parallel to internally specified axes. Also, the oblique effect was preserved when the head and trunk were tilted to various orientations, suggesting that it results from integration of an internally specified gravitational reference with visual input. We conclude that the visual perceptual coordinate system uses internally specified vertical and, when available, a visually specified horizontal reference axis to define object orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren G Darling
- Department of Exercise, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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27
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Abstract
The present research addresses the question of the "oblique effect" (better discrimination of the vertical orientation than of an oblique orientation) in manual haptic perception of orientations (without visual control) by 5-month-old infants. A familiarization/reaction to novelty procedure was used. The results revealed the occurrence of a haptic oblique effect. These findings are similar to those obtained in infant visual perception. We suggest that 5-month-old infants predominately use vertical orientation as a reference norm to perceive haptically spatial orientations. We discuss the implications of these results for both orientation processing and anatomofunctional level contributing specifically to the haptic oblique effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard Gentaz
- National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratoire Cognition et Développment, France.
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28
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Guerraz M, Blouin J, Vercher JL. From head orientation to hand control: evidence of both neck and vestibular involvement in hand drawing. Exp Brain Res 2003; 150:40-9. [PMID: 12698215 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-003-1411-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2002] [Accepted: 01/22/2003] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This research investigated the effect of head to trunk relation in a sensorimotor drawing task. In the first experiment, seated participants were asked to reproduce with eyes closed geometric shapes (square or diamond) with the tip of their right index finger in the frontoparallel plane. Their head was either aligned with the trunk or tilted 25 degrees towards the left or right shoulder. Results showed that drawings were subjected to an overall rotation of a few degrees in the opposite direction to the tilt. In two subsequent experiments, the respective contribution of both otoliths and neck receptors to this head tilt effect was investigated. In Experiment 2, seated participants kept their head straight but were subjected to 2.5 mA vestibular galvanic stimulation (GVS). Results indicated that GVS induced a small but significant deviation of the drawings towards the anode. Finally, in Experiment 3, subjects performed the drawing task either seated upright (seated condition) or lying on their back (supine condition). Unlike in the seated condition, tilting the head towards the shoulders in a supine posture does not modulate afferents from the otolith stimulation and therefore mainly stimulates neck receptors. Head tilt induced rotations of hand-drawn reproductions in both seated and supine conditions, suggesting a significant contribution of neck afferents in the control of hand motion in space in the absence of vision. Overall the data provided evidence for a strong head-hand linkage during kinaesthetically guided drawing movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Guerraz
- UMR Mouvement and Perception, CNRS et Université de la Méditerranée, 163 avenue de Luminy, Case Postale 910, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France.
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