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Shayman CS, McCracken MK, Finney HC, Katsanevas AM, Fino PC, Stefanucci JK, Creem-Regehr SH. Effects of older age on visual and self-motion sensory cue integration in navigation. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1277-1289. [PMID: 38548892 PMCID: PMC11111325 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06818-7] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Older adults demonstrate impairments in navigation that cannot be explained by general cognitive and motor declines. Previous work has shown that older adults may combine sensory cues during navigation differently than younger adults, though this work has largely been done in dark environments where sensory integration may differ from full-cue environments. Here, we test whether aging adults optimally combine cues from two sensory systems critical for navigation: vision (landmarks) and body-based self-motion cues. Participants completed a homing (triangle completion) task using immersive virtual reality to offer the ability to navigate in a well-lit environment including visibility of the ground plane. An optimal model, based on principles of maximum-likelihood estimation, predicts that precision in homing should increase with multisensory information in a manner consistent with each individual sensory cue's perceived reliability (measured by variability). We found that well-aging adults (with normal or corrected-to-normal sensory acuity and active lifestyles) were more variable and less accurate than younger adults during navigation. Both older and younger adults relied more on their visual systems than a maximum likelihood estimation model would suggest. Overall, younger adults' visual weighting matched the model's predictions whereas older adults showed sub-optimal sensory weighting. In addition, high inter-individual differences were seen in both younger and older adults. These results suggest that older adults do not optimally weight each sensory system when combined during navigation, and that older adults may benefit from interventions that help them recalibrate the combination of visual and self-motion cues for navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey S Shayman
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1500 E. Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
| | - Maggie K McCracken
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1500 E. Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hunter C Finney
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1500 E. Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Andoni M Katsanevas
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1500 E. Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Peter C Fino
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Jeanine K Stefanucci
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1500 E. Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Sarah H Creem-Regehr
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1500 E. Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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2
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Ruginski I, Giudice N, Creem-Regehr S, Ishikawa T. Designing mobile spatial navigation systems from the user’s perspective: an interdisciplinary review. SPATIAL COGNITION AND COMPUTATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/13875868.2022.2053382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Ruginski
- Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas Giudice
- Spatial Computing program, School of Computing and Information Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME USA
| | | | - Toru Ishikawa
- Department of Information Networking for Innovation and Design (INIAD), Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan
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Hoogsteen KM, Szpiro S, Kreiman G, Peli E. Beyond the Cane: Describing Urban Scenes to Blind People for Mobility Tasks. ACM TRANSACTIONS ON ACCESSIBLE COMPUTING 2022; 15. [DOI: 10.1145/3522757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Blind people face difficulties with independent mobility, impacting employment prospects, social inclusion, and quality of life. Given the advancements in computer vision, with more efficient and effective automated information extraction from visual scenes, it is important to determine what information is worth conveying to blind travelers, especially since people have a limited capacity to receive and process sensory information. We aimed to investigate which objects in a street scene are useful to describe and how those objects should be described. Thirteen cane-using participants, five of whom were early blind, took part in two urban walking experiments. In the first experiment, participants were asked to voice their information needs in the form of questions to the experimenter. In the second experiment, participants were asked to score scene descriptions and navigation instructions, provided by the experimenter, in terms of their usefulness. The descriptions included a variety of objects with various annotations per object. Additionally, we asked participants to rank order the objects and the different descriptions per object in terms of priority and explain why the provided information is or is not useful to them. The results reveal differences between early and late blind participants. Late blind participants requested information more frequently and prioritized information about objects’ locations. Our results illustrate how different factors, such as the level of detail, relative position, and what type of information is provided when describing an object, affected the usefulness of scene descriptions. Participants explained how they (indirectly) used information, but they were frequently unable to explain their ratings. The results distinguish between various types of travel information, underscore the importance of featuring these types at multiple levels of abstraction, and highlight gaps in current understanding of travel information needs. Elucidating the information needs of blind travelers is critical for the development of more useful assistive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karst M.P. Hoogsteen
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarit Szpiro
- Department of Special Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gabriel Kreiman
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Eli Peli
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Creem-Regehr SH, Barhorst-Cates EM, Tarampi MR, Rand KM, Legge GE. How can basic research on spatial cognition enhance the visual accessibility of architecture for people with low vision? COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2021; 6:3. [PMID: 33411062 PMCID: PMC7790979 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-020-00265-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
People with visual impairment often rely on their residual vision when interacting with their spatial environments. The goal of visual accessibility is to design spaces that allow for safe travel for the large and growing population of people who have uncorrectable vision loss, enabling full participation in modern society. This paper defines the functional challenges in perception and spatial cognition with restricted visual information and reviews a body of empirical work on low vision perception of spaces on both local and global navigational scales. We evaluate how the results of this work can provide insights into the complex problem that architects face in the design of visually accessible spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Margaret R Tarampi
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Kristina M Rand
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gordon E Legge
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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5
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Agathos CP, Ramanoël S, Bécu M, Bernardin D, Habas C, Arleo A. Postural Control While Walking Interferes With Spatial Learning in Older Adults Navigating in a Real Environment. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:588653. [PMID: 33281600 PMCID: PMC7689348 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.588653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive demands for postural control increase with aging and cognitive-motor interference (CMI) exists for a number of walking situations, especially with visuo-spatial cognitive tasks. Such interference also influences spatial learning abilities among older adults; however, this is rarely considered in research on aging in spatial navigation. We posited that visually and physically exploring an unknown environment may be subject to CMI for older adults. We investigated potential indicators of postural control interfering with spatial learning. Given known associations between age-related alterations in gait and brain structure, we also examined potential neuroanatomical correlates of this interference. Fourteen young and 14 older adults had to find an invisible goal in an unfamiliar, real, ecological environment. We measured walking speed, trajectory efficiency (direct route over taken route) and goal fixations (proportion of visual fixations toward the goal area). We calculated the change in walking speed between the first and last trials and adaptation indices for all three variables to quantify their modulation across learning trials. All participants were screened with a battery of visuo-cognitive tests. Eighteen of our participants (10 young, 8 older) also underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. Older adults reduced their walking speed considerably on the first, compared to the last trial. The adaptation index of walking speed correlated positively with those of trajectory efficiency and goal fixations, indicating a reduction in resource sharing between walking and encoding the environment. The change in walking speed correlated negatively with gray matter volume in superior parietal and occipital regions and the precuneus. We interpret older adults’ change in walking speed as indicative of CMI, similar to dual task costs. This is supported by the correlations between the adaptation indices and between the change in walking speed and gray matter volume in brain regions that are important for navigation, given that they are involved in visual attention, sensory integration and encoding of space. These findings under ecological conditions in a natural spatial learning task question what constitutes dual tasking in older adults and they can lead future research to reconsider the actual cognitive burden of postural control in aging navigation research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen Ramanoël
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France.,University of Côte d'Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France
| | - Marcia Bécu
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Bernardin
- Vision Sciences Department, Essilor International R&D, Paris, France.,Essilor Canada Ltd., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Angelo Arleo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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6
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Qiu X, Wen L, Wu C, Yang Z, Wang Q, Li H, Wang D. Impact of Learning Methods on Spatial Knowledge Acquisition. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1322. [PMID: 32612561 PMCID: PMC7308434 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the acquisition of spatial knowledge not only enriches our understanding of the theory of spatial knowledge representation but also creates practical value for the application of spatial knowledge. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of different learning methods on the acquisition of spatial knowledge, including the role of 2D maps, the difference between physical interaction and virtual interaction, and whether passive learning can replace active learning in virtual environments. One experiment was conducted, in which landmark knowledge and configurational knowledge were measured. Results indicate that 2D maps play a supporting role in acquiring both landmark knowledge and configurational knowledge. In addition, physical learning was associated with better spatial knowledge representation compared with virtual learning. An analysis of observational data in the third comparison found no significant difference between passive learning and active learning using virtual street view maps. However, with high-quality learning materials, passive learning can contribute to the acquisition of spatial knowledge more efficiently than active learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohe Qiu
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lala Wen
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Changxu Wu
- Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Zhen Yang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qijun Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongting Li
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Duming Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
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7
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Does active learning benefit spatial memory during navigation with restricted peripheral field? Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 82:3033-3047. [PMID: 32346822 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-020-02038-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Spatial learning of real-world environments is impaired with severely restricted peripheral field of view (FOV). In prior research, the effects of restricted FOV on spatial learning have been studied using passive learning paradigms - learners walk along pre-defined paths and are told the location of targets to be remembered. Our research has shown that mobility demands and environmental complexity may contribute to impaired spatial learning with restricted FOV through attentional mechanisms. Here, we examine the role of active navigation, both in locomotion and in target search. First, we compared effects of active versus passive locomotion (walking with a physical guide versus being pushed in a wheelchair) on a task of pointing to remembered targets in participants with simulated 10° FOV. We found similar performance between active and passive locomotion conditions in both simpler (Experiment 1) and more complex (Experiment 2) spatial learning tasks. Experiment 3 required active search for named targets to remember while navigating, using both a mild and a severe FOV restriction. We observed no difference in pointing accuracy between the two FOV restrictions but an increase in attentional demands with severely restricted FOV. Experiment 4 compared active and passive search with severe FOV restriction, within subjects. We found no difference in pointing accuracy, but observed an increase in cognitive load in active versus passive search. Taken together, in the context of navigating with restricted FOV, neither locomotion method nor level of active search affected spatial learning. However, the greater cognitive demands could have counteracted the potential advantage of the active learning conditions.
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Stites MC, Matzen LE, Gastelum ZN. Where are we going and where have we been? Examining the effects of maps on spatial learning in an indoor guided navigation task. COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2020; 5:13. [PMID: 32198712 PMCID: PMC7083990 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-020-00213-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards inspectors are faced with the difficult task of learning the layout of complex nuclear facilities while being escorted through the facilities. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding how to best support the development of inspectors' spatial knowledge, given the constraint that they cannot bring digital devices into most nuclear facilities. We tested whether viewing a map before learning a guided route or carrying a map along the route enabled better spatial learning than having no exposure to a map. Moreover, we tested the impact of carrying maps with different levels of detail (simple 2D, simple 3D, or complex 2D maps) on spatial learning outcomes, as well as interactions between map type and individual differences in sense of direction. RESULTS The results showed nearly opposite patterns of performance for participants with good and poor sense of direction scores. Participants with a good sense of direction showed higher levels of spatial knowledge when studying or carrying simple maps, whether 2D or 3D, but they did not benefit from using a complex map. Participants with a poor sense of direction showed lower levels of spatial knowledge when using a simple map relative to using no map or a complex map, suggesting that they did not attempt to use the complex map. For both groups of participants, referring to a simple map while learning a route decreased their awareness of their environment, as measured by response times on a memory test that included incidentally learned items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory C Stites
- Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185-0152, USA.
| | - Laura E Matzen
- Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185-0152, USA
| | - Zoe N Gastelum
- Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185-0152, USA
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9
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Santoro I, Murgia M, Sors F, Agostini T. The Influence of the Encoding Modality on Spatial Navigation for Sighted and Late-Blind People. Multisens Res 2020; 33:505-520. [PMID: 31648190 DOI: 10.1163/22134808-20191431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
People usually rely on sight to encode spatial information, becoming aware of other sensory cues when deprived of vision. In the absence of vision, it has been demonstrated that physical movements and spatial descriptions can effectively provide the spatial information that is necessary for the construction of an adequate spatial mental model. However, no study has previously compared the influence of these encoding modalities on complex movements such as human spatial navigation within real room-size environments. Thus, we investigated whether the encoding of a spatial layout through verbal cues - that is, spatial description - and motor cues - that is, physical exploration of the environment - differently affect spatial navigation within a real room-size environment, by testing blindfolded sighted (Experiment 1) and late-blind (Experiment 2) participants. Our results reveal that encoding the environment through physical movement is more effective than through verbal descriptions in supporting active navigation. Thus, our findings are in line with the studies claiming that the physical exploration of an environment enhances the development of a global spatial representation and improves spatial updating. From an applied perspective, the present results suggest that it might be possible to improve the experience for visually impaired people within a new environment by allowing them to explore it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Santoro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Mauro Murgia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Sors
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tiziano Agostini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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Barhorst-Cates EM, Rand KM, Creem-Regehr SH. Navigating with peripheral field loss in a museum: learning impairments due to environmental complexity. COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2019; 4:41. [PMID: 31641893 PMCID: PMC6805832 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-019-0189-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background Previous research has found that spatial learning while navigating in novel spaces is impaired with extreme restricted peripheral field of view (FOV) (remaining FOV of 4°, but not of 10°) in an indoor environment with long hallways and mostly orthogonal turns. Here we tested effects of restricted peripheral field on a similar real-world spatial learning task in an art museum, a more challenging environment for navigation because of valuable obstacles and unpredictable paths, in which participants were guided along paths through the museum and learned the locations of pieces of art. At the end of each path, participants pointed to the remembered landmarks. Throughout the spatial learning task, participants completed a concurrent auditory reaction time task to measure cognitive load. Results Unlike the previous study in a typical hallway environment, spatial learning was impaired with a simulated 10° FOV compared to a wider 60° FOV, as indicated by greater average pointing error with restricted FOV. Reaction time to the secondary task also revealed slower responses, suggesting increased attentional demands. Conclusions We suggest that the presence of a spatial learning deficit in the current experiment with this level of FOV restriction is due to the complex and unpredictable paths traveled in the museum environment. Our results also convey the importance of the study of low-vision spatial cognition in irregularly structured environments that are representative of many real-world settings, which may increase the difficulty of spatial learning while navigating.
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11
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Lemieux CL, Collin CA, Watier NN. Gender differences in metacognitive judgments and performance on a goal-directed wayfinding task. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2019.1625905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Pigeon C, Li T, Moreau F, Pradel G, Marin-Lamellet C. Cognitive load of walking in people who are blind: Subjective and objective measures for assessment. Gait Posture 2019; 67:43-49. [PMID: 30278391 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although walking without vision seems to carry a high cognitive cost, few studies have measured the cognitive load involved in this activity in blind people. The aim of this study was to assess the cognitive load of walking in blind people, using gait analysis, a dual task paradigm and a subjective assessment of cognitive load. METHODS In a quantitative quasi-experimental design, 25 blind adults walked 40 meters. In one trial, participants walked normally (control condition). In another, they walked while performing an auditory simple reaction time task, and in the third trial they walked, performed the simple reaction time task and avoided obstacles. In addition to the simple reaction time task performance, walking speed was recorded, and participants provided a subjective assessment of cognitive load after each trial. Performance of participants aged less than 60 years were compared with those aged over than 60 years. RESULTS Walking significantly reduced performance of the simple reaction time task; carrying out the simple reaction time task while walking significantly reduced walking performance and increased the subjective assessment of cognitive load; and simple reaction time task performance decreased and subjective assessment increased when obstacles were present. Few significant age effects were found. SIGNIFICANCE Walking without vision involves a cognitive load that increases when the environment becomes complex. Each of the three methods used is relevant when assessing the cognitive load involved in walking in blind people, and could be useful in rehabilitation intervention. The results obtained allowed recommendations to be suggested for the design of technological mobility devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Pigeon
- Univ Lyon, IFSTTAR, TS2, LESCOT, F-69675, 25 Avenue François Mitterrand, 69500, Bron, France.
| | - Tong Li
- U1179End:icap UVSQ INSERM CHU Raymond Poincaré APHP, 104 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, 92380, Garches, France
| | - Fabien Moreau
- Univ Lyon, IFSTTAR, TS2, LESCOT, F-69675, 25 Avenue François Mitterrand, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Gilbert Pradel
- U1179End:icap UVSQ INSERM CHU Raymond Poincaré APHP, 104 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, 92380, Garches, France; ENS Cachan, 61 Avenue du Président Wilson, 94230, France
| | - Claude Marin-Lamellet
- Univ Lyon, IFSTTAR, TS2, LESCOT, F-69675, 25 Avenue François Mitterrand, 69500, Bron, France
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13
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Going the distance and beyond: simulated low vision increases perception of distance traveled during locomotion. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 83:1349-1362. [PMID: 29680863 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-018-1019-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In a series of experiments, we tested the hypothesis that severely degraded viewing conditions during locomotion distort the perception of distance traveled. Some research suggests that there is little-to-no systematic error in perceiving closer distances from a static viewpoint with severely degraded acuity and contrast sensitivity (which we will refer to as blur). However, several related areas of research-extending across domains of perception, attention, and spatial learning-suggest that degraded acuity and contrast sensitivity would affect estimates of distance traveled during locomotion. In a first experiment, we measured estimations of distance traveled in a real-world locomotion task and found that distances were overestimated with blur compared to normal vision using two measures: verbal reports and visual matching (Experiments 1 a, b, and c). In Experiment 2, participants indicated their estimate of the length of a previously traveled path by actively walking an equivalent distance in a viewing condition that either matched their initial path (e.g., blur/blur) or did not match (e.g., blur/normal). Overestimation in blur was found only when participants learned the path in blur and made estimates in normal vision (not in matched blur learning/judgment trials), further suggesting a reliance on dynamic visual information in estimates of distance traveled. In Experiment 3, we found evidence that perception of speed is similarly affected by the blur vision condition, showing an overestimation in perception of speed experienced in wheelchair locomotion during blur compared to normal vision. Taken together, our results demonstrate that severely degraded acuity and contrast sensitivity may increase people's tendency to overestimate perception of distance traveled, perhaps because of an increased perception of speed of self-motion.
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14
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Barhorst-Cates EM, Rand KM, Creem-Regehr SH. Let me be your guide: physical guidance improves spatial learning for older adults with simulated low vision. Exp Brain Res 2017; 235:3307-3317. [PMID: 28803374 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-017-5063-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring one's safety during low vision navigation demands limited attentional resources which may impair spatial learning of the environment. In studies of younger adults, we have shown that these mobility monitoring demands can be alleviated, and spatial learning subsequently improved, via the presence of a physical guide during navigation. The present study extends work with younger adults to an older adult sample with simulated low vision. We test the effect of physical guidance on improving spatial learning as well as general age-related changes in navigation ability. Participants walked with and without a physical guide on novel real-world paths in an indoor environment and pointed to remembered target locations. They completed concurrent measures of cognitive load on the trials. Results demonstrate an improvement in learning under low vision conditions with a guide compared to walking without a guide. However, our measure of cognitive load did not vary between guidance conditions. We also conducted a cross-age comparison and found support for age-related declines in spatial learning generally and greater effects of physical guidance with increasing age.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristina M Rand
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
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15
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Barhorst-Cates EM, Rand KM, Creem-Regehr SH. The Effects of Restricted Peripheral Field-of-View on Spatial Learning while Navigating. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163785. [PMID: 27760150 PMCID: PMC5070841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work with simulated reductions in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity has found decrements in survey spatial learning as well as increased attentional demands when navigating, compared to performance with normal vision. Given these findings, and previous work showing that peripheral field loss has been associated with impaired mobility and spatial memory for room-sized spaces, we investigated the role of peripheral vision during navigation using a large-scale spatial learning paradigm. First, we aimed to establish the magnitude of spatial memory errors at different levels of field restriction. Second, we tested the hypothesis that navigation under these different levels of restriction would use additional attentional resources. Normally sighted participants walked on novel real-world paths wearing goggles that restricted the field-of-view (FOV) to severe (15°, 10°, 4°, or 0°) or mild angles (60°) and then pointed to remembered target locations using a verbal reporting measure. They completed a concurrent auditory reaction time task throughout each path to measure cognitive load. Only the most severe restrictions (4° and blindfolded) showed impairment in pointing error compared to the mild restriction (within-subjects). The 10° and 4° conditions also showed an increase in reaction time on the secondary attention task, suggesting that navigating with these extreme peripheral field restrictions demands the use of limited cognitive resources. This comparison of different levels of field restriction suggests that although peripheral field loss requires the actor to use more attentional resources while navigating starting at a less extreme level (10°), spatial memory is not negatively affected until the restriction is very severe (4°). These results have implications for understanding of the mechanisms underlying spatial learning during navigation and the approaches that may be taken to develop assistance for navigation with visual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica M Barhorst-Cates
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Kristina M Rand
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Sarah H Creem-Regehr
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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Legge GE, Gage R, Baek Y, Bochsler TM. Indoor Spatial Updating with Reduced Visual Information. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150708. [PMID: 26943674 PMCID: PMC4778963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Spatial updating refers to the ability to keep track of position and orientation while moving through an environment. People with impaired vision may be less accurate in spatial updating with adverse consequences for indoor navigation. In this study, we asked how artificial restrictions on visual acuity and field size affect spatial updating, and also judgments of the size of rooms. Methods Normally sighted young adults were tested with artificial restriction of acuity in Mild Blur (Snellen 20/135) and Severe Blur (Snellen 20/900) conditions, and a Narrow Field (8°) condition. The subjects estimated the dimensions of seven rectangular rooms with and without these visual restrictions. They were also guided along three-segment paths in the rooms. At the end of each path, they were asked to estimate the distance and direction to the starting location. In Experiment 1, the subjects walked along the path. In Experiment 2, they were pushed in a wheelchair to determine if reduced proprioceptive input would result in poorer spatial updating. Results With unrestricted vision, mean Weber fractions for room-size estimates were near 20%. Severe Blur but not Mild Blur yielded larger errors in room-size judgments. The Narrow Field was associated with increased error, but less than with Severe Blur. There was no effect of visual restriction on estimates of distance back to the starting location, and only Severe Blur yielded larger errors in the direction estimates. Contrary to expectation, the wheelchair subjects did not exhibit poorer updating performance than the walking subjects, nor did they show greater dependence on visual condition. Discussion If our results generalize to people with low vision, severe deficits in acuity or field will adversely affect the ability to judge the size of indoor spaces, but updating of position and orientation may be less affected by visual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon E. Legge
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Rachel Gage
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Yihwa Baek
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Tiana M. Bochsler
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
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