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Décaillet M, Denervaud S, Huguenin-Virchaux C, Besuchet L, Fischer Fumeaux CJ, Murray MM, Schneider J. The impact of premature birth on auditory-visual processes in very preterm schoolchildren. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:42. [PMID: 38971881 PMCID: PMC11227572 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00257-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between stimuli from different sensory modalities and their integration are central to daily life, contributing to improved perception. Being born prematurely and the subsequent hospitalization can have an impact not only on sensory processes, but also on the manner in which information from different senses is combined-i.e., multisensory processes. Very preterm (VPT) children (<32 weeks gestational age) present impaired multisensory processes in early childhood persisting at least through the age of five. However, it remains largely unknown whether and how these consequences persist into later childhood. Here, we evaluated the integrity of auditory-visual multisensory processes in VPT schoolchildren. VPT children (N = 28; aged 8-10 years) received a standardized cognitive assessment and performed a simple detection task at their routine follow-up appointment. The simple detection task involved pressing a button as quickly as possible upon presentation of an auditory, visual, or simultaneous audio-visual stimulus. Compared to full-term (FT) children (N = 23; aged 6-11 years), reaction times of VPT children were generally slower and more variable, regardless of sensory modality. Nonetheless, both groups exhibited multisensory facilitation on mean reaction times and inter-quartile ranges. There was no evidence that standardized cognitive or clinical measures correlated with multisensory gains of VPT children. However, while gains in FT children exceeded predictions based on probability summation and thus forcibly invoked integrative processes, this was not the case for VPT children. Our findings provide evidence of atypical multisensory profiles in VPT children persisting into school-age. These results could help in targeting supportive interventions for this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Décaillet
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Solange Denervaud
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cléo Huguenin-Virchaux
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laureline Besuchet
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline J Fischer Fumeaux
- Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Micah M Murray
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Schneider
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Ampollini S, Ardizzi M, Ferroni F, Cigala A. Synchrony perception across senses: A systematic review of temporal binding window changes from infancy to adolescence in typical and atypical development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105711. [PMID: 38729280 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105711] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Sensory integration is increasingly acknowledged as being crucial for the development of cognitive and social abilities. However, its developmental trajectory is still little understood. This systematic review delves into the topic by investigating the literature about the developmental changes from infancy through adolescence of the Temporal Binding Window (TBW) - the epoch of time within which sensory inputs are perceived as simultaneous and therefore integrated. Following comprehensive searches across PubMed, Elsevier, and PsycInfo databases, only experimental, behavioral, English-language, peer-reviewed studies on multisensory temporal processing in 0-17-year-olds have been included. Non-behavioral, non-multisensory, and non-human studies have been excluded as those that did not directly focus on the TBW. The selection process was independently performed by two Authors. The 39 selected studies involved 2859 participants in total. Findings indicate a predisposition towards cross-modal asynchrony sensitivity and a composite, still unclear, developmental trajectory, with atypical development associated to increased asynchrony tolerance. These results highlight the need for consistent and thorough research into TBW development to inform potential interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ampollini
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Borgo Carissimi, 10, Parma 43121, Italy.
| | - Martina Ardizzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39E, Parma 43121, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferroni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39E, Parma 43121, Italy
| | - Ada Cigala
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Borgo Carissimi, 10, Parma 43121, Italy
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Park D, Kim W, Park C, Choi J, Ghorai A, Lee G, Choi S, Moon W, Jeong U. Interactive Deformable Colored Sound Display Achieved with Electrostrictive Fluoropolymer and Halide Perovskite. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2402281. [PMID: 39031625 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202402281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
The association of color and sound helps human cognition through a synergetic effect like intersensory facilitation. Although soft human-machine interfaces (HMIs) providing unisensory expression have been widely developed, achieving synchronized optic and acoustic expression in one device system has been relatively less explored. It is because their operating principles are different in terms of materials, and implementation has mainly been attempted through structural approaches. Here, a deformable sound display is developed that generates multiple colored lights with large sound at low input voltage. The device is based on alternating-current electroluminescence (ACEL) covered with perovskite composite films. A sound wave is created by a polymer matrix of the ACEL, while simultaneously, various colors are produced by the perovskite films and the blue electroluminescence (EL) emitted from the phosphors in the ACEL. By patterning different colored perovskite films onto the ACELs, associating the color and the sound is successfully demonstrated by a piano keyboard and a wearable interactive device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doowon Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Woongji Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Chaeyong Park
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Arup Ghorai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Gilwoon Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungmoon Choi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonkyu Moon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Unyong Jeong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
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Scheller M, Nardini M. Correctly establishing evidence for cue combination via gains in sensory precision: Why the choice of comparator matters. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2842-2858. [PMID: 37730934 PMCID: PMC11133123 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Studying how sensory signals from different sources (sensory cues) are integrated within or across multiple senses allows us to better understand the perceptual computations that lie at the foundation of adaptive behaviour. As such, determining the presence of precision gains - the classic hallmark of cue combination - is important for characterising perceptual systems, their development and functioning in clinical conditions. However, empirically measuring precision gains to distinguish cue combination from alternative perceptual strategies requires careful methodological considerations. Here, we note that the majority of existing studies that tested for cue combination either omitted this important contrast, or used an analysis approach that, unknowingly, strongly inflated false positives. Using simulations, we demonstrate that this approach enhances the chances of finding significant cue combination effects in up to 100% of cases, even when cues are not combined. We establish how this error arises when the wrong cue comparator is chosen and recommend an alternative analysis that is easy to implement but has only been adopted by relatively few studies. By comparing combined-cue perceptual precision with the best single-cue precision, determined for each observer individually rather than at the group level, researchers can enhance the credibility of their reported effects. We also note that testing for deviations from optimal predictions alone is not sufficient to ascertain whether cues are combined. Taken together, to correctly test for perceptual precision gains, we advocate for a careful comparator selection and task design to ensure that cue combination is tested with maximum power, while reducing the inflation of false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Scheller
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
| | - Marko Nardini
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
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Nava E, Giraud M, Bolognini N. The emergence of the multisensory brain: From the womb to the first steps. iScience 2024; 27:108758. [PMID: 38230260 PMCID: PMC10790096 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The becoming of the human being is a multisensory process that starts in the womb. By integrating spontaneous neuronal activity with inputs from the external world, the developing brain learns to make sense of itself through multiple sensory experiences. Over the past ten years, advances in neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques have allowed the exploration of the neural correlates of multisensory processing in the newborn and infant brain, thus adding an important piece of information to behavioral evidence of early sensitivity to multisensory events. Here, we review recent behavioral and neuroimaging findings to document the origins and early development of multisensory processing, particularly showing that the human brain appears naturally tuned to multisensory events at birth, which requires multisensory experience to fully mature. We conclude the review by highlighting the potential uses and benefits of multisensory interventions in promoting healthy development by discussing emerging studies in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Nava
- Department of Psychology & Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Michelle Giraud
- Department of Psychology & Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology & Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Glica A, Wasilewska K, Kossowski B, Żygierewicz J, Jednoróg K. Sex Differences in Low-Level Multisensory Integration in Developmental Dyslexia. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0944232023. [PMID: 38050156 PMCID: PMC10860626 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0944-23.2023] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading acquisition involves the integration of auditory and visual stimuli. Thus, low-level audiovisual multisensory integration might contribute to disrupted reading in developmental dyslexia. Although dyslexia is more frequently diagnosed in males and emerging evidence indicates that the neural basis of dyslexia might differ between sexes, previous studies examining multisensory integration did not evaluate potential sex differences nor tested its neural correlates. In the current study on 88 adolescents and young adults, we found that only males with dyslexia showed a deficit in multisensory integration of simple nonlinguistic stimuli. At the neural level, both females and males with dyslexia presented smaller differences in response to multisensory compared to those in response to unisensory conditions in the N1 and N2 components (early components of event-related potentials associated with sensory processing) than the control group. Additionally, in a subsample of 80 participants matched for nonverbal IQ, only males with dyslexia exhibited smaller differences in the left hemisphere in response to multisensory compared to those in response to unisensory conditions in the N1 component. Our study indicates that deficits of multisensory integration seem to be more severe in males than females with dyslexia. This provides important insights into sex-modulated cognitive processes that might confer vulnerability to reading difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Glica
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Wasilewska
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kossowski
- Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
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Morelli F, Schiatti L, Cappagli G, Martolini C, Gori M, Signorini S. Clinical assessment of the TechArm system on visually impaired and blind children during uni- and multi-sensory perception tasks. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1158438. [PMID: 37332868 PMCID: PMC10272406 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1158438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed the TechArm system as a novel technological tool intended for visual rehabilitation settings. The system is designed to provide a quantitative assessment of the stage of development of perceptual and functional skills that are normally vision-dependent, and to be integrated in customized training protocols. Indeed, the system can provide uni- and multisensory stimulation, allowing visually impaired people to train their capability of correctly interpreting non-visual cues from the environment. Importantly, the TechArm is suitable to be used by very young children, when the rehabilitative potential is maximal. In the present work, we validated the TechArm system on a pediatric population of low-vision, blind, and sighted children. In particular, four TechArm units were used to deliver uni- (audio or tactile) or multi-sensory stimulation (audio-tactile) on the participant's arm, and subject was asked to evaluate the number of active units. Results showed no significant difference among groups (normal or impaired vision). Overall, we observed the best performance in tactile condition, while auditory accuracy was around chance level. Also, we found that the audio-tactile condition is better than the audio condition alone, suggesting that multisensory stimulation is beneficial when perceptual accuracy and precision are low. Interestingly, we observed that for low-vision children the accuracy in audio condition improved proportionally to the severity of the visual impairment. Our findings confirmed the TechArm system's effectiveness in assessing perceptual competencies in sighted and visually impaired children, and its potential to be used to develop personalized rehabilitation programs for people with visual and sensory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Morelli
- Developmental Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lucia Schiatti
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, United States
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Giulia Cappagli
- Developmental Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Chiara Martolini
- Developmental Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Monica Gori
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Sabrina Signorini
- Developmental Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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Alhamdan AA, Murphy MJ, Pickering HE, Crewther SG. The Contribution of Visual and Auditory Working Memory and Non-Verbal IQ to Motor Multisensory Processing in Elementary School Children. Brain Sci 2023; 13:270. [PMID: 36831812 PMCID: PMC9953899 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although cognitive abilities have been shown to facilitate multisensory processing in adults, the development of cognitive abilities such as working memory and intelligence, and their relationship to multisensory motor reaction times (MRTs), has not been well investigated in children. Thus, the aim of the current study was to explore the contribution of age-related cognitive abilities in elementary school-age children (n = 75) aged 5-10 years, to multisensory MRTs in response to auditory, visual, and audiovisual stimuli, and a visuomotor eye-hand co-ordination processing task. Cognitive performance was measured on classical working memory tasks such as forward and backward visual and auditory digit spans, and the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM test of nonverbal intelligence). Bayesian Analysis revealed decisive evidence for age-group differences across grades on visual digit span tasks and RCPM scores but not on auditory digit span tasks. The results also showed decisive evidence for the relationship between performance on more complex visually based tasks, such as difficult items of the RCPM and visual digit span, and multisensory MRT tasks. Bayesian regression analysis demonstrated that visual WM digit span tasks together with nonverbal IQ were the strongest unique predictors of multisensory processing. This suggests that the capacity of visual memory rather than auditory processing abilities becomes the most important cognitive predictor of multisensory MRTs, and potentially contributes to the expected age-related increase in cognitive abilities and multisensory motor processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areej A. Alhamdan
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia
| | - Melanie J. Murphy
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Hayley E. Pickering
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Sheila G. Crewther
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
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Wu J, Peng J, Li Z, Deng H, Huang Z, He Y, Tu J, Cao L, Huang J. Multi-domain computerized cognitive training for children with intellectual developmental disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1059889. [PMID: 36698581 PMCID: PMC9868813 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1059889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To verify the effects of multi-domain computerized cognitive training on intellectual function and adaptive functioning in children with intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). Methods Children with IDD were randomized to a multi-domain computerized cognitive training (CCT) group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30). Both groups received a 5-week training program. Intellectual function was assessed by Chinese-Wechsler Young Children scale (C-WYCSI) and adaptive functioning was assessed by the Chinese Vineland Adaptive Behavior Rating Scale (VABS-C), which were used at baseline, post-training, and 3-month follow-up. Results There were significant differences for intellectual function and adaptive functioning between the two groups. The CCT group showed significant improvements in total full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) score the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (F[60] = 31.97, p < 0.01) and its subdomain VIQ score (F[60] = 33.83, p < 0.01). For adaptive functioning, CCT had a better adaptive developmental quotient (ADQ) score (F[60] = 28.05, p < 0.01), and subdomain communication (F[60] = 10.86, p < 0.01) and socialization scores (F[60] = 4.35, p < 0.015). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between FSIQ changes and ADQ changes in the CCT group (rs = 0.74, p < 0.01). A greater increase in VIQ score was associated with a greater increase in adaptive functioning (bootstrapping CI: [0.16, 3.30]) in the CCT group. Conclusion Multi-domain CCT improves the intellectual function and adaptive functioning of children with IDD.
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Li J, Deng SW. Facilitation and interference effects of the multisensory context on learning: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 87:1334-1352. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01733-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Alhamdan AA, Murphy MJ, Crewther SG. Age-related decrease in motor contribution to multisensory reaction times in primary school children. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:967081. [PMID: 36158624 PMCID: PMC9493199 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.967081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional measurement of multisensory facilitation in tasks such as speeded motor reaction tasks (MRT) consistently show age-related improvement during early childhood. However, the extent to which motor function increases with age and hence contribute to multisensory motor reaction times in young children has seldom been examined. Thus, we aimed to investigate the contribution of motor development to measures of multisensory (auditory, visual, and audiovisual) and visuomotor processing tasks in three young school age groups of children (n = 69) aged (5-6, n = 21; 7-8, n = 25.; 9-10 n = 18 years). We also aimed to determine whether age-related sensory threshold times for purely visual inspection time (IT) tasks improved significantly with age. Bayesian results showed decisive evidence for age-group differences in multisensory MRT and visuo-motor processing tasks, though the evidence showed that threshold time for visual identification IT performance was only slower in the youngest age group children (5-6) compared to older groups. Bayesian correlations between performance on the multisensory MRT and visuo-motor processing tasks indicated moderate to decisive evidence in favor of the alternative hypothesis (BF10 = 4.71 to 91.346), though not with the threshold IT (BF10 < 1.35). This suggests that visual sensory system development in children older than 6 years makes a less significant contribution to the measure of multisensory facilitation, compared to motor development. In addition to this main finding, multisensory facilitation of MRT within race-model predictions was only found in the oldest group of children (9-10), supporting previous suggestions that multisensory integration is likely to continue into late childhood/early adolescence at least.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areej A. Alhamdan
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Melanie J. Murphy
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheila G. Crewther
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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12
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The relationship between multisensory associative learning and multisensory integration. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108336. [PMID: 35872233 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Integrating sensory information from multiple modalities leads to more precise and efficient perception and behaviour. The process of determining which sensory information should be perceptually bound is reliant on both low-level stimulus features, as well as multisensory associations learned throughout development based on the statistics of our environment. Here, we explored the relationship between multisensory associative learning and multisensory integration using encephalography (EEG) and behavioural measures. Sixty-one participants completed a three-phase study. First, participants were exposed to novel audiovisual shape-tone pairings with frequent and infrequent stimulus pairings and complete a target detection task. EEG recordings of the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3 were calculated as neural indices of multisensory associative learning. Next, the same learned stimulus pairs were presented in audiovisual as well as unisensory auditory and visual modalities while both early (<120 ms) and late neural indices of multisensory integration were recorded. Finally, participants completed an analogous behavioural speeded-response task, with behavioural indices of multisensory gain calculated using the Race Model. Significant relationships were found in fronto-central and occipital areas between neural measures of associative learning and both early and late indices of multisensory integration in frontal and centro-parietal areas, respectively. Participants who showed stronger indices of associative learning also exhibited stronger indices of multisensory integration of the stimuli they learned to associate. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between neural index of early multisensory integration and behavioural indices of multisensory gain. These results provide insight into the neural underpinnings of how higher-order processes such as associative learning guide multisensory integration.
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13
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Developing the Rationale for Including Virtual Reality in Cognitive Rehabilitation and Exercise Training Approaches for Managing Cognitive Dysfunction in MS. NEUROSCI 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/neurosci3020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a common and detrimental consequence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and current rehabilitation methods are insufficient. Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) and exercise training (ET) are the most promising behavioral approaches to mitigate cognitive deficits, but effects are small and do not effectively translate to improvements in everyday function. This article presents a conceptual framework supporting the use of virtual reality (VR) as an ideal, common adjuvant traditional CR and ET in MS. VR could strengthen the effects of CR and ET by increasing sensory input and promoting multisensory integration and processing during rehabilitation. For ET specifically, VR can also help incorporate components of CR into exercise sessions. In addition, VR can enhance the transfer of cognitive improvements to everyday functioning by providing a more ecologically valid training environment. There is a clear interest in adding VR to traditional rehabilitation techniques for neurological populations, a stronger body of evidence of this unique approach is needed in MS. Finally, to better understand how to best utilize VR in rehabilitation for cognitive deficits in MS, more systematic research is needed to better understand the mechanism(s) of action of VR with CR and ET.
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Hirst RJ, Cassarino M, Kenny RA, Newell FN, Setti A. Urban and rural environments differentially shape multisensory perception in ageing. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2022; 29:197-212. [PMID: 33427038 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2020.1859084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that the lived environment can affect cognition across the lifespan. We examined, in a large cohort of older adults (n = 3447), whether susceptibility to a multisensory illusion, the Sound-Induced Flash Illusion (SIFI), was influenced by the reported urbanity of current and childhood (at age 14 years) residence. If urban environments help to shape healthy perceptual function, we predicted reduced SIFI susceptibility in urban dwellers. Participants reporting urban, compared with rural, childhood residence were less susceptible to SIFI at longer Stimulus-Onset Asynchronies (SOAs). Those currently residing in urban environments were more susceptible to SIFI at longer SOAs, particularly if they scored low on general cognitive function. These findings held even when controlling for a several covariates, such as age, sex, education, social participation and cognitive ability. Exposure to urban environments in childhood may influence individual differences in perception and offer a multisensory perceptual benefit in older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Hirst
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marica Cassarino
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Rose Anne Kenny
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Mercer Institute for Successful Ageing, St. James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fiona N Newell
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Annalisa Setti
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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15
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Turoman N, Tivadar RI, Retsa C, Maillard AM, Scerif G, Matusz PJ. The development of attentional control mechanisms in multisensory environments. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100930. [PMID: 33561691 PMCID: PMC7873372 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Outside the laboratory, people need to pay attention to relevant objects that are typically multisensory, but it remains poorly understood how the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms develop. We investigated when adult-like mechanisms controlling one's attentional selection of visual and multisensory objects emerge across childhood. Five-, 7-, and 9-year-olds were compared with adults in their performance on a computer game-like multisensory spatial cueing task, while 129-channel EEG was simultaneously recorded. Markers of attentional control were behavioural spatial cueing effects and the N2pc ERP component (analysed traditionally and using a multivariate electrical neuroimaging framework). In behaviour, adult-like visual attentional control was present from age 7 onwards, whereas multisensory control was absent in all children groups. In EEG, multivariate analyses of the activity over the N2pc time-window revealed stable brain activity patterns in children. Adult-like visual-attentional control EEG patterns were present age 7 onwards, while multisensory control activity patterns were found in 9-year-olds (albeit behavioural measures showed no effects). By combining rigorous yet naturalistic paradigms with multivariate signal analyses, we demonstrated that visual attentional control seems to reach an adult-like state at ∼7 years, before adult-like multisensory control, emerging at ∼9 years. These results enrich our understanding of how attention in naturalistic settings develops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Turoman
- The LINE (Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology), Department of Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Information Systems Institute at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO Valais), Sierre, 3960, Switzerland; Working Memory, Cognition and Development lab, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ruxandra I Tivadar
- The LINE (Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology), Department of Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Cognitive Computational Neuroscience group, Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Chrysa Retsa
- The LINE (Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology), Department of Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne M Maillard
- Service des Troubles du Spectre de l'Autisme et apparentés, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gaia Scerif
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Pawel J Matusz
- The LINE (Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology), Department of Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Information Systems Institute at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO Valais), Sierre, 3960, Switzerland; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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16
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The development of visuotactile congruency effects for sequences of events. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 207:105094. [PMID: 33714049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sensitivity to the temporal coherence of visual and tactile signals increases perceptual reliability and is evident during infancy. However, it is not clear how, or whether, bidirectional visuotactile interactions change across childhood. Furthermore, no study has explored whether viewing a body modulates how children perceive visuotactile sequences of events. Here, children aged 5-7 years (n = 19), 8 and 9 years (n = 21), and 10-12 years (n = 24) and adults (n = 20) discriminated the number of target events (one or two) in a task-relevant modality (touch or vision) and ignored distractors (one or two) in the opposing modality. While participants performed the task, an image of either a hand or an object was presented. Children aged 5-7 years and 8 and 9 years showed larger crossmodal interference from visual distractors when discriminating tactile targets than the converse. Across age groups, this was strongest when two visual distractors were presented with one tactile target, implying a "fission-like" crossmodal effect (perceiving one event as two events). There was no influence of visual context (viewing a hand or non-hand image) on visuotactile interactions for any age group. Our results suggest robust interference from discontinuous visual information on tactile discrimination of sequences of events during early and middle childhood. These findings are discussed with respect to age-related changes in sensory dominance, selective attention, and multisensory processing.
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17
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Sensory capability and information integration independently explain the cognitive status of healthy older adults. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22437. [PMID: 33384454 PMCID: PMC7775431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80069-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is evidence that sensory processing and multisensory integration change with age, links between these alterations and their relation to cognitive status remain unclear. In this study, we assessed sensory thresholds and performance of healthy younger and older adults in a visuotactile delayed match-to-sample task. Using Bayesian structural equation modelling (BSEM), we explored the factors explaining cognitive status in the group of older adults. Additionally, we applied transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to a parieto-central network found to underlie visuotactile interactions and working memory matching in our previous work. Response times and signal detection measures indicated enhanced multisensory integration and enhanced benefit from successful working memory matching in older adults. Further, tACS caused a frequency-specific speeding (20 Hz) and delaying (70 Hz) of responses. Data exploration suggested distinct underlying factors for sensory acuity and sensitivity d’ on the one side, and multisensory and working memory enhancement on the other side. Finally, BSEM showed that these two factors labelled ‘sensory capability’ and ‘information integration’ independently explained cognitive status. We conclude that sensory decline and enhanced information integration might relate to distinct processes of ageing and discuss a potential role of the parietal cortex in mediating augmented integration in older adults.
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18
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Multisensory Perception, Verbal, Visuo-spatial and Motor Working Memory Modulation After a Single Open- or Closed-Skill Exercise Session in Children. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-020-00189-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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19
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Maitre NL, Key AP, Slaughter JC, Yoder PJ, Neel ML, Richard C, Wallace MT, Murray MM. Neonatal Multisensory Processing in Preterm and Term Infants Predicts Sensory Reactivity and Internalizing Tendencies in Early Childhood. Brain Topogr 2020; 33:586-599. [PMID: 32785800 PMCID: PMC7429553 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-020-00791-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Multisensory processes include the capacity to combine information from the different senses, often improving stimulus representations and behavior. The extent to which multisensory processes are an innate capacity or instead require experience with environmental stimuli remains debated. We addressed this knowledge gap by studying multisensory processes in prematurely born and full-term infants. We recorded 128-channel event-related potentials (ERPs) from a cohort of 55 full-term and 61 preterm neonates (at an equivalent gestational age) in response to auditory, somatosensory, and combined auditory-somatosensory multisensory stimuli. Data were analyzed within an electrical neuroimaging framework, involving unsupervised topographic clustering of the ERP data. Multisensory processing in full-term infants was characterized by a simple linear summation of responses to auditory and somatosensory stimuli alone, which furthermore shared common ERP topographic features. We refer to the ERP topography observed in full-term infants as "typical infantile processing" (TIP). In stark contrast, preterm infants exhibited non-linear responses and topographies less-often characterized by TIP; there were distinct patterns of ERP topographies to multisensory and summed unisensory conditions. We further observed that the better TIP characterized an infant's ERPs, independently of prematurity, the more typical was the score on the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP) at 12 months of age and the less likely was the child to the show internalizing tendencies at 24 months of age. Collectively, these results highlight striking differences in the brain's responses to multisensory stimuli in children born prematurely; differences that relate to later sensory and internalizing functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie L Maitre
- Center for Perinatal Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Way, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.
| | - Alexandra P Key
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James C Slaughter
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Paul J Yoder
- Department of Special Education, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mary Lauren Neel
- Center for Perinatal Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Céline Richard
- Center for Perinatal Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Departments of Psychology and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Micah M Murray
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Department of Radiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Sensory, Perceptual, and Cognitive Neuroscience Section, Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM) of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Fondation Asile des aveugles and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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