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Szubielska M, Szewczyk M, Augustynowicz P, Kędziora W, Möhring W. Adults' spatial scaling of tactile maps: Insights from studying sighted, early and late blind individuals. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304008. [PMID: 38814897 PMCID: PMC11139347 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The current study investigated spatial scaling of tactile maps among blind adults and blindfolded sighted controls. We were specifically interested in identifying spatial scaling strategies as well as effects of different scaling directions (up versus down) on participants' performance. To this aim, we asked late blind participants (with visual memory, Experiment 1) and early blind participants (without visual memory, Experiment 2) as well as sighted blindfolded controls to encode a map including a target and to place a response disc at the same spot on an empty, constant-sized referent space. Maps had five different sizes resulting in five scaling factors (1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1), allowing to investigate different scaling directions (up and down) in a single, comprehensive design. Accuracy and speed of learning about the target location as well as responding served as dependent variables. We hypothesized that participants who can use visual mental representations (i.e., late blind and blindfolded sighted participants) may adopt mental transformation scaling strategies. However, our results did not support this hypothesis. At the same time, we predicted the usage of relative distance scaling strategies in early blind participants, which was supported by our findings. Moreover, our results suggested that tactile maps can be scaled as accurately and even faster by blind participants than by sighted participants. Furthermore, irrespective of the visual status, participants of each visual status group gravitated their responses towards the center of the space. Overall, it seems that a lack of visual imagery does not impair early blind adults' spatial scaling ability but causes them to use a different strategy than sighted and late blind individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Szubielska
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland
| | - Marta Szewczyk
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Augustynowicz
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Wenke Möhring
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Educational and Health Psychology, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
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Senna I, Piller S, Martolini C, Cocchi E, Gori M, Ernst MO. Multisensory training improves the development of spatial cognition after sight restoration from congenital cataracts. iScience 2024; 27:109167. [PMID: 38414862 PMCID: PMC10897914 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109167] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial cognition and mobility are typically impaired in congenitally blind individuals, as vision usually calibrates space perception by providing the most accurate distal spatial cues. We have previously shown that sight restoration from congenital bilateral cataracts guides the development of more accurate space perception, even when cataract removal occurs years after birth. However, late cataract-treated individuals do not usually reach the performance levels of the typically sighted population. Here, we developed a brief multisensory training that associated audiovisual feedback with body movements. Late cataract-treated participants quickly improved their space representation and mobility, performing as well as typically sighted controls in most tasks. Their improvement was comparable with that of a group of blind participants, who underwent training coupling their movements with auditory feedback alone. These findings suggest that spatial cognition can be enhanced by a training program that strengthens the association between bodily movements and their sensory feedback (either auditory or audiovisual).
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Senna
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
| | - Sophia Piller
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Chiara Martolini
- Unit for Visually Impaired People (U-VIP), Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16152 Genova, Italy
| | - Elena Cocchi
- Istituto David Chiossone per Ciechi ed Ipovedenti ONLUS, 16145 Genova, Italy
| | - Monica Gori
- Unit for Visually Impaired People (U-VIP), Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16152 Genova, Italy
| | - Marc O. Ernst
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
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3
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Rogers LW, Yeebo M, Collerton D, Moseley P, Dudley R. Non-clinical hallucinations and mental imagery across sensory modalities. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2024; 29:87-102. [PMID: 38363282 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2024.2313467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vivid mental imagery has been proposed to increase the likelihood of experiencing hallucinations. Typically, studies have employed a modality general approach to mental imagery which compares imagery across multiple domains (e.g., visual, auditory and tactile) to hallucinations in multiple senses. However, modality specific imagery may be a better predictor of hallucinations in the same domain. The study examined the contribution of imagery to hallucinations in a non-clinical sample and specifically whether imagery best predicted hallucinations at a modality general or modality specific level. METHODS In study one, modality general and modality specific accounts of the imagery-hallucination relationship were contrasted through application of self-report measures in a sample of 434 students. Study two used a subsample (n = 103) to extend exploration of the imagery-hallucinations relationship using a performance-based imagery task. RESULTS A small to moderate modality general relationship was observed between self-report imagery and hallucination proneness. There was only evidence of a modality specific relationship in the tactile domain. Performance-based imagery measures were unrelated to hallucinations and self-report imagery. CONCLUSIONS Mental imagery may act as a modality general process increasing hallucination proneness. The observed distinction between self-report and performance-based imagery highlights the difficulty of accurately measuring internal processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Wilson Rogers
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Mma Yeebo
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Daniel Collerton
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Peter Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Robert Dudley
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK
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Harris JWC, Yildiz GY, Chouinard PA. The role of line-orientation processing in the production of the Poggendorff illusion: A dual-task study. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:2033-2045. [PMID: 36949260 PMCID: PMC10033180 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02660-1] [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] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Using a dual-task paradigm, the present investigation examined whether processes related to line orientation play a critical role in the production of the Poggendorff illusion. In Experiment 1, we assessed the magnitude of the Poggendorff illusion under three different task conditions. In the single-task condition, participants were asked to report how they perceive the alignment of transversal lines in the Poggendorff figure. In two different dual-task conditions, the participants were asked to read aloud the time displayed on a digital or analogue clock while also performing the Poggendorff perception task. The method of constant stimuli was used to calculate the point of subjective equality (PSE) and bistability width values, which represent illusion strength and perceptual uncertainty, respectively. PSEs indicated that the magnitude of the illusion did not vary between single, dual-analogue, and dual-digital task conditions, which suggests that the additional demands placed by the dual tasks had no effect on the illusion strength. Perceptual uncertainty and clock-reading errors were greater in the dual-analogue task condition. Experiment 2 revealed that the analogue clockface was more difficult to read than the digital clockface. Based on these results, we conclude that having participants perform a secondary task does not influence the magnitude of the Poggendorff illusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W C Harris
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - G Y Yildiz
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - P A Chouinard
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
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Ilic K, Bertani R, Lapteva N, Drakatos P, Delogu A, Raheel K, Soteriou M, Mutti C, Steier J, Carmichael DW, Goadsby PJ, Ockelford A, Rosenzweig I. Visuo-spatial imagery in dreams of congenitally and early blind: a systematic review. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1204129. [PMID: 37457556 PMCID: PMC10347682 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1204129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The presence of visual imagery in dreams of congenitally blind people has long been a matter of substantial controversy. We set to systematically review body of published work on the presence and nature of oneiric visuo-spatial impressions in congenitally and early blind subjects across different areas of research, from experimental psychology, functional neuroimaging, sensory substitution, and sleep research. Methods Relevant studies were identified using the following databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO. Results Studies using diverse imaging techniques and sensory substitution devices broadly suggest that the "blind" occipital cortex may be able to integrate non-visual sensory inputs, and thus possibly also generate visuo-spatial impressions. Visual impressions have also been reported by blind subjects who had near-death or out-of-body experiences. Conclusion Deciphering the mechanistic nature of these visual impression could open new possibility in utilization of neuroplasticity and its potential role for treatment of neurodisability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Ilic
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- BRAIN, Imaging Centre, CNS, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Bertani
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Neda Lapteva
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Panagis Drakatos
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessio Delogu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kausar Raheel
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Soteriou
- Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carlotta Mutti
- Department of General and Specialized Medicine, Sleep Disorders Center, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Joerg Steier
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Carmichael
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. Goadsby
- NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s Clinical Research Facility, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Ockelford
- Centre for Learning, Teaching and Human Development, School of Education, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ivana Rosenzweig
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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Marlair C, Pierret E, Crollen V. Geometry intuitions without vision? A study in blind children and adults. Cognition 2021; 216:104861. [PMID: 34333152 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Geometry intuitions seem to be rooted in a non-verbal system that humans possess since early age. However, the mechanisms underlying the comprehension of basic geometric concepts remain elusive. Some authors have suggested that the starting point of geometry development could be found in the visual perception of specific features in our environment, thus conferring to vision a foundational role in the acquisition of geometric skills. To examine this assumption, a test probing intuitive understanding of basic geometric concepts was presented to congenitally blind children and adults. Participants had to detect the intruder among four different shapes, from which three instantiated a specific geometrical concept and one (the intruder) violated it. Although they performed above the chance level, the blind presented poorer performance than the sighted participants who did the task in the visual modality (i.e., with the eyes open), but performed equally well than the sighted who did the task in the tactile modality (i.e., with a blindfold). We therefore provide evidence that geometric abilities are impacted by the lack of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Marlair
- Institute of Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier 10, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Elisa Pierret
- Institute of Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier 10, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Virginie Crollen
- Institute of Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier 10, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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7
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Bläsing B, Zimmermann E. Dance Is More Than Meets the Eye-How Can Dance Performance Be Made Accessible for a Non-sighted Audience? Front Psychol 2021; 12:643848. [PMID: 33935898 PMCID: PMC8085341 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dance is regarded as visual art form by common arts and science perspectives. Definitions of dance as means of communication agree that its message is conveyed by the dancer/choreographer via the human body for the observer, leaving no doubt that dance is performed to be watched. Brain activation elicited by the visual perception of dance has also become a topic of interest in cognitive neuroscience, with regards to action observation in the context of learning, expertise and aesthetics. The view that the aesthetic experience of dance is primarily a visual one is still shared by many artists and cultural institutions, yet there is growing interest in making dance performances accessible for individuals with visual impairment / blindness. Means of supporting the non-visual experience of dance include verbal (audio description), auditive (choreographed body sounds, movement sonification), and haptic (touch tour) techniques, applied for different purposes by artists and researchers, with three main objectives: to strengthen the cultural participation of a non-sighted audience in the cultural and aesthetic experience of dance; to expand the scope of dance as an artistic research laboratory toward novel ways of perceiving what dance can convey; and to inspire new lines of (neuro-cognitive) research beyond watching dance. Reviewing literature from different disciplines and drawing on the personal experience of an inclusive performance of Simon Mayer's "Sons of Sissy," we argue that a non-exclusively visual approach can be enriching and promising for all three perspectives and conclude by proposing hypotheses for multidisciplinary lines of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Bläsing
- Fakultät Rehabilitationswissenschaften, Musik und Bewegung in Rehabilitation und Pädagogik bei Behinderung, Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.,Fakultät für Psychologie und Sportwissenschaft, Neurokognition und Bewegung-Biomechnanik, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Esther Zimmermann
- Institut für Lehrerinnenbildung, Inklusive Pädagogik, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria
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8
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Mizuochi-Endo T, Itou K, Makuuchi M, Kato B, Ikeda K, Nakamura K. Graphomotor memory in Exner's area enhances word learning in the blind. Commun Biol 2021; 4:443. [PMID: 33824412 PMCID: PMC8024258 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01971-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Handwriting is thought to impede vocabulary learning in sighted adults because the motor execution of writing interferes with efficient audiovisual processing during encoding. However, the motor memory of writing may facilitate adult word learning when visual sensory inputs are severely restricted. Using functional MRI, we show that late-blind participants, but not sighted participants, learned novel words by recruiting the left dorsal premotor cortex known as Exner’s writing area and its functional coupling with the left hippocampus. During later recall, the phonological and semantic contents of these words are represented in the activation patterns of the left hippocampus as well as in those of left frontotemporal language areas. These findings suggest that motor codes of handwriting help blind participants maintain word-form representations during learning and retrieval. We propose that such reliance on the motor system reflects a broad architecture of the cerebral language network which encompasses the limb motor system as a hardwired component. Mizuochi-Endo et al. conduct a fMRI study, which reveals that in blind participants, unlike sighted participants, learning new words is associated with increased activity in Exner’s area—a part of the brain known to play a crucial role in handwriting motor memory. This demonstrates the importance of writing motor memory in vocabulary learning in the blind.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kazuyuki Itou
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Michiru Makuuchi
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Baku Kato
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Ikeda
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Kimihiro Nakamura
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan.
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Koustriava E, Papadopoulos K. Mental Rotation Ability of Individuals with Visual Impairments. JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0145482x1010400910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Koustriava
- Department of Educational and Social Policy, University of Macedonia, 156 Egnatia Street, 54006, Thessaloniki, Greece
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10
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de Borst AW, de Gelder B. Mental Imagery Follows Similar Cortical Reorganization as Perception: Intra-Modal and Cross-Modal Plasticity in Congenitally Blind. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:2859-2875. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Cortical plasticity in congenitally blind individuals leads to cross-modal activation of the visual cortex and may lead to superior perceptual processing in the intact sensory domains. Although mental imagery is often defined as a quasi-perceptual experience, it is unknown whether it follows similar cortical reorganization as perception in blind individuals. In this study, we show that auditory versus tactile perception evokes similar intra-modal discriminative patterns in congenitally blind compared with sighted participants. These results indicate that cortical plasticity following visual deprivation does not influence broad intra-modal organization of auditory and tactile perception as measured by our task. Furthermore, not only the blind, but also the sighted participants showed cross-modal discriminative patterns for perception modality in the visual cortex. During mental imagery, both groups showed similar decoding accuracies for imagery modality in the intra-modal primary sensory cortices. However, no cross-modal discriminative information for imagery modality was found in early visual cortex of blind participants, in contrast to the sighted participants. We did find evidence of cross-modal activation of higher visual areas in blind participants, including the representation of specific-imagined auditory features in visual area V4.
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Affiliation(s)
- A W de Borst
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
- Brain and Emotion Lab, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - B de Gelder
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
- Brain and Emotion Lab, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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11
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Rinaldi L, Merabet LB, Vecchi T, Cattaneo Z. The spatial representation of number, time, and serial order following sensory deprivation: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 90:371-380. [PMID: 29746876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The spatial representation of numerical and temporal information is thought to be rooted in our multisensory experiences. Accordingly, we may expect visual or auditory deprivation to affect the way we represent numerical magnitude and time spatially. Here, we systematically review recent findings on how blind and deaf individuals represent abstract concepts such as magnitude and time (e.g., past/future, serial order of events) in a spatial format. Interestingly, available evidence suggests that sensory deprivation does not prevent the spatial "re-mapping" of abstract information, but differences compared to normally sighted and hearing individuals may emerge depending on the specific dimension considered (i.e., numerical magnitude, time as past/future, serial order). Herein we discuss how the study of sensory deprived populations may shed light on the specific, and possibly distinct, mechanisms subserving the spatial representation of these concepts. Furthermore, we pinpoint unresolved issues that need to be addressed by future studies to grasp a full understanding of the spatial representation of abstract information associated with visual and auditory deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Rinaldi
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy; NeuroMI, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy.
| | - Lotfi B Merabet
- The Laboratory for Visual Neuroplasticity, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Tomaso Vecchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Zaira Cattaneo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
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12
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The Spatial Musical Association of Response Codes does not depend on a normal visual experience: A study with early blind individuals. Atten Percept Psychophys 2018; 80:813-821. [DOI: 10.3758/s13414-018-1495-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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13
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Rutkowska I, Lieberman LJ, Bednarczuk G, Molik B, Kazimierska-Kowalewska K, Marszałek J, Gómez-Ruano MÁ. Bilateral Coordination of Children who are Blind. Percept Mot Skills 2016; 122:595-609. [PMID: 27166337 DOI: 10.1177/0031512516636527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bilateral coordination in children and adolescents with visual impairments aged 7 to 18 years in comparison to their sighted peers. An additional objective was to identify the influence of sex and age on bilateral coordination. Seventy-five individuals with congenital severe visual impairment (40 girls and 35 boys) comprised the visually impaired group. The Sighted group comprised 139 youth without visual impairment. Subtest 4 of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency was administered to test bilateral coordination. To analyze the effect of the independent variables in the results obtained in the Subtest 4, four linear regression models were applied according to group and sex. The results indicated that severe visual impairment and lack of visual sensation had a negative effect on the development of participants' bilateral coordination, which however did not depend on sex or age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Rutkowska
- Department of Disability Sport, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Grzegorz Bednarczuk
- Department of Disability Sport, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Molik
- Department of Disability Sport, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Jolanta Marszałek
- Department of Disability Sport, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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14
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Cappagli G, Cocchi E, Gori M. Auditory and proprioceptive spatial impairments in blind children and adults. Dev Sci 2015; 20. [PMID: 26613827 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It is not clear what role visual information plays in the development of space perception. It has previously been shown that in absence of vision, both the ability to judge orientation in the haptic modality and bisect intervals in the auditory modality are severely compromised (Gori, Sandini, Martinoli & Burr, 2010; Gori, Sandini, Martinoli & Burr, 2014). Here we report for the first time also a strong deficit in proprioceptive reproduction and audio distance evaluation in early blind children and adults. Interestingly, the deficit is not present in a small group of adults with acquired visual disability. Our results support the idea that in absence of vision the audio and proprioceptive spatial representations may be delayed or drastically weakened due to the lack of visual calibration over the auditory and haptic modalities during the critical period of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cappagli
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Monica Gori
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
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Bonino D, Ricciardi E, Bernardi G, Sani L, Gentili C, Vecchi T, Pietrini P. Spatial imagery relies on a sensory independent, though sensory sensitive, functional organization within the parietal cortex: a fMRI study of angle discrimination in sighted and congenitally blind individuals. Neuropsychologia 2015; 68:59-70. [PMID: 25575449 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2014] [Revised: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Although vision offers distinctive information to space representation, individuals who lack vision since birth often show perceptual and representational skills comparable to those found in sighted individuals. However, congenitally blind individuals may result in impaired spatial analysis, when engaging in 'visual' spatial features (e.g., perspective or angle representation) or complex spatial mental abilities. In the present study, we measured behavioral and brain responses using functional magnetic resonance imaging in sighted and congenitally blind individuals during spatial imagery based on a modified version of the mental clock task (e.g., angle discrimination) and a simple recognition control condition, as conveyed across distinct sensory modalities: visual (sighted individuals only), tactile and auditory. Blind individuals were significantly less accurate during the auditory task, but comparable-to-sighted during the tactile task. As expected, both groups showed common neural activations in intraparietal and superior parietal regions across visual and non-visual spatial perception and imagery conditions, indicating the more abstract, sensory independent functional organization of these cortical areas, a property that we named supramodality. At the same time, however, comparisons in brain responses and functional connectivity patterns across experimental conditions demonstrated also a functional lateralization, in a way that correlated with the distinct behavioral performance in blind and sighted individuals. Specifically, blind individuals relied more on right parietal regions, mainly in the tactile and less in the auditory spatial processing. In sighted, spatial representation across modalities relied more on left parietal regions. In conclusions, intraparietal and superior parietal regions subserve supramodal spatial representations in sighted and congenitally blind individuals. Differences in their recruitment across non-visual spatial processing in sighted and blind individuals may be related to distinctive behavioral performance and/or mental strategies adopted when they deal with the same spatial representation as conveyed through different sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bonino
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Emiliano Ricciardi
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; MRI Lab, Fondazione "G. Monasterio" Regione Toscana/C.N.R., Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giulio Bernardi
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Sani
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Gentili
- Clinical Psychology Branch, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tomaso Vecchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Brain Connectivity Center, National Neurological Institute C. Mondino, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pietro Pietrini
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Clinical Psychology Branch, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Does blindness affect egocentric and allocentric frames of reference in small and large scale spaces? Behav Brain Res 2014; 273:73-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2014] [Revised: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Eardley AF, Pring L. Sensory Imagery in Individuals who Are Blind and Sighted: Examining Unimodal and Multimodal Forms. JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/0145482x1410800407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Previous research has suggested that visual images are more easily generated, more vivid, and more memorable than other sensory modalities. This research examined whether or not imagery is experienced in similar ways by people with and without sight. Specifically, the imageability of visual, auditory, and tactile cue words was compared. The degree to which images were multimodal or unimodal was also examined. Methods Twelve participants who were totally blind from early infancy and 12 sighted participants generated images in response to 53 sensory and nonsensory words, rating imageability and the sensory modality, and describing images. From these 53 items, 4 subgroups of words that stimulated images that were predominantly visual, tactile, auditory, and low-imagery were created. Results T-tests comparing imageability ratings from blind and sighted participants found no differences for auditory and tactile words (both p > .1). Nevertheless, although participants without sight found auditory and tactile images equally imageable, sighted participants found images in response to tactile cue words harder to generate than visual cue words (mean difference: −0.51, p = .025). Participants with sight were also more likely to develop multisensory images than were participants without sight (both U ≥ 15.0, N1 = 12, N2 = 12, p ≤.008). Discussion For both the blind and sighted groups, auditory and tactile images were rich and varied, and similar language was used. Sighted participants were more likely to generate multimodal images, and this was particularly the case for tactile words. Nevertheless, cue words that resulted in multisensory images were not necessarily rated as more imageable. The discussion considers whether or not multimodal imagery represents a method of compensating for impoverished unimodal imagery. Implications for practitioners Imagery is important not only as a mnemonic in memory rehabilitation, but also in everyday uses for modes such as autobiographical memory. This research emphasizes the importance of not only auditory and tactile sensory imagery, but also spatial imagery for people without sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison F. Eardley
- Senior lecturer, Psychology Department, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Pring
- Emeritus professor, Psychology Department, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, United Kingdom
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Ricciardi E, Handjaras G, Pietrini P. The blind brain: How (lack of) vision shapes the morphological and functional architecture of the human brain. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2014; 239:1414-20. [DOI: 10.1177/1535370214538740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the early days, how we represent the world around us has been a matter of philosophical speculation. Over the last few decades, modern neuroscience, and specifically the development of methodologies for the structural and the functional exploration of the brain have made it possible to investigate old questions with an innovative approach. In this brief review, we discuss the main findings from a series of brain anatomical and functional studies conducted in sighted and congenitally blind individuals by our’s and others' laboratories. Historically, research on the ‘blind brain’ has focused mainly on the cross-modal plastic changes that follow sensory deprivation. More recently, a novel line of research has been developed to determine to what extent visual experience is truly required to achieve a representation of the surrounding environment. Overall, the results of these studies indicate that most of the brain fine morphological and functional architecture is programmed to develop and function independently from any visual experience. Distinct cortical areas are able to process information in a supramodal fashion, that is, independently from the sensory modality that carries that information to the brain. These observations strongly support the hypothesis of a modality-independent, i.e. more abstract, cortical organization, and may contribute to explain how congenitally blind individuals may interact efficiently with an external world that they have never seen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Ricciardi
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dept. of Surgery, Medical, Molecular, and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
- Research Center ‘E. Piaggio’, University of Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giacomo Handjaras
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dept. of Surgery, Medical, Molecular, and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Pietrini
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dept. of Surgery, Medical, Molecular, and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
- Research Center ‘E. Piaggio’, University of Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Branch, Pisa University Hospital, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
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Mind the blind brain to understand the sighted one! Is there a supramodal cortical functional architecture? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 41:64-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Occelli V, Lin JB, Lacey S, Sathian K. Loss of form vision impairs spatial imagery. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:159. [PMID: 24678294 PMCID: PMC3958697 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported inconsistent results when comparing spatial imagery performance in the blind and the sighted, with some, but not all, studies demonstrating deficits in the blind. Here, we investigated the effect of visual status and individual preferences ("cognitive style") on performance of a spatial imagery task. Participants with blindness resulting in the loss of form vision at or after age 6, and age- and gender-matched sighted participants, performed a spatial imagery task requiring memorization of a 4 × 4 lettered matrix and subsequent mental construction of shapes within the matrix from four-letter auditory cues. They also completed the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Scale (SBSoDS) and a self-evaluation of cognitive style. The sighted participants also completed the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ). Visual status affected performance on the spatial imagery task: the blind performed significantly worse than the sighted, independently of the age at which form vision was completely lost. Visual status did not affect the distribution of preferences based on self-reported cognitive style. Across all participants, self-reported verbalizer scores were significantly negatively correlated with accuracy on the spatial imagery task. There was a positive correlation between the SBSoDS score and accuracy on the spatial imagery task, across all participants, indicating that a better sense of direction is related to a more proficient spatial representation and that the imagery task indexes ecologically relevant spatial abilities. Moreover, the older the participants were, the worse their performance was, indicating a detrimental effect of age on spatial imagery performance. Thus, spatial skills represent an important target for rehabilitative approaches to visual impairment, and individual differences, which can modulate performance, should be taken into account in such approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan B Lin
- Department of Neurology, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Simon Lacey
- Department of Neurology, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - K Sathian
- Department of Neurology, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Psychology, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Rehabilitation R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VAMC Decatur, GA, USA
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Pearson DG, Deeprose C, Wallace-Hadrill SMA, Burnett Heyes S, Holmes EA. Assessing mental imagery in clinical psychology: a review of imagery measures and a guiding framework. Clin Psychol Rev 2013; 33:1-23. [PMID: 23123567 PMCID: PMC3545187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Mental imagery is an under-explored field in clinical psychology research but presents a topic of potential interest and relevance across many clinical disorders, including social phobia, schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is currently a lack of a guiding framework from which clinicians may select the domains or associated measures most likely to be of appropriate use in mental imagery research. We adopt an interdisciplinary approach and present a review of studies across experimental psychology and clinical psychology in order to highlight the key domains and measures most likely to be of relevance. This includes a consideration of methods for experimentally assessing the generation, maintenance, inspection and transformation of mental images; as well as subjective measures of characteristics such as image vividness and clarity. We present a guiding framework in which we propose that cognitive, subjective and clinical aspects of imagery should be explored in future research. The guiding framework aims to assist researchers in the selection of measures for assessing those aspects of mental imagery that are of most relevance to clinical psychology. We propose that a greater understanding of the role of mental imagery in clinical disorders will help drive forward advances in both theory and treatment.
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Theurel A, Frileux S, Hatwell Y, Gentaz E. The haptic recognition of geometrical shapes in congenitally blind and blindfolded adolescents: is there a haptic prototype effect? PLoS One 2012; 7:e40251. [PMID: 22761961 PMCID: PMC3386238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been shown that visual geometrical shape categories (rectangle and triangle) are graded structures organized around a prototype as demonstrated by perception and production tasks in adults as well as in children. The visual prototypical shapes are better recognized than other exemplars of the categories. Their existence could emerge from early exposure to these prototypical shapes that are present in our visual environment. The present study examined the role of visual experience in the existence of prototypical shapes by comparing the haptic recognition of geometrical shapes in congenitally blind and blindfolded adolescents. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To determine whether the existence of a prototype effect (higher recognition of prototypical shapes than non prototypical shapes) depended on visual experience, congenitally blind and blindfolded sighted adolescents were asked to recognize in the haptic modality three categories of correct shapes (square, rectangle, triangle) varying in orientation (prototypical/canonical orientation vs. non prototypical/canonical orientation rotated by 45°) among a set of other shapes. A haptic prototype effect was found in the blindfolded sighted whereas no difference between prototypical and non prototypical correct shapes was observed in the congenitally blind. A control experiment using a similar visual recognition task confirmed the existence of a visual prototype effect in a group of sighted adolescents. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE These findings show that the prototype effect is not intrinsic to the haptic modality but depends on visual experience. This suggests that the occurrence of visual and haptic prototypical shapes in the recognition of geometrical shape seems to depend on visual exposure to these prototypical shapes existing in our environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Theurel
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition (UMR CNRS 5105), Université Pierre Mendès-France, Grenoble, France
| | - Stéphanie Frileux
- Institut National Supérieur de Formation et de Recherche pour l'Education des Jeunes Handicapés et les Enseignements Adaptés (INS HEA), Suresnes, France
| | - Yvette Hatwell
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition (UMR CNRS 5105), Université Pierre Mendès-France, Grenoble, France
| | - Edouard Gentaz
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition (UMR CNRS 5105), Université Pierre Mendès-France, Grenoble, France
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Gori M, Tinelli F, Sandini G, Cioni G, Burr D. Impaired visual size-discrimination in children with movement disorders. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:1838-43. [PMID: 22569216 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2011] [Revised: 04/01/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Multisensory integration of spatial information occurs late in childhood, at around eight years (Gori, Del Viva, Sandini, & Burr, 2008). For younger children, the haptic system dominates size discrimination and vision dominates orientation discrimination: the dominance may reflect sensory calibration, and could have direct consequences on children born with specific sensory disabilities. Here we measure thresholds for visual discrimination of orientation and size in children with movement disorders of upper limbs. Visual orientation discrimination was very similar to the age-matched typical children, but visual size discrimination thresholds were far worse, in all eight individuals with early-onset movement disorder. This surprising and counterintuitive result is readily explained by the cross-sensory calibration hypothesis: when the haptic sense is unavailable for manipulation, it cannot be readily used to estimate size, and hence to calibrate the visual experience of size: visual discrimination is subsequently impaired. This complements a previous study showing that non-sighted children have reduced acuity for haptic orientation, but not haptic size, discriminations (Gori, Sandini, Martinoli, & Burr, 2010). Together these studies show that when either vision or haptic manipulation is impaired, the impairment also impacts on complementary sensory systems that are calibrated by that one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gori
- Robotics, Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.
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Ruotolo F, Ruggiero G, Vinciguerra M, Iachini T. Sequential vs simultaneous encoding of spatial information: a comparison between the blind and the sighted. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2012; 139:382-9. [PMID: 22192440 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Revised: 10/06/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this research is to assess whether the crucial factor in determining the characteristics of blind people's spatial mental images is concerned with the visual impairment per se or the processing style that the dominant perceptual modalities used to acquire spatial information impose, i.e. simultaneous (vision) vs sequential (kinaesthesis). Participants were asked to learn six positions in a large parking area via movement alone (congenitally blind, adventitiously blind, blindfolded sighted) or with vision plus movement (simultaneous sighted, sequential sighted), and then to mentally scan between positions in the path. The crucial manipulation concerned the sequential sighted group. Their visual exploration was made sequential by putting visual obstacles within the pathway in such a way that they could not see simultaneously the positions along the pathway. The results revealed a significant time/distance linear relation in all tested groups. However, the linear component was lower in sequential sighted and blind participants, especially congenital. Sequential sighted and congenitally blind participants showed an almost overlapping performance. Differences between groups became evident when mentally scanning farther distances (more than 5m). This threshold effect could be revealing of processing limitations due to the need of integrating and updating spatial information. Overall, the results suggest that the characteristics of the processing style rather than the visual impairment per se affect blind people's spatial mental images.
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Gligorović M, Vučinić V, Eškirović B, Jablan B. The influence of manifest strabismus and stereoscopic vision on non-verbal abilities of visually impaired children. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2011; 32:1852-1859. [PMID: 21536409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2011] [Revised: 03/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/17/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
This research was conducted in order to examine the influence of manifest strabismus and stereoscopic vision on non-verbal abilities of visually impaired children aged between 7 and 15. The sample included 55 visually impaired children from the 1st to the 6th grade of elementary schools for visually impaired children in Belgrade. RANDOT stereotest and polaroid glasses were used for the examination of stereoscopic vision, while Cover test and Hirschberg's pupils reflex test were used for the evaluation of strabismus. In the area of non-verbal abilities was evaluated visual discrimination, visuomotor integration, constructive praxia, visual memory, strategy formation, non-verbal reasoning and the representational dimension of drawings. Subtests of ACADIA test of developmental abilities were used for the evaluation of non-verbal abilities (Atkinson et al., 1972). Statistically significant relations between strabismus and constructive praxia (p=0.009), visual memory (p=0.037), strategy formation (0.040) and the quality of drawings were determined by the results analysis. According to our findings, children with divergent strabismus achieve the best results. Children with stereoscopic vision generally achieve better results in all the examined areas of non-verbal abilities, and statistically significant relations were determined in the areas of visuomotor coordination (0.002), constructive praxia (0.026) and non-verbal reasoning (0.015), which are directly connected to visuospatial abilities. Children with convergent strabismus achieve significantly lower results in the areas of constructive praxia, visual memory, strategy formation and representational dimension of drawings, and children with the lack of stereoscopic vision--in the areas of visuomotor integration, constructive praxia and non-verbal reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Gligorović
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Visokog Stevana 2, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
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Blind individuals show pseudoneglect in bisecting numerical intervals. Atten Percept Psychophys 2011; 73:1021-8. [DOI: 10.3758/s13414-011-0094-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Toroj M, Szubielska M. Prior visual experience, and perception and memory of shape in people with total blindness. BRITISH JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT 2011. [DOI: 10.1177/0264619610387554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the role of prior visual experience for tactile differentiation of object shapes. The study investigated whether people who lost their vision later in life were able to identify and recognize object shapes more accurately and faster than those who were blind from their birth. Four experiments were conducted. The first two were concerned with tactile shape differentiation, the second two with shape recognition. The hypotheses were only partially confirmed. The ‘late’ blind participants distinguished shapes more accurately than the congenitally blind (particularly in ‘simple’ perception tasks). This finding may suggest that people who have prior visual experience use an allocentric strategy when visualizing object shapes in their imagery. The ‘late’ blind participants performed the tasks more slowly than those who were congenitally blind. This may be explained by the complexity of the task, the time needed to create an allocentric representation, and discrepancy in the tactile experiences between the congenitally and late blind groups. A number of implications for further research are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Toroj
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Humanities and Economics in Lodz,
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Gori M, Sandini G, Martinoli C, Burr D. Poor Haptic Orientation Discrimination in Nonsighted Children May Reflect Disruption of Cross-Sensory Calibration. Curr Biol 2010; 20:223-5. [PMID: 20116249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.11.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2009] [Revised: 11/20/2009] [Accepted: 11/21/2009] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Pazzaglia F, Meneghetti C, De Beni R, Gyselinck V. Working memory components in survey and route spatial text processing. Cogn Process 2009; 11:359-69. [DOI: 10.1007/s10339-009-0353-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2009] [Accepted: 12/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Struiksma ME, Noordzij ML, Postma A. What is the link between language and spatial images? Behavioral and neural findings in blind and sighted individuals. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2009; 132:145-56. [PMID: 19457462 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2009.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2008] [Revised: 04/02/2009] [Accepted: 04/17/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to find objects or places in the world, multiple sources of information, such as visual input, auditory input and asking for directions, can help you. These different sources of information can be converged into a spatial image, which represents configurational characteristics of the world. This paper discusses the findings on the nature of spatial images and the role of spatial language in generating these spatial images in both blind and sighted individuals. Congenitally blind individuals have never experienced visual input, yet they are able to perform several tasks traditionally associated with spatial imagery, such as mental scanning, mental pathway completions and mental clock time comparison, though perhaps not always in a similar manner as sighted. Therefore, they offer invaluable insights into the exact nature of spatial images. We will argue that spatial imagery exceeds the input from different input modalities to form an abstract mental representation while maintaining connections with the input modalities. This suggests that the nature of spatial images is supramodal, which can explain functional equivalent results from verbal and perceptual inputs for spatial situations and subtle to moderate behavioral differences between the blind and sighted.
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Fiehler K, Reuschel J, Rösler F. Early non-visual experience influences proprioceptive-spatial discrimination acuity in adulthood. Neuropsychologia 2009; 47:897-906. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2008] [Revised: 12/14/2008] [Accepted: 12/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Cornoldi C, Tinti C, Mammarella IC, Re AM, Varotto D. Memory for an imagined pathway and strategy effects in sighted and in totally congenitally blind individuals. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2009; 130:11-6. [PMID: 19013547 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2008.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2008] [Revised: 09/08/2008] [Accepted: 09/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The literature reports mixed results on the imagery abilities of the blind, at times showing a difference between sighted and blind individuals and at other times similarities. However, the possibility that the results are due to different strategies spontaneously used in performing the imagery tasks has never been systematically studied. A large group of 30 totally congenitally blind (TCB) individuals and a group of 30 sighted individuals matched for gender age and schooling were presented with a mental pathway task on a complex two-dimensional (5 x 5) matrix. After administering the task, participants were interviewed in order to establish the strategy they used. Results showed that both sighted and TCB may use a spatial mental imagery, a verbal or a mixed strategy in carrying out the task. Differences between the groups emerged only when last location and then entire pathway had to be remembered rather than just the last position, and were clearly affected by the type of strategy. Specifically, TCB performed more poorly than the sighted individuals when they used a spatial mental imagery strategy, whereas the two groups had a similar performance with a verbal strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesare Cornoldi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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Haptic orientation perception benefits from visual experience: Evidence from early-blind, late-blind, and sighted people. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 70:1197-206. [DOI: 10.3758/pp.70.7.1197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Postma A, Zuidhoek S, Noordzij ML, Kappers AML. Differences between early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded-sighted people in haptic spatial-configuration learning and resulting memory traces. Perception 2008; 36:1253-65. [PMID: 17972487 DOI: 10.1068/p5441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The roles of visual and haptic experience in different aspects of haptic processing of objects in peripersonal space are examined. In three trials, early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded-sighted individuals had to match ten shapes haptically to the cut-outs in a board as fast as possible. Both blind groups were much faster than the sighted in all three trials. All three groups improved considerably from trial to trial. In particular, the sighted group showed a strong improvement from the first to the second trial. While superiority of the blind remained for speeded matching after rotation of the stimulus frame, coordinate positional-memory scores in a non-speeded free-recall trial showed no significant differences between the groups. Moreover, when assessed with a verbal response, categorical spatial-memory appeared strongest in the late-blind group. The role of haptic and visual experience thus appears to depend on the task aspect tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Postma
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 2, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Keep an eye on your hands: on the role of visual mechanisms in processing of haptic space. Cogn Process 2008; 9:63-8. [PMID: 18196305 PMCID: PMC2254467 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-007-0201-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2007] [Revised: 11/27/2007] [Accepted: 12/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The present paper reviews research on a haptic orientation processing. Central is a task in which a test bar has to be set parallel to a reference bar at another location. Introducing a delay between inspecting the reference bar and setting the test bar leads to a surprising improvement. Moreover, offering visual background information also elevates performance. Interestingly, (congenitally) blind individuals do not or to a weaker extent show the improvement with time, while in parallel to this, they appear to benefit less from spatial imagery processing. Together this strongly points to an important role for visual processing mechanisms in the perception of haptic inputs.
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