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Alessia B, Massimiliano P, Laura P. Walking on a minefield: planning, remembering, and avoiding obstacles: preliminary findings. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:1921-1931. [PMID: 35695920 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06391-x] [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: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Travel planning (TP) is a kind of planning devoted to spatial orientation that is distinguishable from general planning (GP). It is crucial to reach a destination, since it allows to select the best route according to the environmental features (e.g., the one with little traffic or the safest). TP is also needed to avoid obstacles along the way and to put in place effective strategies to support navigation. TP involves several cognitive processes, such as visuo-spatial and topographic memory as well as other executive functions (i.e., general planning, cognitive flexibility, problem solving, and divergent thinking) and it is affected by internal factors (such as gender, cognitive strategies, age). Here, we focused on the effects of visuo-spatial (VSWM) and topographic (TWM) working memory on TP, using the Minefield Task (MFT), a new tool aimed at testing TP. We tested VSWM, TWM, GP, and TP in 44 college students. First, we checked for gender differences in all the tasks proposed and then assessed the relation among VSWM, TWM, GP, and TP. Results showed that even though gender difference could be found on TWM, GP, and TP, significative correlations emerged among TP, VSWM, and GP as well as a tendency to significance for VSWM and GP in the regression analyses. Though more evidence is needed, these results suggest that when a brand-new route is computed, GP and VSWM can be the most relevant processes, whereas topographic memory was less involved, probably because the MFT does not require to recall a route from memory. The implications of these results in clinical settings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bocchi Alessia
- Department of Human Neuroscience, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Palmiero Massimiliano
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Piccardi Laura
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, RM, Italy
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2
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Zucchelli MM, Piccardi L, Nori R. The Fear to Move in a Crowded Environment. Poor Spatial Memory Related to Agoraphobic Disorder. Brain Sci 2021; 11:796. [PMID: 34208661 PMCID: PMC8235653 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with agoraphobia exhibit impaired exploratory activity when navigating unfamiliar environments. However, no studies have investigated the contribution of visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in these individuals' ability to acquire and process spatial information while considering the use of egocentric and allocentric coordinates or environments with or without people. A total of 106 individuals (53 with agoraphobia and 53 controls) navigated in a virtual square to acquire spatial information that included the recognition of landmarks and the relationship between landmarks and themselves (egocentric coordinates) and independent of themselves (allocentric coordinates). Half of the participants in both groups navigated in a square without people, and half navigated in a crowded square. They completed a VSWM test in addition to tasks measuring landmark recognition and egocentric and allocentric judgements concerning the explored square. The results showed that individuals with agoraphobia had reduced working memory only when active processing of spatial elements was required, suggesting that they exhibit spatial difficulties particularly in complex spatial tasks requiring them to process information simultaneously. Specifically, VSWM deficits mediated the relationship between agoraphobia and performance in the allocentric judgements. The results are discussed considering the theoretical background of agoraphobia in order to provide useful elements for the early diagnosis of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology Sapienza, University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Nori
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy;
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3
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Goulter JR, Fitzpatrick LE, Crowe SF. An analysis of distinct navigational domains and topographical disorientation syndromes in ABI: A meta-analysis. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2021; 43:449-468. [PMID: 34107843 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2021.1926933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Topographical disorientation is the impairment or inability to successfully navigate in three-dimensional space. Differing topographical disorientation syndromes have been associated with distinct lesion sites in the acquired brain injury (ABI) literature. This meta-analysis attempted to investigate the relationship between lesion location and dysfunctions in specific navigational abilities resulting in topographical disorientation in individuals with ABI, as measured by their performance on experimental and neuropsychological tests. It was expected that focal lesions would be associated with a specific navigational deficit in one ability, with relative sparing of other navigational abilities. Twenty-six papers met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. Results indicated that ABI populations performed worse on all measures of navigation, with moderate to large effect sizes. Dysfunctions in three core navigational skills were consistent with the available lesion studies: a feature/landmark processing unit, a spatial processing unit, and a spatial/feature binding and associative learning unit. A sequential processing model was created to attempt to best represent the transfer of information between these units and the process by which navigational knowledge is generated. The model was then used to assess the validity of existing models of navigation and topographical disorientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel R Goulter
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Lauren E Fitzpatrick
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Simon F Crowe
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
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4
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Abstract
Spatial skills represent an important part of our cognitive processes and have been widely studied in the last decades. The term "spatial skills" includes several abilities, some of them clearly sexually dimorphic. Thus men usually perform better than women in mental rotation and spatial orientation tasks, whereas women outperform men in object location memory tests. Skills like visualization and perception could account for these differences, but they could also be modulated by the cognitive style. Obviously, disease can interfere in certain brain structures underlying learning and memory, thus altering spatial abilities in both genders. In this chapter, spatial skills and sexual dimorphism are briefly reviewed, focusing on processes underlying performance as well as models used to explain how we perceive information from the environment. The chapter also includes references to the brain, providing some cues regarding the anatomic regions underlying some of these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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5
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Piccardi L, Palmiero M, Bocchi A, Boccia M, Guariglia C. How does environmental knowledge allow us to come back home? Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:1811-1820. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05552-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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6
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The way to “left” Piazza del Popolo: damage to white matter tracts in representational neglect for places. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:1720-1729. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9839-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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7
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Boccia M, Rosella M, Vecchione F, Tanzilli A, Palermo L, D'Amico S, Guariglia C, Piccardi L. Enhancing Allocentric Spatial Recall in Pre-schoolers through Navigational Training Programme. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:574. [PMID: 29085278 PMCID: PMC5650605 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike for other abilities, children do not receive systematic spatial orientation training at school, even though navigational training during adulthood improves spatial skills. We investigated whether navigational training programme (NTP) improved spatial orientation skills in pre-schoolers. We administered 12-week NTP to seventeen 4- to 5-year-old children (training group, TG). The TG children and 17 age-matched children (control group, CG) who underwent standard didactics were tested twice before (T0) and after (T1) the NTP using tasks that tap into landmark, route and survey representations. We determined that the TG participants significantly improved their performances in the most demanding navigational task, which is the task that taps into survey representation. This improvement was significantly higher than that observed in the CG, suggesting that NTP fostered the acquisition of survey representation. Such representation is typically achieved by age seven. This finding suggests that NTP improves performance on higher-level navigational tasks in pre-schoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Boccia
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Rosella
- Life, Health and Environmental Science Department, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Tanzilli
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Liana Palermo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Simonetta D'Amico
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Cecilia Guariglia
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Life, Health and Environmental Science Department, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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Abstract
Hierarchical mazes have been used in psychology for more than 100 years. During this time many different maze tasks have been created and used to test.cognitive processes and distinguish personality traits. Some of these mazes seem better than others to test different abilities. This article describes the most important mazes used in psychological research and the most important procedures used with these mazes. More than 20 different hierarchical mazes (including maze sets with more than 1 maze, e.g., those of Porteus and Elithorn) were analyzed and classified to different categories.
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9
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A dedicated system for topographical working memory: evidence from domain-specific interference tests. Exp Brain Res 2015; 233:2489-95. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4320-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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10
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Does spatial locative comprehension predict landmark-based navigation? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0115432. [PMID: 25629814 PMCID: PMC4309642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study we investigated the role of spatial locative comprehension in learning and retrieving pathways when landmarks were available and when they were absent in a sample of typically developing 6- to 11-year-old children. Our results show that the more proficient children are in understanding spatial locatives the more they are able to learn pathways, retrieve them after a delay and represent them on a map when landmarks are present in the environment. These findings suggest that spatial language is crucial when individuals rely on sequences of landmarks to drive their navigation towards a given goal but that it is not involved when navigational representations based on the geometrical shape of the environment or the coding of body movements are sufficient for memorizing and recalling short pathways.
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Palermo L, Ranieri G, Boccia M, Piccardi L, Nemmi F, Guariglia C. Map-following skills in left and right brain-damaged patients with and without hemineglect. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2012; 34:1065-79. [PMID: 23036103 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2012.727385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Palermo L, Ranieri G, Nemmi F, Guariglia C. Cognitive maps in imagery neglect. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:904-12. [PMID: 22310104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2011] [Revised: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Patients with imagery neglect (RI+) show peculiar difficulties in orienting themselves in the environment. Navigational impairments could be due to a deficit in creating or using a mental representation of the environment (Guariglia, Piccardi, Iaria, Nico, & Pizzamiglio, 2005) or, according to the BBB model (Burgess, Becker, King, & O'Keefe, 2001), to a specific deficit in a mechanism that transforms an allocentric representation into an egocentric one and vice versa. Previous studies, however, do not allow discerning between a deficit in forming or in using a cognitive map, taking no notice of the fact that these are two different abilities underlain by different neuroanatomical areas, which could be independently impaired. Furthermore, the BBB model has never been verified in a population of brain-damaged patients. Therefore, we administered two tasks that separately assess the ability to create and use a cognitive map of the environment to 28 right brain-damaged patients (4 patients with imagery neglect and 4 patients with perceptual neglect) and 11 healthy participants. RI+ patients showed no specific deficit in creating or using a cognitive map, but failed to transform an egocentric representation of the environment into an allocentric one and vice versa, as predicted by the BBB model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Palermo
- Dipartimento di Psicologia 39, Sapienza Università di Roma, via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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Palermo L, Piccardi L, Nori R, Giusberti F, Guariglia C. Does hemineglect affect visual mental imagery? Imagery deficits in representational and perceptual neglect. Cogn Neuropsychol 2010; 27:115-33. [PMID: 20721762 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2010.503478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
To give new insight about the relationship between imagery processes and different types of hemispatial neglect, we assessed different mental imagery abilities in a sample of right- and left-brain-damaged patients. Furthermore, because of reports of a mental representation disorder for environments in patients affected by representational neglect we also tested their navigational imagery ability. We found that patients with no signs of perceptual or representational neglect performed flawlessly on our imagery tasks regardless of whether they had left- or right-sided lesions. By contrast, patients affected by neglect failed most of the tests; in particular, representational neglect patients failed one test of mental transformation and tests requiring the manipulation of cognitive maps. These results suggest there is a specific relationship between hemispatial neglect and deficits in visual mental imagery and demonstrate that the right hemisphere plays a specific role in visual mental imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Palermo
- Dipartimento di Psicologia 39, Sapienza Universita di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy
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14
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Guariglia C, Piccardi L. Environmental orientation and navigation in different types of unilateral neglect. Exp Brain Res 2010; 206:163-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-010-2310-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2009] [Accepted: 05/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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