1
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Davidson MJ, Verstraten FAJ, Alais D. Walking modulates visual detection performance according to stride cycle phase. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2027. [PMID: 38453900 PMCID: PMC10920920 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45780-4] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Walking is among our most frequent and natural of voluntary behaviours, yet the consequences of locomotion upon perceptual and cognitive function remain largely unknown. Recent work has highlighted that although walking feels smooth and continuous, critical phases exist within each step for the successful coordination of perceptual and motor function. Here, we test whether these phasic demands impact upon visual perception, by assessing performance in a visual detection task during natural unencumbered walking. We finely sample visual performance over the stride cycle as participants walk along a smooth linear path at a comfortable speed in a wireless virtual reality environment. At the group-level, accuracy, reaction times, and response likelihood show strong oscillations, modulating at approximately 2 cycles per stride (~2 Hz) with a marked phase of optimal performance aligned with the swing phase of each step. At the participant level, Bayesian inference of population prevalence reveals highly prevalent oscillations in visual detection performance that cluster in two idiosyncratic frequency ranges (2 or 4 cycles per stride), with a strong phase alignment across participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David Alais
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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2
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Emanuele M, D'Ausilio A, Koch G, Fadiga L, Tomassini A. Scale-invariant changes in corticospinal excitability reflect multiplexed oscillations in the motor output. J Physiol 2024; 602:205-222. [PMID: 38059677 DOI: 10.1113/jp284273] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the absence of disease, humans produce smooth and accurate movement trajectories. Despite such 'macroscopic' aspect, the 'microscopic' structure of movements reveals recurrent (quasi-rhythmic) discontinuities. To date, it is unclear how the sensorimotor system contributes to the macroscopic and microscopic architecture of movement. Here, we investigated how corticospinal excitability changes in relation to microscopic fluctuations that are naturally embedded within larger macroscopic variations in motor output. Participants performed a visuomotor tracking task. In addition to the 0.25 Hz modulation that is required for task fulfilment (macroscopic scale), the motor output shows tiny but systematic fluctuations at ∼2 and 8 Hz (microscopic scales). We show that motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during task performance are consistently modulated at all (time) scales. Surprisingly, MEP modulation covers a similar range at both micro- and macroscopic scales, even though the motor output differs by several orders of magnitude. Thus, corticospinal excitability finely maps the multiscale temporal patterning of the motor output, but it does so according to a principle of scale invariance. These results suggest that corticospinal excitability indexes a relatively abstract level of movement encoding that may reflect the hierarchical organisation of sensorimotor processes. KEY POINTS: Motor behaviour is organised on multiple (time)scales. Small but systematic ('microscopic') fluctuations are engrained in larger and slower ('macroscopic') variations in motor output, which are instrumental in deploying the desired motor plan. Corticospinal excitability is modulated in relation to motor fluctuations on both macroscopic and microscopic (time)scales. Corticospinal excitability obeys a principle of scale invariance, that is, it is modulated similarly at all (time)scales, possibly reflecting hierarchical mechanisms that optimise motor encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Emanuele
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- IRCSS Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
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3
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Cha O, Blake R. Procedure for extracting temporal structure embedded within psychophysical data. Behav Res Methods 2023:10.3758/s13428-023-02282-3. [PMID: 37993671 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02282-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The idea that mental events unfold over time with an intrinsically paced regularity has a long history within experimental psychology, and it has gained traction from the actual measurement of brain rhythms evident in EEG signals recorded from the human brain and from direct recordings of action potentials and local field potentials within the nervous systems of nonhumans. The weak link in this idea, however, is the challenge of extracting signatures of this temporal structure from behavioral measures. Because there is nothing in the seamless stream of conscious awareness that belies rhythmic modulations in sensitivity or mental acuity, one must deploy inferential strategies for extracting evidence for the existence of temporal regularities in neural activity. We have devised a parametric procedure for analysis of temporal structure embedded in behaviorally measured data comprising durations. We confirm that this procedure, dubbed PATS, achieves comparable results to those obtained using spectral analysis, and that it outperforms conventional spectral analysis when analyzing human response time data containing just a few hundred data points per condition. PATS offers an efficient, sensitive means for bridging the gap between oscillations identified neurophysiologically and estimates of rhythmicity embedded within durations measured behaviorally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oakyoon Cha
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, 02844, Republic of Korea.
| | - Randolph Blake
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
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4
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Pomper U, Ansorge U. Motor-induced oscillations in choice response performance. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14172. [PMID: 36040756 PMCID: PMC10078311 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Recently, numerous studies have revealed 4-12 Hz fluctuations of behavioral performance in a multitude of tasks. The majority has utilized stimuli near detection threshold and observed related fluctuations in hit-rates, attributing these to perceptual or attentional processes. As neural oscillations in the 8-20 Hz range also feature prominently in cortical motor areas, they might cause fluctuations in the ability to induce responses, independent of attentional capabilities. Additionally, different effectors (e.g., the left versus right hand) might be cyclically prioritized in an alternating fashion, similar to the attentional sampling of distinct locations, objects, or memory templates. Here, we investigated these questions via a behavioral dense-sampling approach. Twenty-six participants performed a simple visual discrimination task using highly salient stimuli. We varied the interval between each motor response and the subsequent target from 330 to 1040 ms, and analyzed performance as a function of this interval. Our data show significant fluctuations of both RTs and sensitivity between 12.5 and 25 Hz, but no evidence for an alternating prioritization of left- versus right-hand responses. While our results suggest an impact of motor-related signals on performance oscillations, they might additionally be influenced by perceptual processes earlier in the processing hierarchy. In summary, we demonstrate that behavioral oscillations generalize to situations involving highly salient stimuli, closer to everyday life. Moreover, our work adds to the literature by showing fluctuations at a high speed, which might be a consequence of both low task difficulty and the involvement of sensorimotor rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Pomper
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Ansorge
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Cognitive Science Research Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Research Platform Mediatised Lifeworlds, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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5
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Contemori G, Oletto CM, Cessa R, Marini E, Ronconi L, Battaglini L, Bertamini M. Investigating the role of the foveal cortex in peripheral object discrimination. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19952. [PMID: 36402850 PMCID: PMC9675757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23720-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral object discrimination is hindered by a central dynamic mask presented between 150 and 300 ms after stimulus onset. The mask is thought to interfere with task-relevant feedback coming from higher visual areas to the foveal cortex in V1. Fan et al. (2016) supported this hypothesis by showing that the effect of mask can be further delayed if the task requires mental manipulation of the peripheral target. The main purpose of this study was to better characterize the temporal dynamics of foveal feedback. Specifically, in two experiments we have shown that (1) the effect of foveal noise mask is sufficiently robust to be replicated in an online data collection (2) in addition to a change in sensitivity the mask affects also the criterion, which becomes more conservative; (3) the expected dipper function for sensitivity approximates a quartic with a global minimum at 94 ms, while the best fit for criterion is a quintic with a global maximum at 174 ms; (4) the power spectrum analysis of perceptual oscillations in sensitivity data shows a cyclic effect of mask at 3 and 12 Hz. Overall, our results show that foveal noise affects sensitivity in a cyclic manner, with a global dip emerging earlier than previously found. The noise also affects the response bias, even though with a different temporal profile. We, therefore, suggest that foveal noise acts on two distinct feedback mechanisms, a faster perceptual feedback followed by a slower cognitive feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Cessa
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Marini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Bertamini
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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6
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Tomassini A, Laroche J, Emanuele M, Nazzaro G, Petrone N, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. Interpersonal synchronization of movement intermittency. iScience 2022; 25:104096. [PMID: 35372806 PMCID: PMC8971945 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most animal species group together and coordinate their behavior in quite sophisticated manners for mating, hunting, or defense purposes. In humans, coordination at a macroscopic level (the pacing of movements) is evident both in daily life (e.g., walking) and skilled (e.g., music and dance) behaviors. By examining the fine structure of movement, we here show that interpersonal coordination is established also at a microscopic – submovement – level. Natural movements appear as marked by recurrent (2–3 Hz) speed breaks, i.e., submovements, that are traditionally considered the result of intermittency in (visuo)motor feedback-based control. In a series of interpersonal coordination tasks, we show that submovements produced by interacting partners are not independent but alternate tightly over time, reflecting online mutual adaptation. These findings unveil a potential core mechanism for behavioral coordination that is based on between-persons synchronization of the intrinsic dynamics of action-perception cycles. Movements show intermittent speed pulses occurring at 2–3 Hz, called submovements Submovements are actively coordinated in counter-phase by interacting partners Submovements coordination depends on spatial alignment but not movement congruency Behavioral coordination occurs both at macro- and microscopic movement scales
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Julien Laroche
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Emanuele
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nazzaro
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Nicola Petrone
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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7
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Putative rhythms in attentional switching can be explained by aperiodic temporal structure. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1280-1291. [PMID: 35680992 PMCID: PMC9489532 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The neural and perceptual effects of attention were traditionally assumed to be sustained over time, but recent work suggests that covert attention rhythmically switches between objects at 3-8 Hz. Here I use simulations to demonstrate that the analysis approaches commonly used to test for rhythmic oscillations generate false positives in the presence of aperiodic temporal structure. I then propose two alternative analyses that are better able to discriminate between periodic and aperiodic structure in time series. Finally, I apply these alternative analyses to published datasets and find no evidence for behavioural rhythms in attentional switching after accounting for aperiodic temporal structure. The techniques presented here will help clarify the periodic and aperiodic dynamics of perception and of cognition more broadly.
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8
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Jia J, Fan Y, Luo H. Alpha-Band Phase Modulates Bottom-up Feature Processing. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1260-1268. [PMID: 34411242 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies reveal that attention operates in a rhythmic manner, that is, sampling each location or feature alternatively over time. However, most evidence derives from top-down tasks, and it remains elusive whether bottom-up processing also entails dynamic coordination. Here, we developed a novel feature processing paradigm and combined time-resolved behavioral measurements and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to address the question. Specifically, a salient color in a multicolor display serves as a noninformative cue to capture attention and presumably reset the oscillations of feature processing. We then measured the behavioral performance of a probe stimulus associated with either high- or low-salient color at varied temporal lags after the cue. First, the behavioral results (i.e., reaction time) display an alpha-band (~8 Hz) profile with a consistent phase lag between high- and low-salient conditions. Second, simultaneous EEG recordings show that behavioral performance is modulated by the phase of alpha-band neural oscillation at the onset of the probes. Finally, high- and low-salient probes are associated with distinct preferred phases of alpha-band neural oscillations. Taken together, our behavioral and neural results convergingly support a central function of alpha-band rhythms in feature processing, that is, features with varied saliency levels are processed at different phases of alpha neural oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Jia
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders of Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Ying Fan
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huan Luo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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9
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Benedetto A, Binda P, Costagli M, Tosetti M, Morrone MC. Predictive visuo-motor communication through neural oscillations. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3401-3408.e4. [PMID: 34111403 PMCID: PMC8360767 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms coordinating action and perception over time are poorly understood. The sensory cortex needs to prepare for upcoming changes contingent on action, and this requires temporally precise communication that takes into account the variable delays between sensory and motor processing. Several theorists1,2 have proposed synchronization of the endogenous oscillatory activity observed in most regions of the brain3 as the basis for an efficient and flexible communication protocol between distal brain areas,2,4 a concept known as "communication through coherence." Synchronization of endogenous oscillations5,6 occurs after a salient sensory stimulus, such as a flash or a sound,7-11 and after a voluntary action,12-18 and this directly impacts perception, causing performance to oscillate rhythmically over time. Here we introduce a novel fMRI paradigm to probe the neural sources of oscillations, based on the concept of perturbative signals, which overcomes the low temporal resolution of BOLD signals. The assumption is that a synchronized endogenous rhythm will modulate cortical excitability rhythmically, which should be reflected in the BOLD responses to brief stimuli presented at different phases of the oscillation cycle. We record rhythmic oscillations of V1 BOLD synchronized by a simple voluntary action, in phase with behaviorally measured oscillations in visual sensitivity in the theta range. The functional connectivity between V1 and M1 also oscillates at the same rhythm. By demonstrating oscillatory temporal coupling between primary motor and sensory cortices, our results strongly implicate communication through coherence to achieve precise coordination and to encode sensory-motor timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Benedetto
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Binda
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Costagli
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Sciences (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy; Laboratory of Medical Physics and Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michela Tosetti
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; Imago 7 Research Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Laboratory of Medical Physics and Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
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10
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Michel R, Dugué L, Busch NA. Distinct contributions of alpha and theta rhythms to perceptual and attentional sampling. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:3025-3039. [PMID: 33609313 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that visual perception operates in an oscillatory fashion at an alpha frequency (around 10 Hz). Moreover, visual attention also seems to operate rhythmically, albeit at a theta frequency (around 5 Hz). Both rhythms are often associated to "perceptual snapshots" taken at the favorable phases of these rhythms. However, less is known about the unfavorable phases: do they constitute "blind gaps," requiring the observer to guess, or is information sampled with reduced precision insufficient for the task demands? As simple detection or discrimination tasks cannot distinguish these options, we applied a continuous report task by asking for the exact orientation of a Landolt ring's gap to estimate separate model parameters for precision and the amount of guessing. We embedded this task in a well-established psychophysical protocol by densely sampling such reports across 20 cue-target stimulus onset asynchronies in a Posner-like cueing paradigm manipulating involuntary spatial attention. Testing the resulting time courses of the guessing and precision parameters for rhythmicities using a fast Fourier transform, we found an alpha rhythm (9.6 Hz) in precision for invalidly cued trials and a theta rhythm (4.8 Hz) in the guess rate across validity conditions. These results suggest distinct roles of the perceptual alpha and the attentional theta rhythm. We speculate that both rhythms result in environmental sampling characterized by fluctuating spatial resolution, speaking against a strict succession of blind gaps and perceptual snapshots.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Michel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Laura Dugué
- Université de Paris, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Niko A Busch
- Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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11
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Ho HT, Burr DC, Alais D, Morrone MC. Propagation and update of auditory perceptual priors through alpha and theta rhythms. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:3083-3099. [PMID: 33559266 PMCID: PMC9543013 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15141] [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: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
To maintain a continuous and coherent percept over time, the brain makes use of past sensory information to anticipate forthcoming stimuli. We recently showed that auditory experience of the immediate past is propagated through ear-specific reverberations, manifested as rhythmic fluctuations of decision bias at alpha frequencies. Here, we apply the same time-resolved behavioural method to investigate how perceptual performance changes over time under conditions of stimulus expectation and to examine the effect of unexpected events on behaviour. As in our previous study, participants were required to discriminate the ear-of-origin of a brief monaural pure tone embedded in uncorrelated dichotic white noise. We manipulated stimulus expectation by increasing the target probability in one ear to 80%. Consistent with our earlier findings, performance did not remain constant across trials, but varied rhythmically with delay from noise onset. Specifically, decision bias showed a similar oscillation at ~9 Hz, which depended on ear congruency between successive targets. This suggests rhythmic communication of auditory perceptual history occurs early and is not readily influenced by top-down expectations. In addition, we report a novel observation specific to infrequent, unexpected stimuli that gave rise to oscillations in accuracy at ~7.6 Hz one trial after the target occurred in the non-anticipated ear. This new behavioural oscillation may reflect a mechanism for updating the sensory representation once a prediction error has been detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Tam Ho
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - David C Burr
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Institute of Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy
| | - David Alais
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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12
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Bell J, Burr DC, Crookes K, Morrone MC. Perceptual Oscillations in Gender Classification of Faces, Contingent on Stimulus History. iScience 2020; 23:101573. [PMID: 33083740 PMCID: PMC7527710 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception is a proactive ‘‘predictive’’ process, in which the brain takes advantage of past experience to make informed guesses about the world to test against sensory data. Here we demonstrate that in the judgment of the gender of faces, beta rhythms play an important role in communicating perceptual experience. Observers classified in forced choice as male or female, a sequence of face stimuli, which were physically constructed to be male or female or androgynous (equal morph). Classification of the androgynous stimuli oscillated rhythmically between male and female, following a complex waveform comprising 13.5 and 17 Hz. Parsing the trials based on the preceding stimulus showed that responses to androgynous stimuli preceded by male stimuli oscillated reliably at 17 Hz, whereas those preceded by female stimuli oscillated at 13.5 Hz. These results suggest that perceptual priors for face perception from recent perceptual memory are communicated through frequency-coded beta rhythms. Perception is strongly influenced by prior expectations and perceptual experience We show perceptual priors for face perception are communicated through beta rhythms Priors for male and female are communicated via distinct beta frequencies
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Bell
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - David C Burr
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50139 Florence, Italy.,School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Brennan MacCallum Building A18, Manning Road, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Kate Crookes
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.,School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Dr Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56123 Pisa, Italy
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13
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Tomassini A, Maris E, Hilt P, Fadiga L, D’Ausilio A. Visual detection is locked to the internal dynamics of cortico-motor control. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000898. [PMID: 33079930 PMCID: PMC7598921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Movements overtly sample sensory information, making sensory analysis an active-sensing process. In this study, we show that visual information sampling is not just locked to the (overt) movement dynamics but to the internal (covert) dynamics of cortico-motor control. We asked human participants to perform continuous isometric contraction while detecting unrelated and unpredictable near-threshold visual stimuli. The motor output (force) shows zero-lag coherence with brain activity (recorded via electroencephalography) in the beta-band, as previously reported. In contrast, cortical rhythms in the alpha-band systematically forerun the motor output by 200 milliseconds. Importantly, visual detection is facilitated when cortico-motor alpha (not beta) synchronization is enhanced immediately before stimulus onset, namely, at the optimal phase relationship for sensorimotor communication. These findings demonstrate an ongoing coupling between visual sampling and motor control, suggesting the operation of an internal and alpha-cycling visuomotor loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Tomassini
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Eric Maris
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognition (DCC), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pauline Hilt
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Ferrara, Italy
- Università di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Chirurgico Specialistiche, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D’Ausilio
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Ferrara, Italy
- Università di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Chirurgico Specialistiche, Ferrara, Italy
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14
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Bauer AKR, Debener S, Nobre AC. Synchronisation of Neural Oscillations and Cross-modal Influences. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:481-495. [PMID: 32317142 PMCID: PMC7653674 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
At any given moment, we receive multiple signals from our different senses. Prior research has shown that signals in one sensory modality can influence neural activity and behavioural performance associated with another sensory modality. Recent human and nonhuman primate studies suggest that such cross-modal influences in sensory cortices are mediated by the synchronisation of ongoing neural oscillations. In this review, we consider two mechanisms proposed to facilitate cross-modal influences on sensory processing, namely cross-modal phase resetting and neural entrainment. We consider how top-down processes may further influence cross-modal processing in a flexible manner, and we highlight fruitful directions for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Katharina R Bauer
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain and Cognition Lab, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - Stefan Debener
- Department of Psychology, Neuropsychology Lab, Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All, University of Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain and Cognition Lab, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, UK
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15
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Benedetto A, Morrone MC. Visual sensitivity and bias oscillate phase-locked to saccadic eye movements. J Vis 2019; 19:15. [DOI: 10.1167/19.14.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Benedetto
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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16
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Ho HT, Burr DC, Alais D, Morrone MC. Auditory Perceptual History Is Propagated through Alpha Oscillations. Curr Biol 2019; 29:4208-4217.e3. [PMID: 31761705 PMCID: PMC6926473 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Perception is a proactive, “predictive” process, in which the brain relies, at least in part, on accumulated experience to make best guesses about the world to test against sensory data, updating the guesses as new experience is acquired. Using novel behavioral methods, the present study demonstrates the role of alpha rhythms in communicating past perceptual experience. Participants were required to discriminate the ear of origin of brief sinusoidal tones that were presented monaurally at random times within a burst of uncorrelated dichotic white noise masks. Performance was not constant but varied with delay after noise onset in an oscillatory manner at about 9 Hz (alpha rhythm). Importantly, oscillations occurred only for trials preceded by a target tone to the same ear, either on the previous trial or two trials back. These results suggest that communication of perceptual history generates neural oscillations within specific perceptual circuits, strongly implicating behavioral oscillations in predictive perception and with formation of working memory. We demonstrate the role of alpha rhythms in the propagation of perceptual history Auditory decisions were rhythmically biased by stimuli presented 1 or 2 trials back Bias oscillated at ∼9 Hz only when successive stimuli occurred in the same ear Alpha is strongly implicated in predictive perception and working memory formation
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Tam Ho
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Brennan MacCallum Building A18, Manning Road, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56123 Pisa, Italy.
| | - David C Burr
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Brennan MacCallum Building A18, Manning Road, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50139 Florence, Italy; Institute of Neuroscience, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - David Alais
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Brennan MacCallum Building A18, Manning Road, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56123 Pisa, Italy
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17
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Zoefel B, Davis MH, Valente G, Riecke L. How to test for phasic modulation of neural and behavioural responses. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116175. [PMID: 31499178 PMCID: PMC6773602 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on whether perception or other processes depend on the phase of neural oscillations is rapidly gaining popularity. However, it is unknown which methods are optimally suited to evaluate the hypothesized phase effect. Using a simulation approach, we here test the ability of different methods to detect such an effect on dichotomous (e.g., "hit" vs "miss") and continuous (e.g., scalp potentials) response variables. We manipulated parameters that characterise the phase effect or define the experimental approach to test for this effect. For each parameter combination and response variable, we identified an optimal method. We found that methods regressing single-trial responses on circular (sine and cosine) predictors perform best for all of the simulated parameters, regardless of the nature of the response variable (dichotomous or continuous). In sum, our study lays a foundation for optimized experimental designs and analyses in future studies investigating the role of phase for neural and behavioural responses. We provide MATLAB code for the statistical methods tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Zoefel
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Matthew H Davis
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Giancarlo Valente
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229, EV Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Lars Riecke
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229, EV Maastricht, the Netherlands
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18
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Gray MJ, Emmanouil TA. Individual alpha frequency increases during a task but is unchanged by alpha-band flicker. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13480. [PMID: 31573080 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Visual perception fluctuates in sync with ongoing neural oscillations in the delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands of the human EEG. Supporting the relationship between alpha and perceptual sampling, recent work has demonstrated that variations in individual alpha frequency (IAF) correlate with the ability to discriminate one from two stimuli presented briefly in the same location. Other studies have found that, after being presented with a flickering stimulus at alpha frequencies, perception of near-threshold stimuli fluctuates for a short time at the same frequency. Motivated by previous work, we were interested in whether this alpha entrainment involves shifts in IAF. While recording EEG, we tested whether two-flash discrimination (a behavioral correlate of IAF) can be influenced by ~1 s of rhythmic visual stimulation at two different alpha frequencies (8.3 and 12.5 Hz). Speaking against the bottom-up malleability of IAF, we found no change in IAF during stimulation and no change in two-flash discrimination immediately afterward. We also found synchronous activity that persisted after 12.5 Hz stimulation, which suggests that a separate source of alpha was entrained. Importantly, we replicated the correlation between IAF and two-flash discrimination in a no-stimulation condition, demonstrating the sensitivity of our behavioral measure. We additionally found that IAF increased during the task compared to rest, which demonstrates that IAF is influenced by top-down factors but is not involved in entrainment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Gray
- Program in Psychology, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York.,Department of Psychology, Baruch College, The City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Tatiana A Emmanouil
- Program in Psychology, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York.,Department of Psychology, Baruch College, The City University of New York, New York, New York
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19
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Benedetto A, Morrone MC, Tomassini A. The Common Rhythm of Action and Perception. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 32:187-200. [PMID: 31210564 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Research in the last decade has undermined the idea of perception as a continuous process, providing strong empirical support for its rhythmic modulation. More recently, it has been revealed that the ongoing motor processes influence the rhythmic sampling of sensory information. In this review, we will focus on a growing body of evidence suggesting that oscillation-based mechanisms may structure the dynamic interplay between the motor and sensory system and provide a unified temporal frame for their effective coordination. We will describe neurophysiological data, primarily collected in animals, showing phase-locking of neuronal oscillations to the onset of (eye) movements. These data are complemented by novel evidence in humans, which demonstrate the behavioral relevance of these oscillatory modulations and their domain-general nature. Finally, we will discuss the possible implications of these modulations for action-perception coupling mechanisms.
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20
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Attention Periodically Binds Visual Features As Single Events Depending on Neural Oscillations Phase-Locked to Action. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4153-4161. [PMID: 30886011 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2494-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent psychophysical studies have demonstrated that periodic attention in the 4-8 Hz range facilitates performance on visual detection. The present study examined the periodicity of feature binding, another major function of attention, in human observers (3 females and 5 males for behavior, with 7 males added for the EEG experiment). In a psychophysical task, observers reported a synchronous pair of brightness (light/dark) and orientation (clockwise/counterclockwise) patterns from two combined brightness-orientation pairs presented in rapid succession. We found that temporal binding performance exhibits periodic oscillations at ∼8 Hz as a function of stimulus onset delay from a self-initiated button press in conditions where brightness-orientation pairs were spatially separated. However, as one would expect from previous studies on pre-attentive binding, significant oscillations were not apparent in conditions where brightness-orientation pairs were spatially superimposed. EEG results, while fully compatible with behavioral oscillations, also revealed a significant dependence of binding performance across trials on prestimulus neural oscillatory phases within the corresponding band. The peak frequency of this dependence was found to be correlated with intertrial phase coherence (ITPC) around the timing of button press in parietal sensors. Moreover, the peak frequency of the ITPC was found to predict behavioral frequency in individual observers. Together, these results suggest that attention operates periodically (at ∼8 Hz) on the perceptual binding of multimodal visual information and is mediated by neural oscillations phase-locked to voluntary action.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recent studies in neuroscience suggest that the brain's attention network operates rhythmically at 4-8 Hz. The present behavioral task revealed that attentional binding of visual features is performed periodically at ∼8 Hz, and EEG analysis showed a dependence of binding performance on prestimulus neural oscillatory phase. Furthermore, this association between perceptual and neural oscillations is triggered by voluntary action. Periodic processes driven by attention appear to contribute not only to sensory processing but also to the temporal binding of diverse information into a conscious event synchronized with action.
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21
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Behavioural oscillations in visual orientation discrimination reveal distinct modulation rates for both sensitivity and response bias. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1115. [PMID: 30718679 PMCID: PMC6362039 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37918-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception is modulated by ongoing brain oscillations. Psychophysical studies show a voluntary action can synchronize oscillations, producing rhythmical fluctuations of visual contrast sensitivity. We used signal detection to examine whether voluntary action could also synchronize oscillations in decision criterion, and whether that was due to the oscillations of perceptual bias or of motor bias. Trials started with a voluntary button-press. After variable time lags, a grating at threshold contrast was presented briefly and participants discriminated its orientation (45° or −45°) with a mouse-click. Two groups of participants completed the experiment with opposite mappings between grating orientations and response buttons. We calculated sensitivity and criterion in the 800 ms period following the button press. To test for oscillations, we fitted first-order Fourier series to these time series. Alpha oscillations occurred in both sensitivity and criterion at different frequencies: ~8 Hz (sensitivity) and ~10 Hz (criterion). Sensitivity oscillations had the same phase for both stimulus-response mappings. Criterion oscillations, however, showed a strong anti-phase relationship when the two groups were compared, suggesting a motor bias rather than perceptual bias. Our findings suggest two roles for alpha oscillations: in sensitivity, reflecting rhythmic attentional inhibition, and in criterion, indicating dynamic motor-related anticipation or preparation.
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22
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Re D, Inbar M, Richter CG, Landau AN. Feature-Based Attention Samples Stimuli Rhythmically. Curr Biol 2019; 29:693-699.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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23
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Kunzendorf S, Klotzsche F, Akbal M, Villringer A, Ohl S, Gaebler M. Active information sampling varies across the cardiac cycle. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13322. [PMID: 30620083 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Perception and cognition oscillate with fluctuating bodily states. For example, visual processing has been shown to change with alternating cardiac phases. Here, we study the heartbeat's role for active information sampling-testing whether humans implicitly act upon their environment so that relevant signals appear during preferred cardiac phases. During the encoding period of a visual memory experiment, participants clicked through a set of emotional pictures to memorize them for a later recognition test. By self-paced key press, they actively prompted the onset of short (100 ms) presented pictures. Simultaneously recorded electrocardiograms allowed us to analyze the self-initiated picture onsets relative to the heartbeat. We find that self-initiated picture onsets vary across the cardiac cycle, showing an increase during cardiac systole, while memory performance was not affected by the heartbeat. We conclude that active information sampling integrates heart-related signals, thereby extending previous findings on the association between body-brain interactions and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Kunzendorf
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Klotzsche
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mert Akbal
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany.,Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven Ohl
- Bernstein Center of Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.,Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Gaebler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany.,Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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24
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Fiebelkorn IC, Kastner S. A Rhythmic Theory of Attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 23:87-101. [PMID: 30591373 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has demonstrated that environmental sampling is a fundamentally rhythmic process. Both perceptual sensitivity during covert spatial attention and the probability of overt exploratory movements are tethered to theta-band activity (3-8Hz) in the attention network. The fronto-parietal part of this network is positioned at the nexus of sensory and motor functions, directing two tightly coupled processes related to environmental exploration: preferential routing of sensory input and saccadic eye movements. We propose that intrinsic theta rhythms temporally resolve potential functional conflicts by periodically reweighting functional connections between higher-order brain regions and either sensory or motor regions. This rhythmic reweighting alternately promotes either sampling at a behaviorally relevant location (i.e., sensory functions) or shifting to another location (i.e., motor functions).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Fiebelkorn
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Sabine Kastner
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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25
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Tomassini A, Vercillo T, Torricelli F, Morrone MC. Rhythmic motor behaviour influences perception of visual time. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181597. [PMID: 30282654 PMCID: PMC6191697 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal processing is fundamental for an accurate synchronization between motor behaviour and sensory processing. Here, we investigate how motor timing during rhythmic tapping influences perception of visual time. Participants listen to a sequence of four auditory tones played at 1 Hz and continue the sequence (without auditory stimulation) by tapping four times with their finger. During finger tapping, they are presented with an empty visual interval and are asked to judge its length compared to a previously internalized interval of 150 ms. The visual temporal estimates show non-monotonic changes locked to the finger tapping: perceived time is maximally expanded at halftime between the two consecutive finger taps, and maximally compressed near tap onsets. Importantly, the temporal dynamics of the perceptual time distortion scales linearly with the timing of the motor tapping, with maximal expansion always being anchored to the centre of the inter-tap interval. These results reveal an intrinsic coupling between distortion of perceptual time and production of self-timed motor rhythms, suggesting the existence of a timing mechanism that keeps perception and action accurately synchronized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology for Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Tiziana Vercillo
- Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Francesco Torricelli
- Università di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Chirurgico Specialistiche, Sezione di Fisiologia Umana, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, via San Zeno 31, 56123 Pisa, Italy
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26
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27
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Perceptual Oscillation of Audiovisual Time Simultaneity. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0047-18. [PMID: 29845106 PMCID: PMC5969321 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0047-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Action and perception are tightly coupled systems requiring coordination and synchronization over time. How the brain achieves synchronization is still a matter of debate, but recent experiments suggest that brain oscillations may play an important role in this process. Brain oscillations have been also proposed to be fundamental in determining time perception. Here, we had subjects perform an audiovisual temporal order judgment task to investigate the fine dynamics of temporal bias and sensitivity before and after the execution of voluntary hand movement (button-press). The reported order of the audiovisual sequence was rhythmically biased as a function of delay from hand action execution. Importantly, we found that it oscillated at a theta range frequency, starting ∼500 ms before and persisting ∼250 ms after the button-press, with consistent phase-locking across participants. Our results show that the perception of cross-sensory simultaneity oscillates rhythmically in synchrony with the programming phase of a voluntary action, demonstrating a link between action preparation and bias in temporal perceptual judgments.
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28
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Entrainment of theta, not alpha, oscillations is predictive of the brightness enhancement of a flickering stimulus. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6152. [PMID: 29670114 PMCID: PMC5906697 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24215-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequency-dependent brightness enhancement, where a flickering light can appear twice as bright as an equiluminant constant light, has been reported to exist within the alpha (8–12 Hz) band. Could oscillatory neural activity be driving this perceptual effect? Here, in two experiments, human subjects reported which of two flickering stimuli were brighter. Strikingly, 4 Hz stimuli were reported as brighter more than 80% of the time when compared to all other tested frequencies, even though all stimuli were equiluminant and of equal temporal length. Electroencephalography recordings showed that inter-trial phase coherence (ITC) of theta (4 Hz) was: (1) Significantly greater than alpha, contralateral to the flickering stimulus; (2) Enhanced by the presence of a second ipsilateral 4 Hz flickering stimulus; and (3) Uniquely lateralized, unlike the alpha band. Importantly, on trials with two identical stimuli (i.e. 4 Hz vs 4 Hz), the brightness discrimination judgment could be predicted by the hemispheric balance in the amount of 4 Hz ITC. We speculate that the theta rhythm plays a distinct information transfer role, where its ability to share information between hemispheres via entrainment promotes a better processing of visual information to inform a discrimination decision.
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29
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Nakayama R, Motoyoshi I, Sato T. Discretized Theta-Rhythm Perception Revealed by Moving Stimuli. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5682. [PMID: 29632313 PMCID: PMC5890248 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24131-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the subjective continuity of perception over time, increasing evidence suggests that the human nervous system samples sensory information periodically, a finding strongly exemplified by discretized perception in the alpha-rhythm frequency band. More recently, studies have revealed a theta-band cyclic process that manifests itself as periodical fluctuations in behavioral performance. Here, we used a simple stimulus to demonstrate that the theta-cyclic system can produce a vivid experience of slow discrete visual sampling: a Gabor texture pattern appears as a series of flickering snapshots if its spatial window moves continuously over a carrier grating that remains still or drifts continuously in the opposite direction. While the perceptual magnitude of this illusory saltation varied with the speed difference between grating and window components in head-centered coordinates, the perceived rhythm of saltation remained nearly constant (3–8 Hz) over a wide range of stimulus parameters. Results provide further evidence that the slow cyclic neural processes play a critical role not only in attentional task performance but also in conscious perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryohei Nakayama
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Isamu Motoyoshi
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Takao Sato
- Department of Comprehensive Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, 2-150 Iwakura-cho, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-8570, Japan
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30
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Benedetto A, Lozano-Soldevilla D, VanRullen R. Different responses of spontaneous and stimulus-related alpha activity to ambient luminance changes. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 48:2599-2608. [PMID: 29205618 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Alpha oscillations are particularly important in determining our percepts and have been implicated in fundamental brain functions. Oscillatory activity can be spontaneous or stimulus-related. Furthermore, stimulus-related responses can be phase- or non-phase-locked to the stimulus. Non-phase-locked (induced) activity can be identified as the average amplitude changes in response to a stimulation, while phase-locked activity can be measured via reverse-correlation techniques (echo function). However, the mechanisms and the functional roles of these oscillations are far from clear. Here, we investigated the effect of ambient luminance changes, known to dramatically modulate neural oscillations, on spontaneous and stimulus-related alpha. We investigated the effect of ambient luminance on EEG alpha during spontaneous human brain activity at rest (experiment 1) and during visual stimulation (experiment 2). Results show that spontaneous alpha amplitude increased by decreasing ambient luminance, while alpha frequency remained unaffected. In the second experiment, we found that under low-luminance viewing, the stimulus-related alpha amplitude was lower, and its frequency was slightly faster. These effects were evident in the phase-locked part of the alpha response (echo function), but weaker or absent in the induced (non-phase-locked) alpha responses. Finally, we explored the possible behavioural correlates of these modulations in a monocular critical flicker frequency task (experiment 3), finding that dark adaptation in the left eye decreased the temporal threshold of the right eye. Overall, we found that ambient luminance changes impact differently on spontaneous and stimulus-related alpha expression. We suggest that stimulus-related alpha activity is crucial in determining human temporal segmentation abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Benedetto
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicines and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Diego Lozano-Soldevilla
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Mixte de Recherche 5549, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Toulouse, France.,Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier, Place du Dr. Baylac, 31052, Toulouse, France
| | - Rufin VanRullen
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Mixte de Recherche 5549, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Toulouse, France.,Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier, Place du Dr. Baylac, 31052, Toulouse, France
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31
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Ho HT, Leung J, Burr DC, Alais D, Morrone MC. Auditory Sensitivity and Decision Criteria Oscillate at Different Frequencies Separately for the Two Ears. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3643-3649.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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32
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Tomassini A, D'Ausilio A. Passive sensorimotor stimulation triggers long lasting alpha-band fluctuations in visual perception. J Neurophysiol 2017; 119:380-388. [PMID: 29046424 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00496.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Movement planning and execution rely on the anticipation and online control of the incoming sensory input. Evidence suggests that sensorimotor processes may synchronize visual rhythmic activity in preparation of action performance. Indeed, we recently reported periodic fluctuations of visual contrast sensitivity that are time-locked to the onset of an intended movement of the arm. However, the origin of the observed visual modulations has so far remained unclear because of the endogenous (and thus temporally undetermined) activation of the sensorimotor system that is associated with voluntary movement initiation. In this study, we activated the sensorimotor circuitry involved in the hand control in an exogenous and controlled way by means of peripheral stimulation of the median nerve and characterized the spectrotemporal dynamics of the ensuing visual perception. The stimulation of the median nerve triggers robust and long-lasting (∼1 s) alpha-band oscillations in visual perception, whose strength is temporally modulated in a way that is consistent with the changes in alpha power described at the neurophysiological level after sensorimotor stimulation. These findings provide evidence in support of a causal role of the sensorimotor system in modulating oscillatory activity in visual areas with consequences for visual perception. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study shows that the peripheral activation of the somatomotor hand system triggers long-lasting alpha periodicity in visual perception. This demonstrates that not only the endogenous sensorimotor processes involved in movement preparation but also the passive stimulation of the sensorimotor system can synchronize visual activity. The present work suggests that oscillation-based mechanisms may subserve core (task independent) sensorimotor integration functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology for Speech and Communication, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Ferrara , Italy.,Department of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences (RBCS), Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology for Speech and Communication, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Ferrara , Italy.,Università di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Chirurgico Specialistiche , Ferrara , Italy.,Department of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences (RBCS), Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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33
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The Role of Oscillatory Phase in Determining the Temporal Organization of Perception: Evidence from Sensory Entrainment. J Neurosci 2017; 37:10636-10644. [PMID: 28972130 PMCID: PMC5666584 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1704-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent behavioral, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological studies have renewed the idea that the information processing within different temporal windows is linked to the phase and/or frequency of the ongoing oscillations, predominantly in the theta/alpha band (∼4–7 and 8–12 Hz, respectively). However, being correlational in nature, this evidence might reflect a nonfunctional byproduct rather than having a causal role. A more direct link can be shown with methods that manipulate oscillatory activity. Here, we used audiovisual entrainment at different frequencies in the prestimulus period of a temporal integration/segregation task. We hypothesized that entrainment would align ongoing oscillations and drive them toward the stimulation frequency. To reveal behavioral oscillations in temporal perception after the entrainment, we sampled the segregation/integration performance densely in time. In Experiment 1, two groups of human participants (both males and females) received stimulation either at the lower or the upper boundary of the alpha band (∼8.5 vs 11.5 Hz). For both entrainment frequencies, we found a phase alignment of the perceptual oscillation across subjects, but with two different power spectra that peaked near the entrainment frequency. These results were confirmed when perceptual oscillations were characterized in the time domain with sinusoidal fittings. In Experiment 2, we replicated the findings in a within-subject design, extending the results for frequencies in the theta (∼6.5 Hz), but not in the beta (∼15 Hz), range. Overall, these findings show that temporal segregation can be modified by sensory entrainment, providing evidence for a critical role of ongoing oscillations in the temporal organization of perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The continuous flow of sensory input is not processed in an analog fashion, but rather is grouped by the perceptual system over time. Recent studies pinpointed the phase and/or frequency of the neural oscillations in the theta/alpha band (∼4–12 Hz) as possible mechanisms underlying temporal windows in perception. Here, we combined two innovative methodologies to provide more direct support for this evidence. We used sensory entrainment to align neural oscillations to different frequencies and then characterized the resultant perceptual oscillation with a temporal dense sampling of the integration/segregation performance. Our results provide the first evidence that the frequency of temporal segregation can be modified by sensory entrainment, supporting a critical role of ongoing oscillations in the integration/segregation of information over time.
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Bellet J, Chen CY, Hafed ZM. Sequential hemifield gating of α- and β-behavioral performance oscillations after microsaccades. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:2789-2805. [PMID: 28794193 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00253.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsaccades are tiny saccades that occur during gaze fixation. Even though visual processing has been shown to be strongly modulated close to the time of microsaccades, both at central and peripheral eccentricities, it is not clear how these eye movements might influence longer term fluctuations in brain activity and behavior. Here we found that visual processing is significantly affected and, in a rhythmic manner, even several hundreds of milliseconds after a microsaccade. Human visual detection efficiency, as measured by reaction time, exhibited coherent rhythmic oscillations in the α- and β-frequency bands for up to ~650-700 ms after a microsaccade. Surprisingly, the oscillations were sequentially pulsed across visual hemifields relative to microsaccade direction, first occurring in the same hemifield as the movement vector for ~400 ms and then the opposite. Such pulsing also affected perceptual detection performance. Our results suggest that visual processing is subject to long-lasting oscillations that are phase locked to microsaccade generation, and that these oscillations are dependent on microsaccade direction.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated long-term microsaccadic influences on visual processing and found rhythmic oscillations in behavioral performance at α- and β-frequencies (~8-20 Hz). These oscillations were pulsed at a much lower frequency across visual hemifields, first occurring in the same hemifield as the microsaccade direction vector for ~400 ms before switching to the opposite hemifield for a similar interval. Our results suggest that saccades temporally organize visual processing and that such organization can sequentially switch hemifields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Bellet
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany.,Graduate School of Neural and Behavioural Sciences, International Max Planck Research School, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany; and.,Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Chih-Yang Chen
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany.,Graduate School of Neural and Behavioural Sciences, International Max Planck Research School, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany; and.,Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ziad M Hafed
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany; .,Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany
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Tomassini A, Ambrogioni L, Medendorp WP, Maris E. Theta oscillations locked to intended actions rhythmically modulate perception. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28686161 PMCID: PMC5553936 DOI: 10.7554/elife.25618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ongoing brain oscillations are known to influence perception, and to be reset by exogenous stimulations. Voluntary action is also accompanied by prominent rhythmic activity, and recent behavioral evidence suggests that this might be coupled with perception. Here, we reveal the neurophysiological underpinnings of this sensorimotor coupling in humans. We link the trial-by-trial dynamics of EEG oscillatory activity during movement preparation to the corresponding dynamics in perception, for two unrelated visual and motor tasks. The phase of theta oscillations (~4 Hz) predicts perceptual performance, even >1 s before movement. Moreover, theta oscillations are phase-locked to the onset of the movement. Remarkably, the alignment of theta phase and its perceptual relevance unfold with similar non-monotonic profiles, suggesting their relatedness. The present work shows that perception and movement initiation are automatically synchronized since the early stages of motor planning through neuronal oscillatory activity in the theta range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Tomassini
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Luca Ambrogioni
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - W Pieter Medendorp
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Eric Maris
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Saccadic Suppression Is Embedded Within Extended Oscillatory Modulation of Sensitivity. J Neurosci 2017; 37:3661-3670. [PMID: 28270573 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2390-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Action and perception are intimately coupled systems. One clear case is saccadic suppression, the reduced visibility around the time of saccades, which is important in mediating visual stability; another is the oscillatory modulation of visibility synchronized with hand action. To suppress effectively the spurious retinal motion generated by the eye movements, it is crucial that saccadic suppression and saccadic onset be temporally synchronous. However, the mechanisms that determine this temporal synchrony are unknown. We investigated the effect of saccades on contrast discrimination sensitivity over a long period stretching over >1 s before and after saccade execution. Human subjects made horizontal saccades at will to two stationary saccadic targets separated by 20°. At a random interval, a brief Gabor patch was displayed between the two fixations in either the upper or lower visual field and the subject had to detect its location. Strong saccadic suppression was measured between -50 and 50 ms from saccadic onset. However, the suppression was systematically embedded in a trough of oscillations of contrast sensitivity that fluctuated rhythmically in the delta range (at ∼3 Hz), commencing ∼1 s before saccade execution and lasting for up to 1 s after the saccade. The results show that saccadic preparation and visual sensitivity oscillations are coupled and the coupling might be instrumental in temporally aligning the initiation of the saccade with the visual suppression.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Saccades are known to produce a suppression of contrast sensitivity at saccadic onset and an enhancement after saccadic offset. Here, we show that these dynamics are systematically embedded in visual oscillations of contrast sensitivity that fluctuate rhythmically in the delta range (at ∼3 Hz), commencing ∼1 s before saccade execution and lasting for up to 1 s after the saccade. The results show that saccadic preparation and visual sensitivity oscillations are coupled and the coupling might be instrumental in aligning temporally the initiation of the saccade with the visual suppression.
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37
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Perceptual Cycles. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:723-735. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 396] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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