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Cammisuli DM, Tuena C, Riva G, Repetto C, Axmacher N, Chandreswaran V, Isella V, Pomati S, Zago S, Difonzo T, Pavanello G, Prete LA, Stramba-Badiale M, Mauro A, Cattaldo S, Castelnuovo G. Exploring the Remediation of Behavioral Disturbances of Spatial Cognition in Community-Dwelling Senior Citizens with Mild Cognitive Impairment via Innovative Technological Apparatus (BDSC-MCI Project): Protocol for a Prospective, Multi-Center Observational Study. J Pers Med 2024; 14:192. [PMID: 38392625 PMCID: PMC10890288 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial navigation (SN) has been reported to be one of the first cognitive domains to be affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which occurs as a result of progressive neuropathology involving specific brain areas. Moreover, the epsilon 4 isoform of apolipoprotein-E (APOE-ε4) has been associated with both sporadic and familial late-onset AD, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD are more likely to progressively deteriorate. Spatial navigation performance will be examined on a sample of 76 community-dwelling senior citizens (25 healthy controls; 25 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD); and 26 patients with MCI due to AD) via a virtual computer-based task (i.e., the AppleGame) and a naturalistic task (i.e., the Detour Navigation Test-modified version) for which a wearable device with sensors will be used for recording gait data and revealing physiological parameters that may be associated with spatial disorientation. We expect that patients with MCI due to AD and APOE-ε4 carriers will show altered SN performances compared to individuals with SCD and healthy controls in the experimental tasks, and that VR testing may predict ecological performance. Impaired SN performances in people at increased risk of developing AD may inform future cognitive rehabilitation protocols for counteracting spatial disorientation that may occur during elders' traveling to unfamiliar locations. The research protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and discussed in national and international congresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
- Human Technology Lab, Catholic University, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Varnan Chandreswaran
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Valeria Isella
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Pomati
- Neurology Unit, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Giada Pavanello
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Augusto Prete
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Stramba-Badiale
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Stefania Cattaldo
- Clinic Neurobiology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy
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Nikolaeva EI, Kalabina IA, Progackaya TK, Ivanova EV. Ground Rules for Preschooler Exposure to the Digital Environment: A Review of Studies. PSYCHOLOGY IN RUSSIA: STATE OF ART 2023; 16:37-54. [PMID: 38162805 PMCID: PMC10755961 DOI: 10.11621/pir.2023.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The range of digital technologies that children use from an early age has expanded significantly. Most studies demonstrate that preschoolers now spend substantially longer on digital devices and start using them at a younger age. Finding a solution for this challenge has research merits and relevance, as the data on benefits and harm of early preschoolers' exposure to digital devices is contradictory. This poses a need to determine theoretically sound and practically validated criteria that could guide the duration and quality of children's exposure to the digital environment. Objective To review studies that contain recommendations on preschoolers' exposure to the digital environment, namely, exposure limits and evidence to justify the limitation of preschoolers' time on digital media. Design The analysis starts by identifying theoretical foundations that researchers use in their studies of children's behavior in the digital environment. This is followed by an overview of 40 studies that include research papers, official reports, and methodological recommendations made by healthcare and governmental organizations. Results The review identified the following ground rules for children's exposure to the digital environment: to provide for child's interaction with a digital device, to use educational applications that will develop skills appropriate to the child's age, to ensure mandatory supervision of children's engagement by an adult who limits the exposure according to child's age-related capabilities and creates conditions for active exploration of the real rather than a virtual world. Children's cognitive development suffers the most from passive intake of digital content. Conclusion The data herein can help to develop strategies to promote healthy and educational engagement of children with digital devices and media; however, the review highlights the insufficiency of psychophysiological research that would make it possible to practically validate the recommendations on the duration of preschoolers' exposure to the digital environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inna A. Kalabina
- Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Jerjian SJ, Harsch DR, Fetsch CR. Self-motion perception and sequential decision-making: where are we heading? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220333. [PMID: 37545301 PMCID: PMC10404932 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0333] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To navigate and guide adaptive behaviour in a dynamic environment, animals must accurately estimate their own motion relative to the external world. This is a fundamentally multisensory process involving integration of visual, vestibular and kinesthetic inputs. Ideal observer models, paired with careful neurophysiological investigation, helped to reveal how visual and vestibular signals are combined to support perception of linear self-motion direction, or heading. Recent work has extended these findings by emphasizing the dimension of time, both with regard to stimulus dynamics and the trade-off between speed and accuracy. Both time and certainty-i.e. the degree of confidence in a multisensory decision-are essential to the ecological goals of the system: terminating a decision process is necessary for timely action, and predicting one's accuracy is critical for making multiple decisions in a sequence, as in navigation. Here, we summarize a leading model for multisensory decision-making, then show how the model can be extended to study confidence in heading discrimination. Lastly, we preview ongoing efforts to bridge self-motion perception and navigation per se, including closed-loop virtual reality and active self-motion. The design of unconstrained, ethologically inspired tasks, accompanied by large-scale neural recordings, raise promise for a deeper understanding of spatial perception and decision-making in the behaving animal. This article is part of the theme issue 'Decision and control processes in multisensory perception'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Jerjian
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Devin R. Harsch
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Christopher R. Fetsch
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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4
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Chiappe ME. Circuits for self-motion estimation and walking control in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102748. [PMID: 37453230 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The brain's evolution and operation are inextricably linked to animal movement, and critical functions, such as motor control, spatial perception, and navigation, rely on precise knowledge of body movement. Such internal estimates of self-motion emerge from the integration of mechanosensory and visual feedback with motor-related signals. Thus, this internal representation likely depends on the activity of circuits distributed across the central nervous system. However, the circuits responsible for self-motion estimation, and the exact mechanisms by which motor-sensory coordination occurs within these circuits remain poorly understood. Recent technological advances have positioned Drosophila melanogaster as an advantageous model for investigating the emergence, maintenance, and utilization of self-motion representations during naturalistic walking behaviors. In this review, I will illustrate how the adult fly is providing insights into the fundamental problems of self-motion computations and walking control, which have relevance for all animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Eugenia Chiappe
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Keshavarzi S, Velez-Fort M, Margrie TW. Cortical Integration of Vestibular and Visual Cues for Navigation, Visual Processing, and Perception. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:301-320. [PMID: 37428601 PMCID: PMC7616138 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-120722-100503] [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] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing evidence of its involvement in several key functions of the cerebral cortex, the vestibular sense rarely enters our consciousness. Indeed, the extent to which these internal signals are incorporated within cortical sensory representation and how they might be relied upon for sensory-driven decision-making, during, for example, spatial navigation, is yet to be understood. Recent novel experimental approaches in rodents have probed both the physiological and behavioral significance of vestibular signals and indicate that their widespread integration with vision improves both the cortical representation and perceptual accuracy of self-motion and orientation. Here, we summarize these recent findings with a focus on cortical circuits involved in visual perception and spatial navigation and highlight the major remaining knowledge gaps. We suggest that vestibulo-visual integration reflects a process of constant updating regarding the status of self-motion, and access to such information by the cortex is used for sensory perception and predictions that may be implemented for rapid, navigation-related decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepiedeh Keshavarzi
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Mateo Velez-Fort
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Troy W Margrie
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
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Loued-Khenissi L, Pfeiffer C, Saxena R, Adarsh S, Scaramuzza D. Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9727. [PMID: 37322248 PMCID: PMC10272216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36775-0] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via the vestibular system, informing their decisions and possibly their integration of uncertainty. What happens when such a strong prior is altered? We address this question using a self-motion estimation task in a space analog environment under conditions of altered gravity. Two participants were cast as remote drone operators orbiting Mars in a virtual reality environment on board a parabolic flight, where both hyper- and microgravity conditions were induced. From a first-person perspective, participants viewed a drone exiting a cave and had to first predict a collision and then provide a confidence estimate of their response. We evoked uncertainty in the task by manipulating the motion's trajectory angle. Post-decision subjective confidence reports were negatively predicted by stimulus uncertainty, as expected. Uncertainty alone did not impact overt behavioral responses (performance, choice) differentially across gravity conditions. However microgravity predicted higher subjective confidence, especially in interaction with stimulus uncertainty. These results suggest that variables relating to uncertainty affect decision-making distinctly in microgravity, highlighting the possible need for automatized, compensatory mechanisms when considering human factors in space research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Loued-Khenissi
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Neuroscience Department, Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Christian Pfeiffer
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rupal Saxena
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shivam Adarsh
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Davide Scaramuzza
- Robotics and Perception Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Lacquaniti F, La Scaleia B, Zago M. Noise and vestibular perception of passive self-motion. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1159242. [PMID: 37181550 PMCID: PMC10169592 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1159242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Noise defined as random disturbances is ubiquitous in both the external environment and the nervous system. Depending on the context, noise can degrade or improve information processing and performance. In all cases, it contributes to neural systems dynamics. We review some effects of various sources of noise on the neural processing of self-motion signals at different stages of the vestibular pathways and the resulting perceptual responses. Hair cells in the inner ear reduce the impact of noise by means of mechanical and neural filtering. Hair cells synapse on regular and irregular afferents. Variability of discharge (noise) is low in regular afferents and high in irregular units. The high variability of irregular units provides information about the envelope of naturalistic head motion stimuli. A subset of neurons in the vestibular nuclei and thalamus are optimally tuned to noisy motion stimuli that reproduce the statistics of naturalistic head movements. In the thalamus, variability of neural discharge increases with increasing motion amplitude but saturates at high amplitudes, accounting for behavioral violation of Weber's law. In general, the precision of individual vestibular neurons in encoding head motion is worse than the perceptual precision measured behaviorally. However, the global precision predicted by neural population codes matches the high behavioral precision. The latter is estimated by means of psychometric functions for detection or discrimination of whole-body displacements. Vestibular motion thresholds (inverse of precision) reflect the contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic noise to perception. Vestibular motion thresholds tend to deteriorate progressively after the age of 40 years, possibly due to oxidative stress resulting from high discharge rates and metabolic loads of vestibular afferents. In the elderly, vestibular thresholds correlate with postural stability: the higher the threshold, the greater is the postural imbalance and risk of falling. Experimental application of optimal levels of either galvanic noise or whole-body oscillations can ameliorate vestibular function with a mechanism reminiscent of stochastic resonance. Assessment of vestibular thresholds is diagnostic in several types of vestibulopathies, and vestibular stimulation might be useful in vestibular rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Hemm S, Baumann D, Duarte da Costa V, Tarnutzer AA. Test-re-test reliability and dynamics of the Fukuda–Unterberger stepping test. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1128760. [PMID: 37064178 PMCID: PMC10090507 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1128760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe Fukuda-stepping-test (FST), i.e., repetitive walking on the spot while blindfolded, has been proposed as a means to assess the integrity of the vestibular pathways. While its sensitivity to detect abnormalities in patients is limited, it may be useful in studying the physiology of the subjective-straight-ahead (SSA). Considering reported systematic shifts in SSA in humans, we hypothesize that such asymmetries arise from individual differences in the orientation/configuration of the macular organs and in central processing of vestibular input. We hypothesize that such asymmetries are stable over time in individual subjects. Alternatively, such asymmetries may arise from random noise in the sensory/motor systems involved, demonstrating low reproducibility over time.Materials and methodsTwenty-four subjects walked on the spot over 60 s while blindfolded (n = 6 trials per subject). Using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed at the chest, angular deviations were recorded and compared to manually-measured final positions. Both static (direction, magnitude) and dynamic (time-to-onset of deviation, pattern of deviations) parameters were retrieved from the yaw slopes.ResultsSignificant deviations were found in 15/24 participants for the manual measurements (leftwards = 8; rightwards = 7), whereas when using the IMU-sensor 13/24 participants showed significant shifts (leftwards = 9; rightwards = 4). There was a high correlation (0.98) between manually measured rotation angles (average absolute deviations = 58.0 deg ± 48.6 deg; intra-individual variability = 39 deg ± 24 deg) and sensor-based yaw slopes (1.00 deg/s ± 0.88 deg/s; 0.67 deg/s ± 0.41 deg/s). Relevant yaw deviation was detected 22.1 s ± 12.3 s (range = 5.6 s-59.2 s) after the onset of marching (no relevant yaw-deviation in 15/139 measurements), showing a mostly linear behavior over time.ConclusionWe observed significant inter-individual variability in task performance in the FST, reproducing findings from previous studies. With test-re-test reliability being moderate only, but at the same time observing a preference in the side of shifts in most trials and subjects, we conclude that likely both individually varying estimates of straight-ahead and random noise contribute to the pattern of angular deviations observed. Using an IMU-sensory based approach, additional dynamic parameters could be retrieved, emphasizing the value of such a quantitative approach over manual measurements. Such an approach may provide useful additional information to distinguish patients from healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Hemm
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Denise Baumann
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Vasco Duarte da Costa
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer
- Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer,
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9
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Horrocks EAB, Mareschal I, Saleem AB. Walking humans and running mice: perception and neural encoding of optic flow during self-motion. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210450. [PMID: 36511417 PMCID: PMC9745880 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion produces full-field optic flow that often dominates the visual motion inputs to an observer. The perception of optic flow is in turn important for animals to guide their heading and interact with moving objects. Understanding how locomotion influences optic flow processing and perception is therefore essential to understand how animals successfully interact with their environment. Here, we review research investigating how perception and neural encoding of optic flow are altered during self-motion, focusing on locomotion. Self-motion has been found to influence estimation and sensitivity for optic flow speed and direction. Nonvisual self-motion signals also increase compensation for self-driven optic flow when parsing the visual motion of moving objects. The integration of visual and nonvisual self-motion signals largely follows principles of Bayesian inference and can improve the precision and accuracy of self-motion perception. The calibration of visual and nonvisual self-motion signals is dynamic, reflecting the changing visuomotor contingencies across different environmental contexts. Throughout this review, we consider experimental research using humans, non-human primates and mice. We highlight experimental challenges and opportunities afforded by each of these species and draw parallels between experimental findings. These findings reveal a profound influence of locomotion on optic flow processing and perception across species. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New approaches to 3D vision'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A. B. Horrocks
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Isabelle Mareschal
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Aman B. Saleem
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
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10
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Noel JP, Balzani E, Avila E, Lakshminarasimhan KJ, Bruni S, Alefantis P, Savin C, Angelaki DE. Coding of latent variables in sensory, parietal, and frontal cortices during closed-loop virtual navigation. eLife 2022; 11:e80280. [PMID: 36282071 PMCID: PMC9668339 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We do not understand how neural nodes operate and coordinate within the recurrent action-perception loops that characterize naturalistic self-environment interactions. Here, we record single-unit spiking activity and local field potentials (LFPs) simultaneously from the dorsomedial superior temporal area (MSTd), parietal area 7a, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as monkeys navigate in virtual reality to 'catch fireflies'. This task requires animals to actively sample from a closed-loop virtual environment while concurrently computing continuous latent variables: (i) the distance and angle travelled (i.e., path integration) and (ii) the distance and angle to a memorized firefly location (i.e., a hidden spatial goal). We observed a patterned mixed selectivity, with the prefrontal cortex most prominently coding for latent variables, parietal cortex coding for sensorimotor variables, and MSTd most often coding for eye movements. However, even the traditionally considered sensory area (i.e., MSTd) tracked latent variables, demonstrating path integration and vector coding of hidden spatial goals. Further, global encoding profiles and unit-to-unit coupling (i.e., noise correlations) suggested a functional subnetwork composed by MSTd and dlPFC, and not between these and 7a, as anatomy would suggest. We show that the greater the unit-to-unit coupling between MSTd and dlPFC, the more the animals' gaze position was indicative of the ongoing location of the hidden spatial goal. We suggest this MSTd-dlPFC subnetwork reflects the monkeys' natural and adaptive task strategy wherein they continuously gaze toward the location of the (invisible) target. Together, these results highlight the distributed nature of neural coding during closed action-perception loops and suggest that fine-grain functional subnetworks may be dynamically established to subserve (embodied) task strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Noel
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
| | - Eric Avila
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
| | - Kaushik J Lakshminarasimhan
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Stefania Bruni
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
| | - Panos Alefantis
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
| | - Cristina Savin
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
| | - Dora E Angelaki
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew York CityUnited States
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11
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Noel JP, Shivkumar S, Dokka K, Haefner RM, Angelaki DE. Aberrant causal inference and presence of a compensatory mechanism in autism spectrum disorder. eLife 2022; 11:71866. [PMID: 35579424 PMCID: PMC9170250 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a panoply of social, communicative, and sensory anomalies. As such, a central goal of computational psychiatry is to ascribe the heterogenous phenotypes observed in ASD to a limited set of canonical computations that may have gone awry in the disorder. Here, we posit causal inference - the process of inferring a causal structure linking sensory signals to hidden world causes - as one such computation. We show that audio-visual integration is intact in ASD and in line with optimal models of cue combination, yet multisensory behavior is anomalous in ASD because this group operates under an internal model favoring integration (vs. segregation). Paradoxically, during explicit reports of common cause across spatial or temporal disparities, individuals with ASD were less and not more likely to report common cause, particularly at small cue disparities. Formal model fitting revealed differences in both the prior probability for common cause (p-common) and choice biases, which are dissociable in implicit but not explicit causal inference tasks. Together, this pattern of results suggests (i) different internal models in attributing world causes to sensory signals in ASD relative to neurotypical individuals given identical sensory cues, and (ii) the presence of an explicit compensatory mechanism in ASD, with these individuals putatively having learned to compensate for their bias to integrate in explicit reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Noel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York City, United States
| | | | - Kalpana Dokka
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States
| | - Ralf M Haefner
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, United States
| | - Dora E Angelaki
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York City, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States
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12
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Tarnutzer AA, Duarte da Costa V, Baumann D, Hemm S. Heading Direction Is Significantly Biased by Preceding Whole-Body Roll-Orientation While Lying. Front Neurol 2022; 13:868144. [PMID: 35509993 PMCID: PMC9058079 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.868144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background After a prolonged static whole-body roll-tilt, a significant bias of the internal estimates of the direction of gravity has been observed when assessing the subjective visual vertical. Objective We hypothesized that this post-tilt bias represents a more general phenomenon, broadly affecting spatial orientation and navigation. Specifically, we predicted that after the prolonged roll-tilt to either side perceived straight-ahead would also be biased. Methods Twenty-five healthy participants were asked to rest in three different lying positions (supine, right-ear-down, and left-ear-down) for 5 min (“adaptation period”) prior to walking straight-ahead blindfolded for 2 min. Walking was recorded with the inertial measurement unit sensors attached to different body locations and with sensor shoe insoles. The raw data was segmented with a gait–event detection method. The Heading direction was determined and linear mixed-effects models were used for statistical analyses. Results A significant bias in heading into the direction of the previous roll-tilt position was observed in the post-adaptation trials. This bias was identified in both measurement systems and decreased again over the 2-min walking period. Conclusions The bias observed further confirms the influence of prior knowledge on spatial orientation and navigation. Specifically, it underlines the broad impact of a shifting internal estimate of direction of gravity over a range of distinct paradigms, illustrating similar decay time constants. In the broader context, the observed bias in perceived straight-ahead emphasizes that getting up in the morning after a good night's sleep is a vulnerable period, with an increased risk of falls and fall-related injuries due to non-availability of optimally tuned internal estimates of the direction of gravity and the direction of straight-ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer
- Department of Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer
| | - Vasco Duarte da Costa
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Denise Baumann
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Simone Hemm
- School of Life Sciences, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
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