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Li B, Gerling GJ. An individual's skin stiffness predicts their tactile discrimination of compliance. J Physiol 2023; 601:5777-5794. [PMID: 37942821 PMCID: PMC10872733 DOI: 10.1113/jp285271] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in tactile acuity have been correlated with age, gender and finger size, whereas the role of the skin's stiffness has been underexplored. Using an approach to image the 3-D deformation of the skin surface during contact with transparent elastic objects, we evaluate a cohort of 40 young participants, who present a diverse range of finger size, skin stiffness and fingerprint ridge breadth. The results indicate that skin stiffness generally correlates with finger size, although individuals with relatively softer skin can better discriminate compliant objects. Analysis of contact at the skin surface reveals that softer skin generates more prominent patterns of deformation, in particular greater rates of change in contact area, which correlate with higher rates of perceptual discrimination of compliance, regardless of finger size. Moreover, upon applying hyaluronic acid to soften individuals' skin, we observe immediate, marked and systematic changes in skin deformation and consequent improvements in perceptual acuity in differentiating compliance. Together, the combination of 3-D imaging of the skin surface, biomechanics measurements, multivariate regression and clustering, and psychophysical experiments show that subtle distinctions in skin stiffness modulate the mechanical signalling of touch and shape individual differences in perceptual acuity. KEY POINTS: Although declines in tactile acuity with ageing are a function of multiple factors, for younger people, the current working hypothesis has been that smaller fingers are better at informing perceptual discrimination because of a higher density of neural afferents. To decouple relative impacts on tactile acuity of skin properties of finger size, skin stiffness, and fingerprint ridge breadth, we combined 3-D imaging of skin surface deformation, biomechanical measurements, multivariate regression and clustering, and psychophysics. The results indicate that skin stiffness generally correlates with finger size, although it more robustly correlates with and predicts an individual's perceptual acuity. In particular, more elastic skin generates higher rates of deformation, which correlate with perceptual discrimination, shown most dramatically by softening each participant's skin with hyaluronic acid. In refining the current working hypothesis, we show the skin's stiffness strongly shapes the signalling of touch and modulates individual differences in perceptual acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxu Li
- Systems and Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gregory J Gerling
- Systems and Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Li B, Gerling GJ. An individual's skin stiffness predicts their tactile acuity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.17.548686. [PMID: 37502933 PMCID: PMC10370135 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.17.548686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in tactile acuity have been correlated with age, gender, and finger size, while the role of the skin's stiffness has been underexplored. Using an approach to image the 3-D deformation of the skin surface while in contact with transparent elastic objects, we evaluate a cohort of 40 young participants, who present a diverse range of finger size, skin stiffness, and fingerprint ridge breadth. The results indicate that skin stiffness generally correlates with finger size, although individuals with relatively softer skin can better discriminate compliant objects. Analysis of contact at the skin surface reveals that softer skin generates more prominent patterns of deformation, in particular greater rates of change in contact area, which correlate with higher rates of perceptual discrimination, regardless of finger size. Moreover, upon applying hyaluronic acid to soften individuals' skin, we observe immediate, marked and systematic changes in skin deformation and consequent improvements in perceptual acuity. Together, the combination of 3-D imaging of the skin surface, biomechanics measurements, multivariate regression and clustering, and psychophysical experiments show that subtle distinctions in skin stiffness modulate the mechanical signaling of touch and shape individual differences in perceptual acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxu Li
- Systems and Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia
| | - Gregory J Gerling
- Systems and Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia
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Tortelli C, Senna I, Binda P, Ernst MO. Development of local-global preference in vision and haptics. J Vis 2023; 23:6. [PMID: 37097225 PMCID: PMC10148665 DOI: 10.1167/jov.23.4.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to advance our understanding of local-global preference by exploring its developmental path within and across sensory modalities: vision and haptics. Neurotypical individuals from six years of age through adulthood completed a similarity judgement task with hierarchical haptic or visual stimuli made of local elements (squares or triangles) forming a global shape (a square or a triangle). Participants chose which of two probes was more similar to a target: the one sharing the global shape (but different local shapes) or the one with the same local shapes (but different global shape). Across trials, we independently varied the size of the local elements and that of the global configuration-the latter was varied by manipulating local element density while keeping their numerosity constant. We found that the size of local elements (but not global size) modulates the effects of age and modality. For stimuli with smaller local elements, the proportion of global responses increased with age and was similar for visual and haptic stimuli. However, for stimuli made of our largest local elements, the global preference was reduced or absent, particularly in haptics, regardless of age. These results suggest that vision and haptics progressively converge toward similar global preference with age, but residual differences across modalities and across individuals may be observed, depending on the characteristics of the stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Tortelli
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Irene Senna
- Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paola Binda
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marc O Ernst
- Department of Applied Cognitive Psychology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Dwyer P, Takarae Y, Zadeh I, Rivera SM, Saron CD. A Multidimensional Investigation of Sensory Processing in Autism: Parent- and Self-Report Questionnaires, Psychophysical Thresholds, and Event-Related Potentials in the Auditory and Somatosensory Modalities. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:811547. [PMID: 35620155 PMCID: PMC9127065 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.811547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reconciling results obtained using different types of sensory measures is a challenge for autism sensory research. The present study used questionnaire, psychophysical, and neurophysiological measures to characterize autistic sensory processing in different measurement modalities. Methods Participants were 46 autistic and 21 typically developing 11- to 14-year-olds. Participants and their caregivers completed questionnaires regarding sensory experiences and behaviors. Auditory and somatosensory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded as part of a multisensory ERP task. Auditory detection, tactile static detection, and tactile spatial resolution psychophysical thresholds were measured. Results Sensory questionnaires strongly differentiated between autistic and typically developing individuals, while little evidence of group differences was observed in psychophysical thresholds. Crucially, the different types of measures (neurophysiological, psychophysical, questionnaire) appeared to be largely independent of one another. However, we unexpectedly found autistic participants with larger auditory Tb ERP amplitudes had reduced hearing acuity, even though all participants had hearing acuity in the non-clinical range. Limitations The autistic and typically developing groups were not matched on cognitive ability, although this limitation does not affect our main analyses regarding convergence of measures within autism. Conclusion Overall, based on these results, measures in different sensory modalities appear to capture distinct aspects of sensory processing in autism, with relatively limited convergence between questionnaires and laboratory-based tasks. Generally, this might reflect the reality that laboratory tasks are often carried out in controlled environments without background stimuli to compete for attention, a context which may not closely resemble the busier and more complex environments in which autistic people's atypical sensory experiences commonly occur. Sensory questionnaires and more naturalistic laboratory tasks may be better suited to explore autistic people's real-world sensory challenges. Further research is needed to replicate and investigate the drivers of the unexpected association we observed between auditory Tb ERP amplitudes and hearing acuity, which could represent an important confound for ERP researchers to consider in their studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Dwyer
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Yukari Takarae
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Iman Zadeh
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Oracle Corporation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Susan M. Rivera
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Clifford D. Saron
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Saron Lab, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Van der Looven R, Hermans L, Coupe AM, De Muynck M, Vingerhoets G. Neonatal brachial plexus palsy and hand representation in children and young adults. Dev Med Child Neurol 2022; 64:183-191. [PMID: 34405401 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the impact of neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) on higher-order hand representation. METHOD Eighty-two left-handed children and adolescents with and without right-sided NBPP were recruited. Thirty-one participants with NBPP (mean age [SD] 11y 4mo [4y 4mo]; age range 6y 2mo-21y 0mo; 15 females; C5-6, n=4, C5-7, n=12, C5-T1, n=11, C5-T1 with Horner sign, n=4) were assessed along with 30 controls (mean age 11y 5mo [4y 4mo]; age range 6y 7mo-21y 7mo; 14 females). Participants' estimated hand size and shape on measure of implicit and explicit hand representation was assessed. A linear mixed model (LMM) was used to investigate the effect of condition, sensorimotor impairment, and age. RESULTS Individuals with NBPP showed a significant difference in implicit hand representation between affected and non-affected hands. LMM confirmed a significant influence of the severity of sensorimotor injury. Only the estimated implicit hand representation was associated with age, with a significant difference between 6- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 10-year-olds. INTERPRETATION The effect of sensorimotor impairment on central hand representation in individuals with NBPP is specific due to its implicit component and is characterized by finger length underestimation in the affected hand compared to the characteristic underestimation in the unaffected hand. Neither NBPP nor age impacted the explicit hand estimate. This study confirms the importance of sensorimotor contribution to the development of implicit hand representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Van der Looven
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Child Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linda Hermans
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Child Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anna Maria Coupe
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Child Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Martine De Muynck
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guy Vingerhoets
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Longo MR. No evidence for sex differences in tactile distance anisotropy. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:591-600. [PMID: 34984563 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06301-7] [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: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Perceptual illusions of the distance between two touches have been used to study mental representations of the body since E. H. Weber's classic studies in the nineteenth century. For example, on many body parts tactile distance is anisotropic, with distances aligned with body width being perceived as larger than distances aligned with body length on several skin regions. Recent work has demonstrated sex differences in other distortions of mental body representations, such as proprioceptive hand maps. Given such findings, I analysed the results of 24 experiments, conducted by myself and my colleagues, measuring tactile distance anisotropy on the hand dorsum in both women and men. The results showed clear, and highly consistent anisotropy in both women and men, with no evidence for any sex difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Longo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
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The development of visuotactile congruency effects for sequences of events. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 207:105094. [PMID: 33714049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sensitivity to the temporal coherence of visual and tactile signals increases perceptual reliability and is evident during infancy. However, it is not clear how, or whether, bidirectional visuotactile interactions change across childhood. Furthermore, no study has explored whether viewing a body modulates how children perceive visuotactile sequences of events. Here, children aged 5-7 years (n = 19), 8 and 9 years (n = 21), and 10-12 years (n = 24) and adults (n = 20) discriminated the number of target events (one or two) in a task-relevant modality (touch or vision) and ignored distractors (one or two) in the opposing modality. While participants performed the task, an image of either a hand or an object was presented. Children aged 5-7 years and 8 and 9 years showed larger crossmodal interference from visual distractors when discriminating tactile targets than the converse. Across age groups, this was strongest when two visual distractors were presented with one tactile target, implying a "fission-like" crossmodal effect (perceiving one event as two events). There was no influence of visual context (viewing a hand or non-hand image) on visuotactile interactions for any age group. Our results suggest robust interference from discontinuous visual information on tactile discrimination of sequences of events during early and middle childhood. These findings are discussed with respect to age-related changes in sensory dominance, selective attention, and multisensory processing.
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Van der Looven R, Deschrijver M, Hermans L, De Muynck M, Vingerhoets G. Hand size representation in healthy children and young adults. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 203:105016. [PMID: 33246254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Whereas we experience our body as a coherent volumetric object, the brain appears to maintain highly fragmented representations of individual body parts. Little is known about how body representations of hand size and shape are built and evolve during infancy and young adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of hand side, handedness, and age on the development of central hand size representation. The observational study with comparison groups was conducted with 90 typically developing Belgian school children and young adults (48 male and 42 female; age range = 5.0-23.0 years; 49 left-handed and 41 right-handed). Participants estimated their hand size and shape using two different tasks. In the localization task, participants were verbally cued to judge the locations of 10 anatomical landmarks of an occluded hand. An implicit hand size map was constructed and compared with actual hand dimensions. In the template selection task, the explicit hand shape was measured with a depictive method. Hand shape indexes were calculated and compared for the actual, implicit, and explicit conditions. Participants were divided into four age groups (5-8 years, 9-10 years, 11-16 years, and 17-23 years). Implicit hand maps featured underestimation of finger length and overestimation of hand width, which is already present in the youngest children. Linear mixed modeling revealed no influence of hand side on finger length underestimation; nonetheless, a significant main effect of age (p = .001) was exposed. Sinistrals aged 11 to 16 years showed significantly less underestimation (p = .03) than dextrals of the same age. As for the hand shape, the implicit condition differed significantly with the actual and explicit conditions (p < .001). Again, the implicit shape index was subjected to handedness and age effects, with significant differences being found between sinistrals and dextrals in the age groups of 9 and 10 years (p = .029) and 11 to 16 years (p < .001). In conclusion, the implicit metric component of the hand representation in children and young adults is misperceived, featuring shortened fingers and broadened hands since a very young age. Crucially, the finger length underestimation increases with age and shows a different developmental trajectory for sinistrals and dextrals. In contrast, the explicit hand shape is approximately veridical and seems immune from age and handedness effects. This study confirms the dual character of somatoperception and establishes a point of reference for children and young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Van der Looven
- Child Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Miguel Deschrijver
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linda Hermans
- Child Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Martine De Muynck
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guy Vingerhoets
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Toyoda W, Miyamoto R, Oouchi S, Inoue T. Discriminable Height Differences of Raised Lines. JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0145482x20925213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the discriminable height differences of raised lines printed on paper, as assessed by people who are blind, with or without years of tactile experience. Methods: Ten younger and 10 older tactile readers with blindness and with rich tactile experience; and 10 blindfolded, older, sighted participants with little tactile experience discriminated paired raised-line stimuli of different heights using the fingers of their preferred hand by active touch in a psychophysical experiment. Results: There was a significant main effect of the height of the stimulus, F(2, 54) = 56.446, MS = .060, p < .001, [Formula: see text] = .676, [Formula: see text] = .341, and participant group, F(2, 27) = 13.717, MS = .064, p < .001, [Formula: see text] = .504, [Formula: see text] = .357; however, there was no significant main effect of the width of the lines, or any interactions. The younger and older tactile readers had virtually similar thresholds and Weber fractions, and they could discriminate paired stimuli more accurately and efficiently than the older, sighted participants. We provided the discriminable height data of the raised lines based on the mean and 95th percentile values of the Weber fractions. Discussion: The results indicate the importance of tactile experiences for height discrimination in active touch. For older persons with recently developed blindness, raised lines with larger height differences should be used. Information for practitioners: These data will be helpful for developing new braille embossers that can print raised-line graphics for people with visual impairments, with or without years of tactile experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Toyoda
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Seikei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Miyamoto
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Seikei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Susumu Oouchi
- National Institute of Special Needs Education, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takenobu Inoue
- Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Saitama, Japan
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Sex differences in perceptual hand maps: A meta-analysis. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2019; 196:1-10. [PMID: 30933684 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A large body of research has suggested that localisation of the hand in external space relies on distorted representations of the hand. We developed a paradigm for measuring implicit perceptual maps of the hand (Longo & Haggard, 2010, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 107, 11727-11732), which show systematic deviation from actual hand shape, including overestimation of hand width and underestimation of finger length. Recently, Coelho and Gonzalez (in press, Psychol Res) reported sex differences in these perceptual hand maps, with women showing greater overestimation of hand width, but less underestimation of finger length than men. In the current study, I conducted a meta-analysis of 19 experiments using this paradigm by myself and my colleagues. The results replicated the sex differences reported by Coelho and Gonzalez. Importantly, however, these sex differences were not apparent when actual hand size was included as a covariate in analyses, suggesting that they may, at least in part, be due to women having smaller hands on average than men.
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Zingaretti P, Petta AM, Cruciani G, Spitoni GF. Tactile sensitivity, tactile acuity, and affective touch: from childhood to early adolescence. Somatosens Mot Res 2019; 36:90-96. [DOI: 10.1080/08990220.2019.1604334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Zingaretti
- Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Petta
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Cruciani
- Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
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Olczak D, Sukumar V, Pruszynski JA. Edge orientation perception during active touch. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2423-2429. [PMID: 30133382 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00280.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies investigating the perceptual attributes of tactile edge orientation processing have applied their stimuli to an immobilized fingertip. Here we tested the perceptual attributes of edge orientation processing when participants actively touched the stimulus. Our participants moved their finger over two pairs of edges, one pair parallel and the other nonparallel to varying degrees, and were asked to identify which of the two pairs was nonparallel. In addition to the psychophysical estimates of edge orientation acuity, we measured the speed at which participants moved their finger and the forces they exerted when moving their finger over the stimulus. We report four main findings. First, edge orientation acuity during active touch averaged 12.4°, similar to that previously reported during passive touch. Second, on average, participants moved their finger over the stimuli at ~20 mm/s and exerted contact forces of ~0.3 N. Third, there was no clear relationship between how people moved their finger or how they pressed on the stimulus and their edge orientation acuity. Fourth, consistent with previous work testing tactile spatial acuity, we found a significant correlation between fingertip size and orientation acuity such that people with smaller fingertips tended to have better orientation acuity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Edge orientation acuity expressed by the motor system during manipulation is many times better than edge orientation acuity assessed in psychophysical studies where stimuli are applied to a passive fingertip. Here we show that this advantage is not because of movement per se because edge orientation acuity assessed in a psychophysical task, where participants actively move their finger over the stimuli, yields results similar to previous passive psychophysical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Olczak
- Neuroscience Program, Western University , London, Ontario , Canada
| | | | - J Andrew Pruszynski
- Neuroscience Program, Western University , London, Ontario , Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University , London, Ontario , Canada.,Department of Psychology, Western University , London, Ontario , Canada.,Robarts Research Institute, Western University , London, Ontario , Canada.,Brain and Mind Institute, Western University , London, Ontario , Canada
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Relevance-dependent modulation of tactile suppression during active, passive and pantomime reach-to-grasp movements. Behav Brain Res 2018; 339:93-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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14
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Vibrotactile Thresholds on the Mastoid and Forehead Position of Deaf Patients Using Radioear B71 and B81. Ear Hear 2017; 38:714-723. [DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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15
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Mölbert SC, Sauer H, Dammann D, Zipfel S, Teufel M, Junne F, Enck P, Giel KE, Mack I. Multimodal Body Representation of Obese Children and Adolescents before and after Weight-Loss Treatment in Comparison to Normal-Weight Children. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166826. [PMID: 27875563 PMCID: PMC5119783 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The aim of the study was to investigate whether obese children and adolescents have a disturbed body representation as compared to normal-weight participants matched for age and gender and whether their body representation changes in the course of an inpatient weight-reduction program. Methods Sixty obese (OBE) and 27 normal-weight (NW) children and adolescents (age: 9–17) were assessed for body representation using a multi-method approach. Therefore, we assessed body size estimation, tactile size estimation, heartbeat detection accuracy, and attitudes towards one’s own body. OBE were examined upon admission and before discharge of an inpatient weight-reduction program. NW served as cross-sectional control group. Results Body size estimation and heartbeat detection accuracy were similar in OBE and NW. OBE overestimated sizes in tactile size estimation and were more dissatisfied with their body as compared to NW. In OBE but not in NW, several measures of body size estimation correlated with negative body evaluation. After weight-loss treatment, OBE had improved in heartbeat detection accuracy and were less dissatisfied with their body. None of the assessed variables predicted weight-loss success. Conclusions Although OBE children and adolescents generally perceived their body size and internal status of the body accurately, weight reduction improved their heartbeat detection accuracy and body dissatisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Claire Mölbert
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helene Sauer
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dirk Dammann
- Fachkliniken Wangen i.A., Children Rehabilitation Hospital for Respiratory Diseases, Allergies and Psychosomatics, Wangen i.A., Germany
| | - Stephan Zipfel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Teufel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Florian Junne
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Paul Enck
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Elisabeth Giel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Mack
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Taylor S, McLean B, Falkmer T, Carey L, Girdler S, Elliott C, Blair E. Does somatosensation change with age in children and adolescents? A systematic review. Child Care Health Dev 2016; 42:809-824. [PMID: 27470009 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Somatosensory modalities, such as touch, proprioception and haptic ability, greatly influence the achievement of developmental milestones for children. Describing somatosensory impairment, natural variability and typical or expected developmental changes across age groups will help establish frameworks for intervention in clinical populations. This systematic review aimed to determine how different somatosensory modalities develop across childhood into adolescence to use as a point of reference for children at risk of somatosensory impairment. METHODS Searches of five electronic databases were undertaken through EBSCO-host (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus and ERIC) for studies measuring at least one somatosensory modality in typically developing individuals between birth and 18 years and analysed by age. Characteristics of studies were collected including country of origin, sample size, demographics and outcome measure used. Quality assessment and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. RESULTS Twenty three cross-sectional studies were included from a total of 188 articles retrieved: 8 examined aspects of touch, 5 proprioception and 10 haptic ability. Variability of study designs and variation in assessment tools precluded any formal meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS Somatosensation matures through childhood into adolescence; however, the present review found the pattern of somatosensory development varied depending on the assessment tool used and the aspect of somatosensation being measured, making it difficult to describe typical performance. There is a need for comprehensive assessment batteries to measure the somatosensation, including touch, proprioception and haptic ability, of children at risk of somatosensory impairment to aid in the development of effective interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Taylor
- Faculty of Computing Health and Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia. .,School of Occupational Therapy and Social work, Curtin University, Perth, Australia. .,Department of Paediatric Rehabilitation, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia.
| | - B McLean
- School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.,Department of Paediatric Rehabilitation, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia
| | - T Falkmer
- School of Occupational Therapy and Social work, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - L Carey
- Neurorehabilitation and Recovery, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia.,Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - S Girdler
- School of Occupational Therapy and Social work, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Population Sciences, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Australia
| | - C Elliott
- School of Occupational Therapy and Social work, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Department of Paediatric Rehabilitation, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia
| | - E Blair
- Population Sciences, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Australia
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17
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Moshourab R, Frenzel H, Lechner S, Haseleu J, Bégay V, Omerbašić D, Lewin GR. Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27684317 DOI: 10.3791/52966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tests that allow the precise determination of psychophysical thresholds for vibration and grating orientation provide valuable information about mechanosensory function that are relevant for clinical diagnosis as well as for basic research. Here, we describe two psychophysical tests designed to determine the vibration detection threshold (automated system) and tactile spatial acuity (handheld device). Both procedures implement a two-interval forced-choice and a transformed-rule up and down experimental paradigm. These tests have been used to obtain mechanosensory profiles for individuals from distinct human cohorts such as twins or people with sensorineural deafness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabih Moshourab
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charite Universitätsmedzin, Campus Virchow Klinikum und Campus Charite Mitte; Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine;
| | - Henning Frenzel
- Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
| | | | - Julia Haseleu
- Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
| | - Valérie Bégay
- Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
| | - Damir Omerbašić
- Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
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18
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Peters RM, McKeown MD, Carpenter MG, Inglis JT. Losing touch: age-related changes in plantar skin sensitivity, lower limb cutaneous reflex strength, and postural stability in older adults. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:1848-1858. [PMID: 27489366 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00339.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related changes in the density, morphology, and physiology of plantar cutaneous receptors negatively impact the quality and quantity of balance-relevant information arising from the foot soles. Plantar perceptual sensitivity declines with age and may predict postural instability; however, alteration in lower limb cutaneous reflex strength may also explain greater instability in older adults and has yet to be investigated. We replicated the age-related decline in sensitivity by assessing monofilament and vibrotactile (30 and 250 Hz) detection thresholds near the first metatarsal head bilaterally in healthy young and older adults. We additionally applied continuous 30- and 250-Hz vibration to drive mechanically evoked reflex responses in the tibialis anterior muscle, measured via surface electromyography. To investigate potential relationships between plantar sensitivity, cutaneous reflex strength, and postural stability, we performed posturography in subjects during quiet standing without vision. Anteroposterior and mediolateral postural stability decreased with age, and increases in postural sway amplitude and frequency were significantly correlated with increases in plantar detection thresholds. With 30-Hz vibration, cutaneous reflexes were observed in 95% of young adults but in only 53% of older adults, and reflex gain, coherence, and cumulant density at 30 Hz were lower in older adults. Reflexes were not observed with 250-Hz vibration, suggesting this high-frequency cutaneous input is filtered out by motoneurons innervating tibialis anterior. Our findings have important implications for assessing the risk of balance impairment in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Peters
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Monica D McKeown
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mark G Carpenter
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; and International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - J Timothy Inglis
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; and International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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19
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McKeown MD, Peters RM, Pasman EP, McKeown MJ, Carpenter MG, Inglis JT. Plantar cutaneous function in Parkinson's disease patients ON and OFF L-dopa. Neurosci Lett 2016; 629:251-255. [PMID: 27424795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
While Parkinson's disease (PD) is traditionally viewed as a motor disorder, there is mounting evidence that somatosensory function becomes affected as well. However, conflicting reports exist regarding whether plantar sensitivity is reduced in early-onset PD patients. Plantar sensitivity was assessed using monofilaments and a gold-standard, two-interval two-alternative forced choice vibrotactile detection task at both 30 and 250Hz. Lower-limb cutaneous reflexes were assessed by delivering continuous, sinusoidal vibration at 30 and 250Hz while recording muscle activity in Tibialis Anterior. We found no evidence of elevated plantar thresholds or dysfunctional lower-limb cutaneous reflexes in PD patients ON medication. We also found no acute effect of ceasing L-dopa intake on either plantar sensitivity or cutaneous reflexes. Our finding of intact cutaneous function in PD supports the further exploration of therapeutics that enhance plantar sensitivity to minimize postural instability, a source of considerable morbidity in this clinical population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D McKeown
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ryan M Peters
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Elizabeth P Pasman
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Martin J McKeown
- Department of Medicine, Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark G Carpenter
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - J Timothy Inglis
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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20
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Peters RM, Staibano P, Goldreich D. Tactile orientation perception: an ideal observer analysis of human psychophysical performance in relation to macaque area 3b receptive fields. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:3076-96. [PMID: 26354318 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00631.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to resolve the orientation of edges is crucial to daily tactile and sensorimotor function, yet the means by which edge perception occurs is not well understood. Primate cortical area 3b neurons have diverse receptive field (RF) spatial structures that may participate in edge orientation perception. We evaluated five candidate RF models for macaque area 3b neurons, previously recorded while an oriented bar contacted the monkey's fingertip. We used a Bayesian classifier to assign each neuron a best-fit RF structure. We generated predictions for human performance by implementing an ideal observer that optimally decoded stimulus-evoked spike counts in the model neurons. The ideal observer predicted a saturating reduction in bar orientation discrimination threshold with increasing bar length. We tested 24 humans on an automated, precision-controlled bar orientation discrimination task and observed performance consistent with that predicted. We next queried the ideal observer to discover the RF structure and number of cortical neurons that best matched each participant's performance. Human perception was matched with a median of 24 model neurons firing throughout a 1-s period. The 10 lowest-performing participants were fit with RFs lacking inhibitory sidebands, whereas 12 of the 14 higher-performing participants were fit with RFs containing inhibitory sidebands. Participants whose discrimination improved as bar length increased to 10 mm were fit with longer RFs; those who performed well on the 2-mm bar, with narrower RFs. These results suggest plausible RF features and computational strategies underlying tactile spatial perception and may have implications for perceptual learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Peters
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Phillip Staibano
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Goldreich
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; and McMaster University Origins Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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