1
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Colmant L, Bierbrauer A, Bellaali Y, Kunz L, Van Dongen J, Sleegers K, Axmacher N, Lefèvre P, Hanseeuw B. Dissociating effects of aging and genetic risk of sporadic Alzheimer's disease on path integration. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 131:170-181. [PMID: 37672944 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Path integration is a spatial navigation ability that requires the integration of information derived from self-motion cues and stable landmarks, when available, to return to a previous location. Path integration declines with age and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we sought to separate the effects of age and AD risk on path integration, with and without a landmark. Overall, 279 people participated, aged between 18 and 80 years old. Advanced age impaired the appropriate use of a landmark. Older participants furthermore remembered the location of the goal relative to their starting location and reproduced this initial view without considering that they had moved in the environment. This lack of adaptative behavior was not associated with AD risk. In contrast, participants at genetic risk of AD (apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers) exhibited a pure path integration deficit, corresponding to difficulty in performing path integration in the absence of a landmark. Our results show that advanced-age impacts landmark-supported path integration, and that this age effect is dissociable from the effects of AD risk impacting pure path integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Colmant
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Anne Bierbrauer
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Lukas Kunz
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jasper Van Dongen
- VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kristel Sleegers
- VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
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2
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Guénot J, Trotter Y, Delaval A, Baurès R, Soler V, Cottereau BR. Processing of translational, radial and rotational optic flow in older adults. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15312. [PMID: 37714896 PMCID: PMC10504320 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42479-2] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging impacts human observer's performance in a wide range of visual tasks and notably in motion discrimination. Despite numerous studies, we still poorly understand how optic flow processing is impacted in healthy older adults. Here, we estimated motion coherence thresholds in two groups of younger (age: 18-30, n = 42) and older (70-90, n = 42) adult participants for the three components of optic flow (translational, radial and rotational patterns). Stimuli were dynamic random-dot kinematograms (RDKs) projected on a large screen. Participants had to report their perceived direction of motion (leftward versus rightward for translational, inward versus outward for radial and clockwise versus anti-clockwise for rotational patterns). Stimuli had an average speed of 7°/s (additional recordings were performed at 14°/s) and were either presented full-field or in peripheral vision. Statistical analyses showed that thresholds in older adults were similar to those measured in younger participants for translational patterns, thresholds for radial patterns were significantly increased in our slowest condition and thresholds for rotational patterns were significantly decreased. Altogether, these findings support the idea that aging does not lead to a general decline in visual perception but rather has specific effects on the processing of each optic flow component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Guénot
- Brain and Cognition Research Center, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France.
| | - Yves Trotter
- Brain and Cognition Research Center, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France
| | - Angélique Delaval
- Brain and Cognition Research Center, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France
| | - Robin Baurès
- Brain and Cognition Research Center, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Soler
- Brain and Cognition Research Center, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France
- Hôpital Purpan, Unité de Rétine - CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Benoit R Cottereau
- Brain and Cognition Research Center, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France.
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3
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Zhou R, Belge T, Wolbers T. Reaching the Goal: Superior Navigators in Late Adulthood Provide a Novel Perspective into Successful Cognitive Aging. Top Cogn Sci 2023; 15:15-45. [PMID: 35582831 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Normal aging is typically associated with declines in navigation and spatial memory abilities. However, increased interindividual variability in performance across various navigation/spatial memory tasks is also evident with advancing age. In this review paper, we shed the spotlight on those older individuals who exhibit exceptional, sometimes even youth-like navigational/spatial memory abilities. Importantly, we (1) showcase observations from existing studies that demonstrate superior navigation/spatial memory performance in late adulthood, (2) explore possible cognitive correlates and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these preserved spatial abilities, and (3) discuss the potential link between the superior navigators in late adulthood and SuperAgers (older adults with superior episodic memory). In the closing section, given the lack of studies that directly focus on this subpopulation, we highlight several important directions that future studies could look into to better understand the cognitive characteristics of older superior navigators and the factors enabling such successful cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruojing Zhou
- Aging, Cognition and Technology Lab, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
| | - Tuğçe Belge
- Aging, Cognition and Technology Lab, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging, Cognition and Technology Lab, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg
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4
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Gabriel GA, Harris LR, Henriques DYP, Pandi M, Campos JL. Multisensory visual-vestibular training improves visual heading estimation in younger and older adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:816512. [PMID: 36092809 PMCID: PMC9452741 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.816512] [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: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-motion perception (e.g., when walking/driving) relies on the integration of multiple sensory cues including visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive signals. Changes in the efficacy of multisensory integration have been observed in older adults (OA), which can sometimes lead to errors in perceptual judgments and have been associated with functional declines such as increased falls risk. The objectives of this study were to determine whether passive, visual-vestibular self-motion heading perception could be improved by providing feedback during multisensory training, and whether training-related effects might be more apparent in OAs vs. younger adults (YA). We also investigated the extent to which training might transfer to improved standing-balance. OAs and YAs were passively translated and asked to judge their direction of heading relative to straight-ahead (left/right). Each participant completed three conditions: (1) vestibular-only (passive physical motion in the dark), (2) visual-only (cloud-of-dots display), and (3) bimodal (congruent vestibular and visual stimulation). Measures of heading precision and bias were obtained for each condition. Over the course of 3 days, participants were asked to make bimodal heading judgments and were provided with feedback (“correct”/“incorrect”) on 900 training trials. Post-training, participants’ biases, and precision in all three sensory conditions (vestibular, visual, bimodal), and their standing-balance performance, were assessed. Results demonstrated improved overall precision (i.e., reduced JNDs) in heading perception after training. Pre- vs. post-training difference scores showed that improvements in JNDs were only found in the visual-only condition. Particularly notable is that 27% of OAs initially could not discriminate their heading at all in the visual-only condition pre-training, but subsequently obtained thresholds in the visual-only condition post-training that were similar to those of the other participants. While OAs seemed to show optimal integration pre- and post-training (i.e., did not show significant differences between predicted and observed JNDs), YAs only showed optimal integration post-training. There were no significant effects of training for bimodal or vestibular-only heading estimates, nor standing-balance performance. These results indicate that it may be possible to improve unimodal (visual) heading perception using a multisensory (visual-vestibular) training paradigm. The results may also help to inform interventions targeting tasks for which effective self-motion perception is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A. Gabriel
- KITE-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laurence R. Harris
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Denise Y. P. Henriques
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Kinesiology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maryam Pandi
- KITE-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer L. Campos
- KITE-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Jennifer L. Campos,
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5
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Murovec B, Spaniol J, Campos JL, Keshavarz B. Enhanced vection in older adults: Evidence for age-related effects in multisensory vection experiences. Perception 2022; 51:3010066221113770. [PMID: 35942780 PMCID: PMC9478596 DOI: 10.1177/03010066221113770] [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: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The illusion of self-motion (vection) is a multisensory phenomenon elicited by visual, auditory, tactile, or other sensory cues. Aging is often associated with changes in sensory acuity, visual motion perception, and multisensory integration, processes which may influence vection perception. However, age-related differences in vection have received little study to date. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in vection during multisensory stimulation. Nineteen younger adults and 19 older adults were exposed to rotating visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli (separately or in combination) at a speed of 45°/s inside a VR laboratory inducing circular vection. The size of the field-of-view (FOV) was large (240°), medium (75°), small (30°), or contained no visuals. Vection intensity and duration were reported verbally after each trial. Overall, older adults experienced significantly stronger and longer vection compared to younger adults. Additionally, there were main effects of FOV and sensory cues, such that larger FOVs and the presence of auditory and tactile stimulation increased vection ratings for both age groups. These findings support the idea that vection is a multisensory experience that can be elicited by visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli and demonstrates these effects for the first time in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandy Murovec
- The KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation
Institute-University Health Network, Canada; Toronto Metropolitan University,
Canada
| | | | - Jennifer L. Campos
- The KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation
Institute-University Health Network, Canada; University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Behrang Keshavarz
- The KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation
Institute-University Health Network Canada; Toronto Metropolitan University,
Canada
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6
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Segen V, Ying J, Morgan E, Brandon M, Wolbers T. Path integration in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 26:142-158. [PMID: 34872838 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review we discuss converging evidence from human and rodent research demonstrating how path integration (PI) is impaired in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and point to the neural mechanisms that underlie these deficits. Importantly, we highlight that (i) the grid cell network in the entorhinal cortex is crucial for PI in both humans and rodents, (ii) PI deficits are present in healthy aging and are significantly more pronounced in patients with early-stage AD, (iii) compromised entorhinal grid cell computations in healthy older adults and in young adults at risk of AD are linked to PI deficits, and (iv) PI and grid cell deficits may serve as sensitive markers for pathological decline in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislava Segen
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
| | - Johnson Ying
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Erik Morgan
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mark Brandon
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
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7
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Schmitt C, Schwenk JCB, Schütz A, Churan J, Kaminiarz A, Bremmer F. Preattentive processing of visually guided self-motion in humans and monkeys. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 205:102117. [PMID: 34224808 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The visually-based control of self-motion is a challenging task, requiring - if needed - immediate adjustments to keep on track. Accordingly, it would appear advantageous if the processing of self-motion direction (heading) was predictive, thereby accelerating the encoding of unexpected changes, and un-impaired by attentional load. We tested this hypothesis by recording EEG in humans and macaque monkeys with similar experimental protocols. Subjects viewed a random dot pattern simulating self-motion across a ground plane in an oddball EEG paradigm. Standard and deviant trials differed only in their simulated heading direction (forward-left vs. forward-right). Event-related potentials (ERPs) were compared in order to test for the occurrence of a visual mismatch negativity (vMMN), a component that reflects preattentive and likely also predictive processing of sensory stimuli. Analysis of the ERPs revealed signatures of a prediction mismatch for deviant stimuli in both humans and monkeys. In humans, a MMN was observed starting 110 ms after self-motion onset. In monkeys, peak response amplitudes following deviant stimuli were enhanced compared to the standard already 100 ms after self-motion onset. We consider our results strong evidence for a preattentive processing of visual self-motion information in humans and monkeys, allowing for ultrafast adjustments of their heading direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Schmitt
- Dept. Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Germany.
| | - Jakob C B Schwenk
- Dept. Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Germany.
| | - Adrian Schütz
- Dept. Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Germany.
| | - Jan Churan
- Dept. Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Germany.
| | - André Kaminiarz
- Dept. Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Germany.
| | - Frank Bremmer
- Dept. Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Germany.
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8
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Churan J, Kaminiarz A, Schwenk JCB, Bremmer F. Action-dependent processing of self-motion in parietal cortex of macaque monkeys. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2432-2443. [PMID: 34010579 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00049.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful interaction with the environment requires the dissociation of self-induced from externally induced sensory stimulation. Temporal proximity of action and effect is hereby often used as an indicator of whether an observed event should be interpreted as a result of own actions or not. We tested how the delay between an action (press of a touch bar) and an effect (onset of simulated self-motion) influences the processing of visually simulated self-motion in the ventral intraparietal area (VIP) of macaque monkeys. We found that a delay between the action and the start of the self-motion stimulus led to a rise of activity above the baseline activity before motion onset in a subpopulation of 21% of the investigated neurons. In the responses to the stimulus, we found a significantly lower sustained activity when the press of a touch bar and the motion onset were contiguous compared to the condition when the motion onset was delayed. We speculate that this weak inhibitory effect might be part of a mechanism that sharpens the tuning of VIP neurons during self-induced motion and thus has the potential to increase the precision of heading information that is required to adjust the orientation of self-motion in everyday navigational tasks.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neurons in macaque ventral intraparietal area (VIP) are responding to sensory stimulation related to self-motion, e.g. visual optic flow. Here, we found that self-motion induced activation depends on the sense of agency, i.e., it differed when optic flow was perceived as self- or externally induced. This demonstrates that area VIP is well suited for study of the interplay between active behavior and sensory processing during self-motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Churan
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andre Kaminiarz
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jakob C B Schwenk
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Frank Bremmer
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Marburg, Germany
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9
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Zhang JX, Wang L, Hou HY, Yue CL, Wang L, Li HJ. Age-related impairment of navigation and strategy in virtual star maze. BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:108. [PMID: 33546606 PMCID: PMC7866711 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02034-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although it is well known that aging impairs navigation performance, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Egocentric strategy requires navigators to remember a series of body-turns without relying on the relationship between environmental cues. Previous study suggested that the egocentric strategy, compared with non-egocentric strategy, was relatively unimpaired during aging. In this study, we aimed to examine strategy use during virtual navigation task and the underlying cognitive supporting mechanisms in older adults. Methods Thirty young adults and thirty-one older adults were recruited from the local community. This study adapted star maze paradigm using non-immersive virtual environment. Participants moved freely in a star maze with adequate landmarks, and were requested to find a fixed destination. After 9 learning trials, participants were probed in the same virtual star maze but with no salient landmarks. Participants were classified as egocentric or non-egocentric strategy group according to their response in the probe trial. Results The results revealed that older adults adopting egocentric strategy completed the navigation task as accurate as young adults, whereas older adults using non-egocentric strategy completed the navigation task with more detours and lower accuracy. The relatively well-maintained egocentric strategy in older adults was related to better visuo-spatial ability. Conclusions Visuo-spatial ability might play an important role in navigation accuracy and navigation strategy of older adults. This study demonstrated the potential value of the virtual star maze in evaluating navigation strategy and visuo-spatial ability in older adults. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02034-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hai-Yan Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chun-Lin Yue
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215021, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Hui-Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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10
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Burlingham CS, Heeger DJ. Heading perception depends on time-varying evolution of optic flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:33161-33169. [PMID: 33328275 PMCID: PMC7776640 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022984117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable support for the hypothesis that perception of heading in the presence of rotation is mediated by instantaneous optic flow. This hypothesis, however, has never been tested. We introduce a method, termed "nonvarying phase motion," for generating a stimulus that conveys a single instantaneous optic flow field, even though the stimulus is presented for an extended period of time. In this experiment, observers viewed stimulus videos and performed a forced-choice heading discrimination task. For nonvarying phase motion, observers made large errors in heading judgments. This suggests that instantaneous optic flow is insufficient for heading perception in the presence of rotation. These errors were mostly eliminated when the velocity of phase motion was varied over time to convey the evolving sequence of optic flow fields corresponding to a particular heading. This demonstrates that heading perception in the presence of rotation relies on the time-varying evolution of optic flow. We hypothesize that the visual system accurately computes heading, despite rotation, based on optic acceleration, the temporal derivative of optic flow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David J Heeger
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003;
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003
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11
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Bury NA, Jenkin MR, Allison RS, Harris LR. Perceiving jittering self-motion in a field of lollipops from ages 4 to 95. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241087. [PMID: 33095827 PMCID: PMC7584255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An internal model of self-motion provides a fundamental basis for action in our daily lives, yet little is known about its development. The ability to control self-motion develops in youth and often deteriorates with advanced age. Self-motion generates relative motion between the viewer and the environment. Thus, the smoothness of the visual motion created will vary as control improves. Here, we study the influence of the smoothness of visually simulated self-motion on an observer's ability to judge how far they have travelled over a wide range of ages. Previous studies were typically highly controlled and concentrated on university students. But are such populations representative of the general public? And are there developmental and sex effects? Here, estimates of distance travelled (visual odometry) during visually induced self-motion were obtained from 466 participants drawn from visitors to a public science museum. Participants were presented with visual motion that simulated forward linear self-motion through a field of lollipops using a head-mounted virtual reality display. They judged the distance of their simulated motion by indicating when they had reached the position of a previously presented target. The simulated visual motion was presented with or without horizontal or vertical sinusoidal jitter. Participants' responses indicated that they felt they travelled further in the presence of vertical jitter. The effectiveness of the display increased with age over all jitter conditions. The estimated time for participants to feel that they had started to move also increased slightly with age. There were no differences between the sexes. These results suggest that age should be taken into account when generating motion in a virtual reality environment. Citizen science studies like this can provide a unique and valuable insight into perceptual processes in a truly representative sample of people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils-Alexander Bury
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dept. of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Visual Computing, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Michael R. Jenkin
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert S. Allison
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laurence R. Harris
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dept. of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Schmitt C, Baltaretu BR, Crawford JD, Bremmer F. A Causal Role of Area hMST for Self-Motion Perception in Humans. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa042. [PMID: 34296111 PMCID: PMC8152865 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies in the macaque monkey have provided clear causal evidence for an involvement of the medial-superior-temporal area (MST) in the perception of self-motion. These studies also revealed an overrepresentation of contraversive heading. Human imaging studies have identified a functional equivalent (hMST) of macaque area MST. Yet, causal evidence of hMST in heading perception is lacking. We employed neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to test for such a causal relationship. We expected TMS over hMST to induce increased perceptual variance (i.e., impaired precision), while leaving mean heading perception (accuracy) unaffected. We presented 8 human participants with an optic flow stimulus simulating forward self-motion across a ground plane in one of 3 directions. Participants indicated perceived heading. In 57% of the trials, TMS pulses were applied, temporally centered on self-motion onset. TMS stimulation site was either right-hemisphere hMST, identified by a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) localizer, or a control-area, just outside the fMRI localizer activation. As predicted, TMS over area hMST, but not over the control-area, increased response variance of perceived heading as compared with noTMS stimulation trials. As hypothesized, this effect was strongest for contraversive self-motion. These data provide a first causal evidence for a critical role of hMST in visually guided navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Schmitt
- Department of Neurophysics, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior-CMBB, University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany.,International Research Training Group 1901: The Brain in Action
| | - Bianca R Baltaretu
- International Research Training Group 1901: The Brain in Action.,Centre for Vision Research and Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) Program, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Douglas Crawford
- International Research Training Group 1901: The Brain in Action.,Centre for Vision Research and Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) Program, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Departments of Psychology, Biology, Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank Bremmer
- Department of Neurophysics, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior-CMBB, University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany.,International Research Training Group 1901: The Brain in Action
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13
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Distinct forms of motion sensitivity impairments in Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12931. [PMID: 31506450 PMCID: PMC6736838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Motion sensitivity impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is often characterized as elevated coherence threshold. An alternative way to measure motion sensitivity is the direction threshold, i.e., the minimal angle of motion direction that can be discriminated. So far, it is less clear whether and how the direction threshold is altered in AD. Here we asked a group of AD patients and two control groups of healthy participants (young and elderly adults) to judge their perceived heading direction based on a field of optic flow stimuli simulating a forward translation in the environment. We manipulated the heading direction and the coherence of the optic flow independently and measured the direction and coherence thresholds from each participant. We found that the direction threshold increased significantly in AD patients as compared to healthy controls, like the coherence threshold. Yet, the elevation in the direction threshold was less pronounced than the coherence threshold. Moreover, the magnitudes of the direction and coherence thresholds in AD patients were not correlated. Our results suggest that coherence and direction impairments are two distinct forms of motion deficits in AD patients which might be associated with independent neural mechanisms.
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Age-Related Differences in Visual Perception Between People Aged from 7 to 83: an Eye-Tracking Study. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00142-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta Billino
- Abteilung Allgemeine Psychologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Karin S. Pilz
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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16
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Kuehn E, Perez-Lopez MB, Diersch N, Döhler J, Wolbers T, Riemer M. Embodiment in the aging mind. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 86:207-225. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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17
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Roudaia E, Calabro F, Vaina L, Newell F. Aging Impairs Audiovisual Facilitation of Object Motion Within Self-Motion. Multisens Res 2018; 31:251-272. [DOI: 10.1163/22134808-00002600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The presence of a moving sound has been shown to facilitate the detection of an independently moving visual target embedded among an array of identical moving objects simulating forward self-motion (Calabro et al., Proc. R. Soc. B, 2011). Given that the perception of object motion within self-motion declines with aging, we investigated whether older adults can also benefit from the presence of a congruent dynamic sound when detecting object motion within self-motion. Visual stimuli consisted of nine identical spheres randomly distributed inside a virtual rectangular prism. For 1 s, all the spheres expanded outward simulating forward observer translation at a constant speed. One of the spheres (the target) had independent motion either approaching or moving away from the observer at three different speeds. In the visual condition, stimuli contained no sound. In the audiovisual condition, the visual stimulus was accompanied by a broadband noise sound co-localized with the target, whose loudness increased or decreased congruent with the target’s direction. Participants reported which of the spheres had independent motion. Younger participants showed higher target detection accuracy in the audiovisual compared to the visual condition at the slowest speed level. Older participants showed overall poorer target detection accuracy than the younger participants, but the presence of the sound had no effect on older participants’ target detection accuracy at either speed level. These results indicate that aging may impair cross-modal integration in some contexts. Potential reasons for the absence of auditory facilitation in older adults are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenie Roudaia
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Finnegan J. Calabro
- Brain and Vision Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lucia M. Vaina
- Brain and Vision Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fiona N. Newell
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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18
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Lester AW, Moffat SD, Wiener JM, Barnes CA, Wolbers T. The Aging Navigational System. Neuron 2017; 95:1019-1035. [PMID: 28858613 PMCID: PMC5659315 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of neuronal systems dedicated to computing spatial information, composed of functionally distinct cell types such as place and grid cells, combined with an extensive body of human-based behavioral and neuroimaging research has provided us with a detailed understanding of the brain's navigation circuit. In this review, we discuss emerging evidence from rodents, non-human primates, and humans that demonstrates how cognitive aging affects the navigational computations supported by these systems. Critically, we show 1) that navigational deficits cannot solely be explained by general deficits in learning and memory, 2) that there is no uniform decline across different navigational computations, and 3) that navigational deficits might be sensitive markers for impending pathological decline. Following an introduction to the mechanisms underlying spatial navigation and how they relate to general processes of learning and memory, the review discusses how aging affects the perception and integration of spatial information, the creation and storage of memory traces for spatial information, and the use of spatial information during navigational behavior. The closing section highlights the clinical potential of behavioral and neural markers of spatial navigation, with a particular emphasis on neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam W Lester
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Division of Neural Systems, Memory and Aging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Scott D Moffat
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| | - Jan M Wiener
- Department of Psychology, Ageing and Dementia Institute, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
| | - Carol A Barnes
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Division of Neural Systems, Memory and Aging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Departments of Psychology, Neurology, and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Aging and Cognition Research Group, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany.
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Ramkhalawansingh R, Keshavarz B, Haycock B, Shahab S, Campos JL. Examining the Effect of Age on Visual–Vestibular Self-Motion Perception Using a Driving Paradigm. Perception 2016; 46:566-585. [DOI: 10.1177/0301006616675883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous psychophysical research has examined how younger adults and non-human primates integrate visual and vestibular cues to perceive self-motion. However, there is much to be learned about how multisensory self-motion perception changes with age, and how these changes affect performance on everyday tasks involving self-motion. Evidence suggests that older adults display heightened multisensory integration compared with younger adults; however, few previous studies have examined this for visual–vestibular integration. To explore age differences in the way that visual and vestibular cues contribute to self-motion perception, we had younger and older participants complete a basic driving task containing visual and vestibular cues. We compared their performance against a previously established control group that experienced visual cues alone. Performance measures included speed, speed variability, and lateral position. Vestibular inputs resulted in more precise speed control among older adults, but not younger adults, when traversing curves. Older adults demonstrated more variability in lateral position when vestibular inputs were available versus when they were absent. These observations align with previous evidence of age-related differences in multisensory integration and demonstrate that they may extend to visual–vestibular integration. These findings may have implications for vehicle and simulator design when considering older users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Ramkhalawansingh
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada; Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Canada
| | - Behrang Keshavarz
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Canada; Department of Psychology, Ryerson University
| | - Bruce Haycock
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Canada; Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Saba Shahab
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Jennifer L. Campos
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada
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Dowiasch S, Marx S, Einhäuser W, Bremmer F. Effects of aging on eye movements in the real world. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:46. [PMID: 25713524 PMCID: PMC4322726 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of aging on eye movements are well studied in the laboratory. Increased saccade latencies or decreased smooth-pursuit gain are well established findings. The question remains whether these findings are influenced by the rather untypical environment of a laboratory; that is, whether or not they transfer to the real world. We measured 34 healthy participants between the age of 25 and 85 during two everyday tasks in the real world: (I) walking down a hallway with free gaze, (II) visual tracking of an earth-fixed object while walking straight-ahead. Eye movements were recorded with a mobile light-weight eye tracker, the EyeSeeCam (ESC). We find that age significantly influences saccade parameters. With increasing age, saccade frequency, amplitude, peak velocity, and mean velocity are reduced and the velocity/amplitude distribution as well as the velocity profile become less skewed. In contrast to laboratory results on smooth pursuit, we did not find a significant effect of age on tracking eye-movements in the real world. Taken together, age-related eye-movement changes as measured in the laboratory only partly resemble those in the real world. It is well-conceivable that in the real world additional sensory cues, such as head-movement or vestibular signals, may partially compensate for age-related effects, which, according to this view, would be specific to early motion processing. In any case, our results highlight the importance of validity for natural situations when studying the impact of aging on real-life performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Dowiasch
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Svenja Marx
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Einhäuser
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Frank Bremmer
- Department of Neurophysics, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
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