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Newell FN, McKenna E, Seveso MA, Devine I, Alahmad F, Hirst RJ, O'Dowd A. Multisensory perception constrains the formation of object categories: a review of evidence from sensory-driven and predictive processes on categorical decisions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220342. [PMID: 37545304 PMCID: PMC10404931 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although object categorization is a fundamental cognitive ability, it is also a complex process going beyond the perception and organization of sensory stimulation. Here we review existing evidence about how the human brain acquires and organizes multisensory inputs into object representations that may lead to conceptual knowledge in memory. We first focus on evidence for two processes on object perception, multisensory integration of redundant information (e.g. seeing and feeling a shape) and crossmodal, statistical learning of complementary information (e.g. the 'moo' sound of a cow and its visual shape). For both processes, the importance attributed to each sensory input in constructing a multisensory representation of an object depends on the working range of the specific sensory modality, the relative reliability or distinctiveness of the encoded information and top-down predictions. Moreover, apart from sensory-driven influences on perception, the acquisition of featural information across modalities can affect semantic memory and, in turn, influence category decisions. In sum, we argue that both multisensory processes independently constrain the formation of object categories across the lifespan, possibly through early and late integration mechanisms, respectively, to allow us to efficiently achieve the everyday, but remarkable, ability of recognizing objects. This article is part of the theme issue 'Decision and control processes in multisensory perception'.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. N. Newell
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - E. McKenna
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - M. A. Seveso
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - I. Devine
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - F. Alahmad
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - R. J. Hirst
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - A. O'Dowd
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
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2
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Henderson J, Mari T, Hewitt D, Newton‐Fenner A, Hopkinson A, Giesbrecht T, Marshall A, Stancak A, Fallon N. Tactile estimation of hedonic and sensory properties during active touch: An electroencephalography study. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3412-3431. [PMID: 37518981 PMCID: PMC10946733 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Perceptual judgements about our physical environment are informed by somatosensory information. In real-world exploration, this often involves dynamic hand movements to contact surfaces, termed active touch. The current study investigated cortical oscillatory changes during active exploration to inform the estimation of surface properties and hedonic preferences of two textured stimuli: smooth silk and rough hessian. A purpose-built touch sensor quantified active touch, and oscillatory brain activity was recorded from 129-channel electroencephalography. By fusing these data streams at a single trial level, oscillatory changes within the brain were examined while controlling for objective touch parameters (i.e., friction). Time-frequency analysis was used to quantify changes in cortical oscillatory activity in alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (16-24 Hz) frequency bands. Results reproduce findings from our lab, whereby active exploration of rough textures increased alpha-band event-related desynchronisation in contralateral sensorimotor areas. Hedonic processing of less preferred textures resulted in an increase in temporoparietal beta-band and frontal alpha-band event-related desynchronisation relative to most preferred textures, suggesting that higher order brain regions are involved in the hedonic processing of texture. Overall, the current study provides novel insight into the neural mechanisms underlying texture perception during active touch and how this process is influenced by cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tyler Mari
- School of PsychologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Alice Newton‐Fenner
- School of PsychologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Institute of Risk and UncertaintyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrew Hopkinson
- School of PsychologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Hopkinson ResearchWirralUK
| | - Timo Giesbrecht
- Unilever, Research and Development, Port SunlightBirkenheadUK
| | - Alan Marshall
- Department of Electrical Engineering and ElectronicsUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrej Stancak
- School of PsychologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Institute of Risk and UncertaintyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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García AM, Hesse E, Birba A, Adolfi F, Mikulan E, Caro MM, Petroni A, Bekinschtein TA, del Carmen García M, Silva W, Ciraolo C, Vaucheret E, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A. Time to Face Language: Embodied Mechanisms Underpin the Inception of Face-Related Meanings in the Human Brain. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:6051-6068. [PMID: 32577713 PMCID: PMC7673477 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In construing meaning, the brain recruits multimodal (conceptual) systems and embodied (modality-specific) mechanisms. Yet, no consensus exists on how crucial the latter are for the inception of semantic distinctions. To address this issue, we combined electroencephalographic (EEG) and intracranial EEG (iEEG) to examine when nouns denoting facial body parts (FBPs) and nonFBPs are discriminated in face-processing and multimodal networks. First, FBP words increased N170 amplitude (a hallmark of early facial processing). Second, they triggered fast (~100 ms) activity boosts within the face-processing network, alongside later (~275 ms) effects in multimodal circuits. Third, iEEG recordings from face-processing hubs allowed decoding ~80% of items before 200 ms, while classification based on multimodal-network activity only surpassed ~70% after 250 ms. Finally, EEG and iEEG connectivity between both networks proved greater in early (0-200 ms) than later (200-400 ms) windows. Collectively, our findings indicate that, at least for some lexico-semantic categories, meaning is construed through fast reenactments of modality-specific experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo M García
- Universidad de San Andrés, B1644BID Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), MM5502GKA Mendoza, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, 9170020 Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, CA 94158 San Francisco, USA
| | - Eugenia Hesse
- Universidad de San Andrés, B1644BID Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Birba
- Universidad de San Andrés, B1644BID Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federico Adolfi
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Mikulan
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco”, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Miguel Martorell Caro
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Petroni
- Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1063ACV Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada, Departamento de Computación, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, ICC-CONICET, C1063ACV Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - María del Carmen García
- Programa de Cirugía de Epilepsia, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Walter Silva
- Programa de Cirugía de Epilepsia, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos Ciraolo
- Programa de Cirugía de Epilepsia, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Esteban Vaucheret
- Programa de Cirugía de Epilepsia, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Universidad de San Andrés, B1644BID Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, CA 94158 San Francisco, USA
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, 8320000, Santiago, Chile
- Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, 080003, Barranquilla, Colombia
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Locating neural transfer effects of n-back training on the central executive: a longitudinal fMRI study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5226. [PMID: 32251354 PMCID: PMC7089996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62067-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The large number of behavioral studies testing whether working memory training improves performance on an untrained task have yielded inconclusive results. Moreover, some studies have investigated the possible neural changes during the performance of untrained tasks after training. Here, we studied the transfer from n-back training to the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), two different tasks that use the central executive system to maintain verbal stimuli. Participants completed fMRI sessions at baseline, immediately after one week of training, and at the five-week follow-up. Although behavioral transfer effects were not obtained, training was associated with decreased activation in the anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; BA 9/46) while performing the PASAT that remained stable five weeks later. Consistent with our hypothesis, the changes in the anterior DLFPC largely overlapped with the n-back task fMRI activations. In conclusion, working memory training improves efficiency in brain areas involved in the trained task that may affect untrained tasks, specifically in brain areas responsible for the same cognitive processes.
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Zhao J, Liu H, Li J, Sun H, Liu Z, Gao J, Liu Y, Huang C. Improving sentence reading performance in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia by training based on visual attention span. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18964. [PMID: 31831849 PMCID: PMC6908582 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55624-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in the visual attention span (VAS) are thought to hamper reading performance in dyslexic individuals. However, the causal relationship between VAS deficits and reading disability remains unclear. The present study attempts to address this issue by using a VAS-based intervention to explore the possible influence of VAS on reading processes in Chinese children with dyslexia. Given the influence of the heterogeneity of dyslexia on intervention effects, VAS-impaired dyslexic and VAS-intact dyslexic individuals were separately trained. Therefore, there were five groups of participants in this study, including 10 trained dyslexic individuals with VAS deficits and 10 untrained dyslexic individuals with VAS dysfunction as the baseline reference, 10 trained and 10 untrained dyslexic individuals with an intact VAS, and fourteen age-matched normal readers for reference of normal level. All participants completed reading measures and a visual 1-back task, reflecting VAS capacity with non-verbal stimuli and non-verbal responses, before and after VAS-based training. VAS-based training tasks included a length estimation task regarding the bottom-up attention, visual search and digit cancelling tasks targeting top-down attentional modulation, and visual tracking tasks to train eye-movement control. The results showed that visual training only helped improve VAS skills in VAS-impaired dyslexic individuals receiving training. Meanwhile, their silent sentence reading accuracy improved after training, and there was a significant relationship between training improvements in VAS function and reading performance. The current findings suggest that VAS-based training has a far-transfer effect on linguistic level (i.e., fluent reading). These findings suggest the possibility that VAS-related training may help children with dyslexia improve their reading skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Hanlong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Haixia Sun
- Yang Zhen Central Primary School, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanhong Liu
- Yang Zhen Central Primary School, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Gao
- Yang Zhen Central Primary School, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Yang Zhen Central Primary School, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Huang
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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