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Kent L. Mental Gravity: Depression as Spacetime Curvature of the Self, Mind, and Brain. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:1275. [PMID: 37761574 PMCID: PMC10528036 DOI: 10.3390/e25091275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The principle of mental gravity contends that the mind uses physical gravity as a mental model or simulacrum to express the relation between the inner self and the outer world in terms of "UP"-ness and "DOWN"-ness. The simulation of increased gravity characterises a continuum of mental gravity which states includes depression as the paradigmatic example of being down, low, heavy, and slow. The physics of gravity can also be used to model spacetime curvature in depression, particularly gravitational time dilation as a property of MG analogous to subjective time dilation (i.e., the slowing of temporal flow in conscious experience). The principle has profound implications for the Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) with regard to temporo-spatial alignment that establishes a "world-brain relation" that is centred on embodiment and the socialisation of conscious states. The principle of mental gravity provides the TTC with a way to incorporate the structure of the world into the structure of the brain, conscious experience, and thought. In concert with other theories of cognitive and neurobiological spacetime, the TTC can also work towards the "common currency" approach that also potentially connects the TTC to predictive processing frameworks such as free energy, neuronal gauge theories, and active inference accounts of depression. It gives the up/down dimension of space, as defined by the gravitational field, a unique status that is connected to both our embodied interaction with the physical world, and also the inverse, reflective, emotional but still embodied experience of ourselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Kent
- Mental Wellbeing Initiatives, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
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2
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Gammeri R, Salatino A, Pyasik M, Cirillo E, Zavattaro C, Serra H, Pia L, Roberts DR, Berti A, Ricci R. Modulation of vestibular input by short-term head-down bed rest affects somatosensory perception: implications for space missions. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1197278. [PMID: 37529715 PMCID: PMC10390228 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1197278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction On Earth, self-produced somatosensory stimuli are typically perceived as less intense than externally generated stimuli of the same intensity, a phenomenon referred to as somatosensory attenuation (SA). Although this phenomenon arises from the integration of multisensory signals, the specific contribution of the vestibular system and the sense of gravity to somatosensory cognition underlying distinction between self-generated and externally generated sensations remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether temporary modulation of the gravitational input by head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR)-a well-known Earth-based analog of microgravity-might significantly affect somatosensory perception of self- and externally generated stimuli. Methods In this study, 40 healthy participants were tested using short-term HDBR. Participants received a total of 40 non-painful self- and others generated electrical stimuli (20 self- and 20 other-generated stimuli) in an upright and HDBR position while blindfolded. After each stimulus, they were asked to rate the perceived intensity of the stimulation on a Likert scale. Results Somatosensory stimulations were perceived as significantly less intense during HDBR compared to upright position, regardless of the agent administering the stimulus. In addition, the magnitude of SA in upright position was negatively correlated with the participants' somatosensory threshold. Based on the direction of SA in the upright position, participants were divided in two subgroups. In the subgroup experiencing SA, the intensity rating of stimulations generated by others decreased significantly during HDBR, leading to the disappearance of the phenomenon of SA. In the second subgroup, on the other hand, reversed SA was not affected by HDBR. Conclusion Modulation of the gravitational input by HDBR produced underestimation of somatosensory stimuli. Furthermore, in participants experiencing SA, the reduction of vestibular inputs by HDBR led to the disappearance of the SA phenomenon. These findings provide new insights into the role of the gravitational input in somatosensory perception and have important implications for astronauts who are exposed to weightlessness during space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Gammeri
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriana Salatino
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Pyasik
- SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness (SAMBA) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cirillo
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Claudio Zavattaro
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Hilary Serra
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pia
- SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness (SAMBA) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Donna R. Roberts
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Anna Berti
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness (SAMBA) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ricci
- Space, Attention and Action (SAN) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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3
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Gammeri R, Léonard J, Toupet M, Hautefort C, van Nechel C, Besnard S, Machado ML, Nakul E, Montava M, Lavieille JP, Lopez C. Navigation strategies in patients with vestibular loss tested in a virtual reality T-maze. J Neurol 2022; 269:4333-4348. [PMID: 35306619 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11069-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
During navigation, humans mainly rely on egocentric and allocentric spatial strategies, two different frames of reference working together to build a coherent representation of the environment. Spatial memory deficits during navigation have been repeatedly reported in patients with vestibular disorders. However, little is known about how vestibular disorders can change the use of spatial navigation strategies. Here, we used a new reverse T-maze paradigm in virtual reality to explore whether vestibular loss specifically modifies the use of egocentric or allocentric spatial strategies in patients with unilateral (n = 23) and bilateral (n = 23) vestibular loss compared to healthy volunteers (n = 23) matched for age, sex and education level. Results showed that the odds of selecting and using a specific strategy in the T-maze were significantly reduced in both unilateral and bilateral vestibular loss. An exploratory analysis suggests that only right vestibular loss decreased the odds of adopting a spatial strategy, indicating an asymmetry of vestibular functions. When considering patients who used strategies to navigate, we observed that a bilateral vestibular loss reduced the odds to use an allocentric strategy, whereas a unilateral vestibular loss decreased the odds to use an egocentric strategy. Age was significantly associated with an overall lower chance to adopt a navigation strategy and, more specifically, with a decrease in the odds of using an allocentric strategy. We did not observe any sex difference in the ability to select and use a specific navigation strategy. Findings are discussed in light of previous studies on visuo-spatial abilities and studies of vestibulo-hippocampal interactions in peripheral vestibular disorders. We discuss the potential impact of the history of the disease (chronic stage in patients with a bilateral vestibulopathy vs. subacute stage in patients with a unilateral vestibular loss), of hearing impairment and non-specific attentional deficits in patients with vestibular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Gammeri
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, LNC, FR3C, Marseille, France.,Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Jacques Léonard
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, LNC, FR3C, Marseille, France
| | - Michel Toupet
- IRON, Institut de Recherche en Oto-Neurologie, Paris, France.,Centre d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Oto-Neurologiques, Paris, France
| | - Charlotte Hautefort
- IRON, Institut de Recherche en Oto-Neurologie, Paris, France.,Service ORL, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France
| | - Christian van Nechel
- IRON, Institut de Recherche en Oto-Neurologie, Paris, France.,Unité Troubles de L'Équilibre Et Vertiges, CHU Brugmann, Bruxelles, Belgium.,Unité de Neuro-Ophtalmologie, CHU Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium.,Clinique Des Vertiges, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | | | | | - Estelle Nakul
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, LNC, FR3C, Marseille, France
| | - Marion Montava
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hôpital La Conception, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavieille
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hôpital La Conception, APHM, Marseille, France
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4
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Tekgün E, Erdeniz B. Contributions of Body-Orientation to Mental Ball Dropping Task During Out-of-Body Experiences. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 15:781935. [PMID: 35058754 PMCID: PMC8764241 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.781935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) provide fascinating insights into our understanding of bodily self-consciousness and the workings of the brain. Studies that examined individuals with brain lesions reported that OBEs are generally characterized by participants experiencing themselves outside their physical body (i.e., disembodied feeling) (Blanke and Arzy, 2005). Based on such a characterization, it has been shown that it is possible to create virtual OBEs in immersive virtual environments (Ehrsson, 2007; Ionta et al., 2011b; Bourdin et al., 2017). However, the extent to which body-orientation influences virtual OBEs is not well-understood. Thus, in the present study, 30 participants (within group design) experienced a full-body ownership illusion (synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation only) induced with a gender-matched full-body virtual avatar seen from the first-person perspective (1PP). At the beginning of the experiment, participants performed a mental ball dropping (MBD) task, seen from the location of their virtual avatar, to provide a baseline measurement. After this, a full-body ownership illusion (embodiment phase) was induced in all participants. This was followed by the virtual OBE illusion phase of the experiment (disembodiment phase) in which the first-person viewpoint was switched to a third-person perspective (3PP), and participants' disembodied viewpoint was gradually raised to 14 m above the virtual avatar, from which altitude they repeated the MBD task. During the experiment, this procedure was conducted twice, and the participants were allocated first to the supine or the standing body position at random. Results of the MBD task showed that the participants experienced increased MBD durations during the supine condition compared to the standing condition. Furthermore, although the findings from the subjective reports confirmed the previous findings of virtual OBEs, no significant difference between the two postures was found for body ownership. Taken together, the findings of the current study make further contributions to our understanding of both the vestibular system and time perception during OBEs.
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5
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Job XE, Kirsch LP, Auvray M. Spatial perspective-taking: insights from sensory impairments. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:27-37. [PMID: 34716457 PMCID: PMC8803716 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06221-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Information can be perceived from a multiplicity of spatial perspectives, which is central to effectively understanding and interacting with our environment and other people. Sensory impairments such as blindness are known to impact spatial representations and perspective-taking is often thought of as a visual process. However, disturbed functioning of other sensory systems (e.g., vestibular, proprioceptive and auditory) can also influence spatial perspective-taking. These lines of research remain largely separate, yet together they may shed new light on the role that each sensory modality plays in this core cognitive ability. The findings to date reveal that spatial cognitive processes may be differently affected by various types of sensory loss. The visual system may be crucial for the development of efficient allocentric (object-to-object) representation; however, the role of vision in adopting another's spatial perspective remains unclear. On the other hand, the vestibular and the proprioceptive systems likely play an important role in anchoring the perceived self to the physical body, thus facilitating imagined self-rotations required to adopt another's spatial perspective. Findings regarding the influence of disturbed auditory functioning on perspective-taking are so far inconclusive and thus await further data. This review highlights that spatial perspective-taking is a highly plastic cognitive ability, as the brain is often able to compensate in the face of different sensory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier E Job
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| | - Louise P Kirsch
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (INCC), Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Malika Auvray
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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6
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Salatino A, Iacono C, Gammeri R, Chiadò ST, Lambert J, Sulcova D, Mouraux A, George MS, Roberts DR, Berti A, Ricci R. Zero gravity induced by parabolic flight enhances automatic capture and weakens voluntary maintenance of visuospatial attention. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:29. [PMID: 34315902 PMCID: PMC8316350 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00159-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Orienting attention in the space around us is a fundamental prerequisite for willed actions. On Earth, at 1 g, orienting attention requires the integration of vestibular signals and vision, although the specific vestibular contribution to voluntary and automatic components of visuospatial attention remains largely unknown. Here, we show that unweighting of the otolith organ in zero gravity during parabolic flight, selectively enhances stimulus-driven capture of automatic visuospatial attention, while weakening voluntary maintenance of covert attention. These findings, besides advancing our comprehension of the basic influence of the vestibular function on voluntary and automatic components of visuospatial attention, may have operational implications for the identification of effective countermeasures to be applied in forthcoming human deep space exploration and habitation, and on Earth, for patients’ rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Salatino
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. .,Institute of Neuroscience (IoN), Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Claudio Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | - Julien Lambert
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoN), Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dominika Sulcova
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoN), Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - André Mouraux
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoN), Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mark S George
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Donna R Roberts
- Department of of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Anna Berti
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ricci
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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7
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Ferrè ER, Alsmith AJT, Haggard P, Longo MR. The vestibular system modulates the contributions of head and torso to egocentric spatial judgements. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:2295-2302. [PMID: 34089070 PMCID: PMC8282570 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06119-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Egocentric representations allow us to describe the external world as experienced from an individual's bodily location. We recently developed a novel method of quantifying the weight given to different body parts in egocentric judgments (the Misalignment Paradigm). We found that both head and torso contribute to simple alter-egocentric spatial judgments. We hypothesised that artificial stimulation of the vestibular system would provide a head-related signal, which might affect the weighting given to the head in egocentric spatial judgments. Bipolar Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) was applied during the Misalignment Paradigm. A Sham stimulation condition was also included to control for non-specific effects. Our data show that the weight given to the head was increased during left anodal and right cathodal GVS, compared to the opposite GVS polarity (right anodal and left cathodal GVS) and Sham stimulation. That is, the polarity of GVS, which preferentially activates vestibular areas in the right cerebral hemisphere, influenced the relative weightings of head and torso in egocentric spatial judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa R Ferrè
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK.
| | | | - Patrick Haggard
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew R Longo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
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8
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Longo MR, Rajapakse SS, Alsmith AJT, Ferrè ER. Shared contributions of the head and torso to spatial reference frames across spatial judgments. Cognition 2020; 204:104349. [PMID: 32599311 PMCID: PMC7520546 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Egocentric frames of reference take the body as the point of origin of a spatial coordinate system. Bodies, however, are not points, but extended objects, with distinct parts that can move independently of one another. We recently developed a novel paradigm to probe the use of different body parts in simple spatial judgments, what we called the misalignment paradigm. In this study, we applied the misalignment paradigm in a perspective-taking task to investigate whether the weightings given to different body parts are shared across different spatial judgments involving different spatial axes. Participants saw birds-eye images of a person with their head rotated 45° relative to the torso. On each trial, a ball appeared and participants made judgments either of whether the ball was to the person's left or right, or whether the ball was in front of the person or behind them. By analysing the pattern of responses with respect to both head and torso, we quantified the contribution of each body part to the reference frames underlying each judgment. For both judgment types we found clear contributions of both head and torso, with more weight being given on average to the torso. Individual differences in the use of the two body parts were correlated across judgment types indicating the use of a shared set of weightings used across spatial axes and judgments. Moreover, retesting of participants several months later showed high stability of these weightings, suggesting that they are stable characteristics of people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Longo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom.
| | - Sampath S Rajapakse
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elisa R Ferrè
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
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9
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Abstract
Vestibular information has been traditionally considered as a specialized input for basic orienting behaviours, such as oculo-motor adjustments, postural control and gaze orientation. However, in the past two decades a widespread vestibular network in the human brain has been identified, that goes far beyond the low-level reflex circuits emphasized by earlier work. Because this vestibular cortical network is so widely distributed, it could, in principle, impact multiple neurocognitive functions in health and disease. This paper focuses on the relations between vestibular input, vestibular networks, and vestibular interventions by providing the authors' personal viewpoint on the state-of-the-art of vestibular cognitive neuropsychology, and its potential relevance for neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Haggard
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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10
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Macauda G, Moisa M, Mast FW, Ruff CC, Michels L, Lenggenhager B. Shared neural mechanisms between imagined and perceived egocentric motion – A combined GVS and fMRI study. Cortex 2019; 119:20-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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11
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Ponzo S, Kirsch LP, Fotopoulou A, Jenkinson PM. Vestibular modulation of multisensory integration during actual and vicarious tactile stimulation. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13430. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Ponzo
- School of Life and Medical Sciences University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire UK
| | - Louise P. Kirsch
- Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology Research Department, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences University College London London UK
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique Sorbonne Université Paris France
| | - Aikaterini Fotopoulou
- Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology Research Department, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences University College London London UK
| | - Paul M. Jenkinson
- School of Life and Medical Sciences University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire UK
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12
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Unilateral vestibular deafferentation impairs embodied spatial cognition. J Neurol 2019; 266:149-159. [PMID: 31230115 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09433-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A growing number of studies indicate that cognitive complaints are common in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. A better understanding of how vestibular disorders influence cognition in these patients requires a clear delineation of the cognitive domains affected by vestibular disorders. Here, we compared the consequences of left and right vestibular neurectomy on third-person perspective taking-a visuo-spatial task requiring mainly own-body mental imagery, and on 3D objects mental rotation imagery-requiring object-based mental imagery, but no perspective taking. Patients tested 1 week after a unilateral vestibular neurectomy and a group of age- and gender-matched healthy participants played a virtual ball-tossing game from their own first-person perspective (1PP) and from the perspective of a distant avatar (third-person perspective, 3PP). Results showed larger response times in the patients with respect to their controls for the 3PP taking task, but not for the 1PP task and the 3D objects mental imagery. In addition, we found that only patients with left vestibular neurectomy presented altered 3PP taking abilities when compared to their controls. This study suggests that unilateral vestibular loss affects mainly own-body mental transformation and that only left vestibular loss seems to impair this cognitive process. Our study also brings further evidence that vestibular signals contribute to the sensorimotor bases of social cognition and strengthens the connections between the so far distinct fields of social neuroscience and human vestibular physiology.
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Pavlidou A, Gallagher M, Lopez C, Ferrè ER. Let's share our perspectives, but only if our body postures match. Cortex 2019; 119:575-579. [PMID: 30910224 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Pavlidou
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNSC, FR3C, Marseille, France; Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Maria Gallagher
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elisa R Ferrè
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
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14
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Lopez C, Nakul E, Preuss N, Elzière M, Mast FW. Distorted own-body representations in patients with dizziness and during caloric vestibular stimulation. J Neurol 2018; 265:86-94. [PMID: 29876763 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8906-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that vestibular disorders evoke deficits reaching far beyond imbalance, oscillopsia and spatial cognition. Yet, how vestibular disorders affect own-body representations, in particular the perceived body shape and size, has been overlooked. Here, we explored vestibular contributions to own-body representations using two approaches. Study 1 measured the occurrence and severity of distorted own-body representations in 60 patients with dizziness and 60 healthy controls using six items from the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale. 12% of the patients have experienced distorted own-body representations (their hands or feet felt larger or smaller), 37% reported abnormal sense of agency, 35% reported disownership for the body, and 22% reported disembodiment. These proportions were larger in patients than controls. Study 2 aimed at testing whether artificial stimulation of the vestibular apparatus produced comparable distortions of own-body representations in healthy volunteers. We compared the effects of right-warm/left-cold caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS), left-warm/right-cold CVS and sham CVS on internal models of the left and right hands using a pointing task. The perceived length of the dorsum of the hand was increased specifically during left-warm/right-cold CVS, and this effect was found for both hands. Our studies show a vestibular contribution to own-body representations and should help understand the complex symptomatology of patients with dizziness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Lopez
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNSC, Marseille, France. .,Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives-UMR 7260, Aix Marseille Univ and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre Saint-Charles, Fédération de Recherche 3C-Case B, 3, Place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 03, France.
| | | | - Nora Preuss
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maya Elzière
- Centre des Vertiges, Hôpital Européen, Marseille, France
| | - Fred W Mast
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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