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Miyamoto T, Numasawa K, Hirano R, Yoshimura Y, Ono S. Reduced latency in manual interception with anticipatory smooth eye movements. iScience 2025; 28:111849. [PMID: 39967873 PMCID: PMC11834127 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.111849] [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: 10/08/2024] [Revised: 11/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2025] [Indexed: 02/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Delays in visuomotor processing can cause the image of a moving object to fall outside the limited range of central vision, resulting in a blurred perception. To overcome these delays, anticipatory smooth eye movements (ASEMs) occur in the expected direction of future object motion before the object begins to move. This study demonstrated the functional benefits of ASEMs in rapid visually guided behaviors, highlighting their role beyond merely compensating for visuomotor delays. By experimentally facilitating ASEMs independent of participants' predictions regarding future object motion, we showed that ASEMs themselves expedite the initiation of interception movements. Our results revealed a quantitative relationship between ASEM velocity and interception latency on a single-trial level, which was more pronounced in participants employing predictive control compared to those relying on reactive control. These findings suggest that ASEMs enhance the feedforward control of interception movements by providing extraretinal signals rather than retinal signals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kosuke Numasawa
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Riku Hirano
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yusei Yoshimura
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Seiji Ono
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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2
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Nicholson AA, Lieberman JM, Hosseini-Kamkar N, Eckstrand K, Rabellino D, Kearney B, Steyrl D, Narikuzhy S, Densmore M, Théberge J, Hosseiny F, Lanius RA. Exploring the impact of biological sex on intrinsic connectivity networks in PTSD: A data-driven approach. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2025; 136:111180. [PMID: 39447688 PMCID: PMC11781259 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 09/26/2024] [Accepted: 10/21/2024] [Indexed: 10/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex as a biological variable (SABV) may help to account for the differential development and expression of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among trauma-exposed males and females. Here, we investigate the impact of SABV on PTSD-related neural alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) within three core intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs): the salience network (SN), central executive network (CEN), and default mode network (DMN). METHODS Using an independent component analysis (ICA), we compared rsFC of the SN, CEN, and DMN between males and females, with and without PTSD (n = 47 females with PTSD, n = 34 males with PTSD, n = 36 healthy control females, n = 20 healthy control males) via full factorial ANCOVAs. Additionally, linear regression analyses were conducted with clinical variables (i.e., PTSD and depression symptoms, childhood trauma scores) in order to determine intrinsic network connectivity characteristics specific to SABV. Furthermore, we utilized machine learning classification models to predict the biological sex and PTSD diagnosis of individual participants based on intrinsic network activity patterns. RESULTS Our findings revealed differential network connectivity patterns based on SABV and PTSD diagnosis. Males with PTSD exhibited increased intra-SN (i.e., SN-anterior insula) rsFC and increased DMN-right superior parietal lobule/precuneus/superior occipital gyrus rsFC as compared to females with PTSD. There were also differential network connectivity patterns for comparisons between the PTSD and healthy control groups for males and females, separately. We did not observe significant correlations between clinical measures of interest and brain region clusters which displayed significant between group differences as a function of biological sex, thus further reinforcing that SABV analyses are likely not confounded by these variables. Furthermore, machine learning classification models accurately predicted biological sex and PTSD diagnosis among novel/unseen participants based on ICN activation patterns. CONCLUSION This study reveals groundbreaking insights surrounding the impact of SABV on PTSD-related ICN alterations using data-driven methods. Our discoveries contribute to further defining neurobiological markers of PTSD among females and males and may offer guidance for differential sex-related treatment needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Nicholson
- The Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada; School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Jonathan M Lieberman
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Niki Hosseini-Kamkar
- The Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada; Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristen Eckstrand
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela Rabellino
- Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Breanne Kearney
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Steyrl
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandhya Narikuzhy
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Densmore
- Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Joseph's Healthcare, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fardous Hosseiny
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Carrick FR, Hunfalvay M, Bolte T, Azzolino SF, Abdulrahman M, Hankir A, Antonucci MM, Al-Rumaihi N. Age- and Sex-Based Developmental Biomarkers in Eye Movements. Brain Sci 2024; 14:1288. [PMID: 39766487 PMCID: PMC11674687 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14121288] [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: 11/26/2024] [Revised: 12/18/2024] [Accepted: 12/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eye movement research serves as a critical tool for assessing brain function, diagnosing neurological and psychiatric disorders, and understanding cognition and behavior. Sex differences have largely been under reported or ignored in neurological research. However, eye movement features provide biomarkers that are useful for disease classification with superior accuracy and robustness compared to previous classifiers for neurological diseases. Neurological diseases have a sex specificity, yet eye movement analysis has not been specific to our understanding of sex differences. METHODS The study involved subjects recruited from 804 sites equipped with RightEye Vision Systems, primarily located in optometry practices across the United States. Subjects completed six eye movement assessments: circular smooth pursuit (CSP), horizontal smooth pursuit (HSP), vertical smooth pursuit (VSP), horizontal saccades (HS), vertical saccades (VS), and fixation stability (FS). Eye movements were analyzed and classified in accordance with age and sex by multiple t-tests and linear regression models. RESULTS This study represented a large sample size of 23,557 subjects, with 11,871 males and 11,686 females representing ages from birth through 80 years of age. We observed statistically significant differences for all eye movement functions between males and females. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that eye movements are sex-specific and offer normative data to compare sex-specific eye movement function by age. Novel baseline metrics can be compared to individual performance, regardless of sex. This study represents significant progress in linking eye movements with brain function and clinical syndromes, allowing researchers and clinicians to stratify individuals by age and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Robert Carrick
- College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
- Department of Neurology, The Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, USA; (M.H.); (S.F.A.); (A.H.); (M.M.A.)
- Centre for Mental Health Research in Association with the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
- Burnett School of Biomedical Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Melissa Hunfalvay
- Department of Neurology, The Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, USA; (M.H.); (S.F.A.); (A.H.); (M.M.A.)
- RightEye LLC, 6107A, Suite 400, Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA;
- Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Takumi Bolte
- RightEye LLC, 6107A, Suite 400, Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA;
| | - Sergio F. Azzolino
- Department of Neurology, The Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, USA; (M.H.); (S.F.A.); (A.H.); (M.M.A.)
| | - Mahera Abdulrahman
- Department of Informatics and Smart Heath, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 431111, United Arab Emirates;
- Department of Public Health, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Medicine, Dubai 88905, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmed Hankir
- Department of Neurology, The Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, USA; (M.H.); (S.F.A.); (A.H.); (M.M.A.)
- Centre for Mental Health Research in Association with the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
- School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4YS, UK
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Matthew M. Antonucci
- Department of Neurology, The Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, USA; (M.H.); (S.F.A.); (A.H.); (M.M.A.)
| | - Nouf Al-Rumaihi
- Department of Neurology, The Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, USA; (M.H.); (S.F.A.); (A.H.); (M.M.A.)
- Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Riyadh 11614, Saudi Arabia
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Metoki A, Chauvin RJ, Gordon EM, Laumann TO, Kay BP, Krimmel SR, Marek S, Wang A, Van AN, Baden NJ, Suljic V, Scheidter KM, Monk J, Whiting FI, Ramirez-Perez NJ, Barch DM, Sotiras A, Dosenbach NUF. Brain functional connectivity, but not neuroanatomy, captures the interrelationship between sex and gender in preadolescents. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.31.621379. [PMID: 39554185 PMCID: PMC11565917 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.31.621379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
Understanding sex differences in the adolescent brain is crucial, as these differences are linked to neurological and psychiatric conditions that vary between males and females. Predicting sex from adolescent brain data may offer valuable insights into how these variations shape neurodevelopment. Recently, attention has shifted toward exploring socially-identified gender, distinct from sex assigned at birth, recognizing its additional explanatory power. This study evaluates whether resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) or cortical thickness more effectively predicts sex and sex/gender alignment (the congruence between sex and gender) and investigates their interrelationship in preadolescents. Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, we employed machine learning to predict both sex (assigned at birth) and sex/gender alignment from rsFC and cortical thickness. rsFC predicted sex with significantly higher accuracy (86%) than cortical thickness (75%) and combining both did not improve the rsFC model's accuracy. Brain regions most effective in predicting sex belonged to association (default mode, dorsal attention, and parietal memory) and visual (visual and medial visual) networks. The rsFC sex classifier trained on sex/gender aligned youth was significantly more effective in classifying unseen youth with sex/gender alignment than in classifying unseen youth with sex/gender unalignment. In females, the degree to which their brains' rsFC matched a sex profile (female or male), was positively associated with the degree of sex/gender alignment. Lastly, neither rsFC nor cortical thickness predicted sex/gender alignment. These findings highlight rsFC's predictive power in capturing the relationship between sex and gender and the complexity of the interplay between sex, gender, and the brain's functional connectivity and neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasia Metoki
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Roselyne J Chauvin
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Evan M Gordon
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Timothy O Laumann
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Benjamin P Kay
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Samuel R Krimmel
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Scott Marek
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Anxu Wang
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Andrew N Van
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Noah J Baden
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Vahdeta Suljic
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kristen M Scheidter
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Julia Monk
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Forrest I Whiting
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Aristeidis Sotiras
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nico U F Dosenbach
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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5
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Zhang X, Chen Y, Hassan M, Suzuki K. Peer-to-Peer Ultra-Wideband Localization for Hands-Free Control of a Human-Guided Smart Stroller. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:4828. [PMID: 39123875 PMCID: PMC11314917 DOI: 10.3390/s24154828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
We propose a hands-free control system for a human-guided smart stroller. The proposed method uses real-time peer-to-peer localization technology of the human and stroller to realize an intuitive hands-free control system based on the relative position between the human and the stroller. The control method is also based on functional and mechanical safety to ensure the safety of the stroller's occupant (child) and the pilot (parent) during locomotion. In this paper, first, we present a preliminary investigation of the humans' preference for the relative position in the context of hands-free guided strollers. Then, we present the control method and a prototype implemented with an electric wheelchair and UWB sensors for localization. We present an experimental evaluation of the proposed method with 14 persons walking with the developed prototype to investigate the usability and soundness of the proposed method compared to a remote joystick and manual operation. The evaluation experiments were conducted in an indoor environment and revealed that the proposed method matches the performance of joystick control but does not perform as well as manual operation. Notably, for female participants, the proposed method significantly surpasses joystick performance and achieves parity with manual operation, which shows its efficacy and potential for a smart stroller. Also, the results revealed that the proposed method significantly decreased the user's physical load compared to the manual operation. We present discussions on the controllability, usability, task load, and safety features of the proposed method, and conclude this work with a summary assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxi Zhang
- Degree Programs in Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Yang Chen
- Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan; (Y.C.); (M.H.); (K.S.)
| | - Modar Hassan
- Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan; (Y.C.); (M.H.); (K.S.)
| | - Kenji Suzuki
- Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan; (Y.C.); (M.H.); (K.S.)
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Nishikawa Y, Watanabe K, Holobar A, Kitamura R, Maeda N, Hyngstrom AS. Sex differences in laterality of motor unit firing behavior of the first dorsal interosseous muscle in strength-matched healthy young males and females. Eur J Appl Physiol 2024; 124:1979-1990. [PMID: 38366213 PMCID: PMC11199256 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-024-05420-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare laterality in motor unit firing behavior between females and males. METHODS Twenty-seven subjects (14 females) were recruited for this study. The participants performed ramp up and hold isometric index finger abduction at 10, 30, and 60% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) signals were recorded in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle and decomposed into individual motor unit (MU) firing behavior using a convolution blind source separation method. RESULTS In total, 769 MUs were detected (females, n = 318 and males, n = 451). Females had a significantly higher discharge rate than males at each relative torque level (10%: male dominant hand, 13.4 ± 2.7 pps vs. female dominant hand, 16.3 ± 3.4 pps; 30%: male dominant hand, 16.1 ± 3.9 pps vs. female dominant hand, 20.0 ± 5.0 pps; and 60%: male dominant hand, 19.3 ± 3.8 vs. female dominant hand, 25.3 ± 4.8 pps; p < 0.0001). The recruitment threshold was also significantly higher in females than in males at 30 and 60% MVC. Furthermore, males exhibited asymmetrical discharge rates at 30 and 60% MVC and recruitment thresholds at 30 and 60% MVC, whereas no asymmetry was observed in females. CONCLUSION In the FDI muscle, compared to males, females exhibited different neuromuscular strategies with higher discharge rates and recruitment thresholds and no asymmetrical MU firing behavior. Notably, the findings that sex differences in neuromuscular activity also occur in healthy individuals provide important information for understanding the pathogenesis of various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Nishikawa
- Faculty of Frontier Engineering, Institute of Science & Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
| | - Kohei Watanabe
- Laboratory of Neuromuscular Biomechanics, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Aleš Holobar
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Ryoka Kitamura
- Graduate School of Frontier Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Noriaki Maeda
- Division of Sports Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Yamada M, Jacob J, Hesling J, Johnson T, Wittenberg G, Kantak S. Goal conceptualization has distinct effects on spatial and temporal bimanual coordination after left- and right- hemisphere stroke. Hum Mov Sci 2024; 94:103196. [PMID: 38402657 PMCID: PMC10939720 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2024.103196] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Perception of task goal influences motor performance and coordination. In bimanual actions, it is unclear how one's perception of task goals influences bimanual coordination and performance in individuals with unilateral stroke. We characterized inter-limb coordination differences in individuals with chronic right- and left-hemisphere damaged (RCVA: n = 24, LCVA: n = 24) stroke and age-matched neurotypical controls (n = 24) as they completed bimanual reaching tasks under distinct goal conditions. In the dual-goal condition, participants reached to move two virtual bricks (cursors) assigned to each hand toward independent targets. In the common-goal condition, they moved a central common virtual brick representing both hands to a single, central target. Spatial and temporal coordination (cross-correlation coefficients of hand velocity and their time-lag), the redundant axis deviations (the hand deviations in the axis orthogonal to the axis along the cursor-target direction), and the contribution ratio of the paretic hand were measured. Compared to the dual-goal condition, reaching actions to the common-goal demonstrated better spatial bimanual coordination in all three participant groups. Temporal coordination was better during common-goal than dual-goal actions only for the LCVA group. Additionally, and novel to this field, sex, as a biological variable, differently influenced movement time and redundant axis deviation in participants with stroke under the common-goal condition. Specifically, female stroke survivors showed larger movements in the redundant axes and, consequently, longer movement times, which was more prominent in the LCVA group. Our results indicate that perception of task goals influences bimanual coordination, with common goal improving spatial coordination in neurotypical individuals and individuals with unilateral stroke and providing additional advantage for temporal coordination in those with LCVA. Sex influences bimanual performance in stroke survivors and needs to be considered in future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Yamada
- Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Lab, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, Whittier College, Science & Learning Center 304, Whittier, CA, United States of America
| | - Joshua Jacob
- Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Lab, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Jessica Hesling
- Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Lab, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Tessa Johnson
- Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Lab, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, United States of America; Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - George Wittenberg
- Department of Neurology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center, Human Engineering Research Laboratory, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, United States of America
| | - Shailesh Kantak
- Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Lab, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, United States of America; Department of Physical Therapy, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, United States of America.
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Andre P, Cantore N, Lucibello L, Migliaccio P, Rossi B, Carboncini MC, Aloisi AM, Manzoni D, Arrighi P. The cerebellum monitors errors and entrains executive networks. Brain Res 2024; 1826:148730. [PMID: 38128813 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148730] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Frontal midline θ (Fmθ) activity occurs in medial prefrontal cortices (mPFC), when expected and actual outcomes conflict. Cerebellar forward models could inform the mPFC about this mismatch. To verify this hypothesis we correlated the mPFC activation during a visuomotor tracking task (VM) with performance accuracy, in control and cerebellum-lesioned participants. Additionally, purely visual (V), motor (M) and a motor plus visual tasks (V + M) were performed. An Independent Component, with a mid-frontal topography scalp map and equivalent dipole location in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex accounted for Fmθ. In control participants Fmθ power increased during VM, when the error level crossed a threshold, but not during V + M, M and V. This increase scaled with tracking error. Fmθ power failed to increase during VM in cerebellar participants, even at highest tracking errors. Thus, in control participants, activation of mPFC is induced when a continuous monitoring effort for online error detection is required. The presence of a threshold error for enhancing Fmθ, suggests the switch from an automatic to an executive tracking control, which recruits the mPFC. Given that the cerebellum stores forward models, the absence of Fmθ increases during tracking errors in cerebellar participants indicates that cerebellum is necessary for supplying the mPFC with prediction error-related information. This occurs when automatic control falters, and a deliberate correction mechanism needs to be triggered. Further studies are needed to verify if this alerting function also occurs in the context of the other cognitive and non-cognitive functions in which the cerebellum is involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Andre
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
| | - N Cantore
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Lucibello
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - P Migliaccio
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - B Rossi
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy; Department of Translational Research and New Medical and Surgical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - M C Carboncini
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy; Department of Translational Research and New Medical and Surgical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A M Aloisi
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - D Manzoni
- Department of Translational Research and New Medical and Surgical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - P Arrighi
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
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Aitken CS, Samotus O, Naidu AS, Jog M, Patel RV. Force Control Issues in Upper and Lower Limbs in Parkinson's Disease and Freezing of Gait. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2024; 32:577-586. [PMID: 38236671 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2024.3355429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's Disease (PD) has been found to cause force control deficits in upper and lower limbs. About 50% of patients with advanced PD develop a debilitating symptom called freezing of gait (FOG), which has been linked to force control problems in the lower limbs, and some may only have a limited response to the gold standard pharmaceutical therapy, levodopa, resulting in partially levodopa-responsive FOG (PLR-FOG). There has been limited research on investigating upper-limb force control in people with PD with PLR-FOG, and without FOG. In this pilot study, force control was explored using an upper-and-lower-limb haptics-enabled robot in a reaching task while people with PD with and without PLR-FOG were on their levodopa medication. A healthy control group was used for reference, and each cohort completed the task at three different levels of assistance provided by the robot. Similar significant proportional force control deficits were found in the upper and lower limbs in patients with PLR-FOG versus those without FOG. Some aspects of force control were found to be retained, including an ability to increase or decrease force in response to changes in resistance while completing a reaching task. Overall, these results suggest there are force control deficits in both the upper and lower limbs in people with PLR-FOG.
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10
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Bachtoula O, Arranz-Paraíso S, Luna R, Serrano-Pedraza I. Visual motion discrimination experiments reveal small differences between males and females. Vision Res 2023; 208:108222. [PMID: 37004491 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent results have shown that males have lower duration thresholds for motion direction discrimination than females. Measuring contrast thresholds, a previous study has shown that males have a greater sensitivity to fine details and fast flickering stimuli than females, and that females have a higher sensitivity to low spatial frequencies modulated at low temporal frequencies. Here, we present the data of a contrast-detection motion discrimination experiment and a reanalysis of four different motion discrimination experiments where we compare duration thresholds for males and females using different spatial frequencies, stimulus sizes, contrasts, and temporal frequencies (in two experiments, motion surround suppression was measured). Results from the main experiment and the reanalysis show that, in general, the association between sex and contrast and duration thresholds for motion discrimination is not significant, with males and females showing similar data patterns. Only the reanalysis of one out of four studies revealed different duration thresholds between males and females paired with a strong effect size supporting previous results in the literature, although motion surround suppression was identical between groups. Importantly, most of our results do not show significant differences between males and females in contrast and duration thresholds, suggesting that the sex variable may not be as relevant as previously claimed when testing visual motion discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Bachtoula
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28223, Spain
| | - Sandra Arranz-Paraíso
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28223, Spain
| | - Raúl Luna
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28223, Spain; Institute of Optics, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - Ignacio Serrano-Pedraza
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28223, Spain; Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK.
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11
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Jiang A, Fang W, Liu J, Foing B, Yao X, Westland S, Hemingray C. The effect of colour environments on visual tracking and visual strain during short-term simulation of three gravity states. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2023; 110:103994. [PMID: 36863907 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.103994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of nine colour environments on visual tracking accuracy and visual strain during normal sitting (SP), -12° head-down bed (HD) and 9.6° head-up tilt bed (HU). In a standard posture change laboratory study, fifty-four participants performed visual tracking tasks in nine colour environments while in the three postures. Visual strain was measured by means of a questionnaire. The results showed that in all colour environments, the -12° head-down bed rest posture significantly affected visual tracking accuracy and visual strain. During the three postures, the participants' visual tracking accuracy in the cyan environment was significantly higher than that in other colour environments, and their visual strain was the lowest. Overall, the study adds to our understanding of how environmental and postural factors impact on visual tracking and visual strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Jiang
- Ningbo Innovation Centre, Zhejiang University, China; Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK; ILEWG EuroMoonMars at ESTEC European Space Agency, Netherlands; Euro Space Hub, Netherlands.
| | | | | | - Bernard Foing
- ILEWG EuroMoonMars at ESTEC European Space Agency, Netherlands; Euro Space Hub, Netherlands; Leiden University, Netherlands; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
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12
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Højberg LM, Lundbye-Jensen J, Wienecke J. Visuomotor skill learning in young adults with Down syndrome. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 138:104535. [PMID: 37210919 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have impaired general motor skills compared to typically developed (TD) individuals. AIMS To gain knowledge on how young adults with DS learn and retain new motor skills. METHODS AND PROCEDURES A DS-group (mean age = 23.9 ± 3 years, N = 11), and an age-matched TD-group (mean age 22.8 ± 1.8, N = 14) were recruited. The participants practiced a visuomotor accuracy tracking task (VATT) in seven blocks (10.6 min). Online and offline effects of practice were assessed based on tests of motor performance at baseline immediate and 7-day retention. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS The TD-group performed better than the DS-group on all blocks (all P < 0.001). Both groups improved VATT-performance online from baseline to immediate retention, (all P < 0.001) with no difference in online effect between groups. A significant between-group difference was observed in the offline effect (∆TD - ∆DS, P = 0.04), as the DS-group's performance at 7-day retention was equal to their performance at immediate retention (∆DS, P > 0.05), whereas an offline decrease in performance was found in the TD-group (∆TD, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Visuomotor pinch force accuracy is lower for adults with DS compared to TD. However, adults with DS display significant online improvements in performance with motor practice similar to changes observed for TD. Additionally, adults with DS demonstrate offline consolidation following motor learning leading to significant retention effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurits Munk Højberg
- Movement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Jesper Lundbye-Jensen
- Movement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jacob Wienecke
- Movement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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13
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Bieńkiewicz MMN, Janaqi S, Jean P, Bardy BG. Impact of emotion-laden acoustic stimuli on group synchronisation performance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7094. [PMID: 37127737 PMCID: PMC10150690 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34406-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to synchronise with other people is a core socio-motor competence acquired during human development. In this study we aimed to understand the impact of individual emotional arousal on joint action performance. We asked 15 mixed-gender groups (of 4 individuals each) to participate in a digital, four-way movement synchronisation task. Participants shared the same physical space, but could not see each other during the task. In each trial run, every participant was induced with an emotion-laden acoustic stimulus (pre-selected from the second version of International Affective Digitized Sounds). Our data demonstrated that the human ability to synchronise is overall robust to fluctuations in individual emotional arousal, but performance varies in quality and movement speed as a result of valence of emotional induction (both on the individual and group level). We found that three negative inductions per group per trial led to a drop in overall group synchronisation performance (measured as the median and standard deviation of Kuramoto's order parameter-an index measuring the strength of synchrony between oscillators, in this study, players) in the 15 sec post-induction. We report that negatively-valenced inductions led to slower oscillations, whilst positive induction afforded faster oscillations. On the individual level of synchronisation performance we found an effect of empathetic disposition (higher competence linked to better performance during the negative induction condition) and of participant's sex (males displayed better synchronisation performance with others). We believe this work is a blueprint for exploring the frontiers of inextricably bound worlds of emotion and joint action, be it physical or digital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta M N Bieńkiewicz
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Hérault, Montpellier, 34090, France.
| | - Stefan Janaqi
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Hérault, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Pierre Jean
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Hérault, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Benoît G Bardy
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Hérault, Montpellier, 34090, France
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14
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Psotta R, Dostál D, Sarvestan J, Prycl D, Kašpar O, Křížová I. Evaluation of Predictive Motor Control With Two Touchscreen Tablet-Based Tests: Reliability and Validity in School-Aged Children. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:283-300. [PMID: 36168104 DOI: 10.1177/00315125221130815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As predictive motor control is an important index of neuromotor development and maturation, we developed two touchscreen tablet-based tests of this function. Our aim was to investigate the reliability and validity of both a rapid manual interception test and a pursuit tracking test, using a sample of 124 children (62 boys and 62 girls) from two age groups (7-8-year-oldss and 9-10-year-olds). Participants performed both tablet tests with a stylus (sample rate 100 Hz) with both a visible and a temporarily invisible moving target. Confirmatory factor analyses and omega coefficients showed that both tests were univariate methods that provided a reliable assessment of the latent factor related to predictive visuomotor control. As would be expected, compared to younger children, older children performed better on both manual interception and pursuit tracking. The correlations between the latent factors of the two tests at 95% confidence intervals (-.276, -.608) suggested shared variance. Thus, the touchscreen-tablet based tests of rapid manual interception and manual pursuit tracking appear psychometrically suitable for assessing the neuromotor ability of predictive control in 7-10-year-old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Psotta
- Department of Natural Sciences in Kinanthropology, Faculty of Physical Culture, 48207Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.,College of Physical Education and Sport PALESTRA, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Dostál
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, 48207Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Javad Sarvestan
- Department of Natural Sciences in Kinanthropology, Faculty of Physical Culture, 48207Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - David Prycl
- BALUO Application Center, Faculty of Physical Culture, 48207Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Kašpar
- Department of Natural Sciences in Kinanthropology, Faculty of Physical Culture, 48207Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Křížová
- Department of Natural Sciences in Kinanthropology, Faculty of Physical Culture, 48207Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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15
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On the Use of Eye Movements in Symptom Validity Assessment of Feigned Schizophrenia. PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY & LAW 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12207-022-09462-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAssessing the credibility of reported mental health problems is critical in a variety of assessment situations, particularly in forensic contexts. Previous research has examined how the assessment of performance validity can be improved through the use of bio-behavioral measures (e.g., eye movements). To date, however, there is a paucity of literature on the use of eye tracking technology in assessing the validity of presented symptoms of schizophrenia, a disorder that is known to be associated with oculomotor abnormalities. Thus, we collected eye tracking data from 83 healthy individuals during the completion of the Inventory of Problems – 29 and investigated whether the oculomotor behavior of participants instructed to feign schizophrenia would differ from those of control participants asked to respond honestly. Results showed that feigners had a longer dwell time and a greater number of fixations in the feigning-keyed response options, regardless of whether they eventually endorsed those options (d > 0.80). Implications on how eye tracking technology can deepen comprehension on simulation strategies are discussed, as well as the potential of investigating eye movements to advance the field of symptom validity assessment.
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16
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Sex differences in incentive contrast during game play: Contributions of personality and emotion. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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17
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Kunimune S, Okada S. Sex Differences in the Visuomotor Control of Obstacle Crossing When Walking are not Age-Related. Percept Mot Skills 2022; 129:362-377. [DOI: 10.1177/00315125221077566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To ensure stable obstacle crossing when walking, visual information is required two steps before reaching the obstacle. As possible age-related sex differences in visuomotor control have not been investigated, we assessed sex differences in obstacle crossing while walking, as examined by toe clearance (TC) and postural stability. Participants were 14 younger and 14 older adults (equal numbers of men and women) who wore goggles for visual field adjustment while obstacle crossing during gait. We manipulated three visual field occlusion conditions (total, lower, and no visual field occlusions) two steps before the obstacle and analyzed the TC of the lead limb, and the participants’ step width and root mean square of trunk acceleration as indices of postural stability. We found a significant interaction between sex and visual condition in step width, with men showing larger step width values than women in all visual field conditions. Moreover, while women showed no step-width differences across visual field conditions, men had a larger step width with the lower visual field occluded than in the other visual conditions. We found no other significant sex differences. Our results suggest that men may be more dependent than women on the upper visual field for postural stability during obstacle crossing. Sex differences in visuomotor control were not affected by age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Kunimune
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shuichi Okada
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan
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18
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Rann JC, Almor A. Effects of verbal tasks on driving simulator performance. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2022; 7:12. [PMID: 35119569 PMCID: PMC8817015 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We report results from a driving simulator paradigm we developed to test the fine temporal effects of verbal tasks on simultaneous tracking performance. A total of 74 undergraduate students participated in two experiments in which they controlled a cursor using the steering wheel to track a moving target and where the dependent measure was overall deviation from target. Experiment 1 tested tracking performance during slow and fast target speeds under conditions involving either no verbal input or output, passive listening to spoken prompts via headphones, or responding to spoken prompts. Experiment 2 was similar except that participants read written prompts overlain on the simulator screen instead of listening to spoken prompts. Performance in both experiments was worse during fast speeds and worst overall during responding conditions. Most significantly, fine scale time-course analysis revealed deteriorating tracking performance as participants prepared and began speaking and steadily improving performance while speaking. Additionally, post-block survey data revealed that conversation recall was best in responding conditions, and perceived difficulty increased with task complexity. Our study is the first to track temporal changes in interference at high resolution during the first hundreds of milliseconds of verbal production and comprehension. Our results are consistent with load-based theories of multitasking performance and show that language production, and, to a lesser extent, language comprehension tap resources also used for tracking. More generally, our paradigm provides a useful tool for measuring dynamical changes in tracking performance during verbal tasks due to the rapidly changing resource requirements of language production and comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C Rann
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendelton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. .,Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Amit Almor
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendelton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.,Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.,Linguistics Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
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19
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Dias da Silva MR, Postma M. Straying Off Course: The Negative Impact of Mind Wandering on Fine Motor Movements. J Mot Behav 2021; 54:186-202. [PMID: 34346297 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2021.1937032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine how various degrees of perceptual decoupling during mind wandering affect fine motor control. We hypothesized that while under normal circumstances attention ensures an optimal control strategy that leads to accurate motor performance, during mind wandering the process becomes disrupted. In this study, we conducted a computer-based experiment with a tracking task. During mind wandering, motor movements were more erratic and less variable, indicative of reduced attentiveness to the continuous demands of the external task. Importantly, the deeper the reported mind wandering, the less accurate and less variable were the mouse movements, suggesting that perceptual decoupling may take place in a graded rather than in an all or nothing manner. Greater movement intermittency was associated with higher tracking accuracy, suggesting that more corrective movements toward a moving target were functional to task performance. Moreover, greater variance in velocity was negatively correlated with tracking accuracy. These findings suggest that periods of inattention to the task have a negative impact on fine motor movement control by making behavior unpredictable, providing support for the idea that there is a decoupling of sensory-motor processes during mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie Postma
- Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence Department, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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20
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Kanari K, Kikuchi-Ito M. Estimation of the degree of autism spectrum disorder by the slow phase of optokinetic nystagmus in typical adults. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07751. [PMID: 34430740 PMCID: PMC8365375 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical eye movement patterns demonstrated by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have the potential to serve as biomarkers for ASD diagnosis. However, instead of estimating individual differences in the degree of ASD from those patterns, many researchers have compared ASD groups with typical development groups. This study investigates the relationship between the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores in typical adults, which can evaluate the degree of the traits associated with ASD, as well as the properties of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), including the gain of the slow phase, the peak velocity and duration of the fast phase, the frequency, and the mean eye position of OKN. A random dot pattern that moved in one direction was presented on the display, and the participants' eye movements were measured. The results showed a negative correlation between subjects' AQ scores and the gain of slow-phase OKN. In addition, the correlations between subjects' AQ scores and the properties of OKN fast phase were not significant. These results indicate that the gain of slow-phase OKN could be a biomarker that estimates individual differences in the degree of ASD, reflected in our findings which considered AQ scores in typical adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Kanari
- Department of Fundamental Engineering, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2, Yoto, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8585, Japan
- Department of Information and Communications Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 G2-3, Nagatsuda-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Japan
| | - Moe Kikuchi-Ito
- Kichijoji Clover Clinic, 2-25-7, Kichijoji Hon-cho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-0004, Japan
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