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Geisinger D, Elyoseph Z, Zaltzman R, Mintz M, Gordon CR. Functional impact of bilateral vestibular loss and the unexplained complaint of oscillopsia. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1365369. [PMID: 38711564 PMCID: PMC11070540 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1365369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) stabilizes vision during head movements. VOR disorders lead to symptoms such as imbalance, dizziness, and oscillopsia. Despite similar VOR dysfunction, patients display diverse complaints. This study analyses saccades, balance, and spatial orientation in chronic peripheral and central VOR disorders, specifically examining the impact of oscillopsia. Methods Participants involved 15 patients with peripheral bilateral vestibular loss (pBVL), 21 patients with clinically and genetically confirmed Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) who also have bilateral vestibular deficit, and 22 healthy controls. All pBVL and MJD participants were tested at least 9 months after the onset of symptoms and underwent a detailed clinical neuro-otological evaluation at the Dizziness and Eye Movements Clinic of the Meir Medical Center. Results Among the 15 patients with pBVL and 21 patients with MJD, only 5 patients with pBVL complained of chronic oscillopsia while none of the patients with MJD reported this complaint. Comparison between groups exhibited significant differences in vestibular, eye movements, balance, and spatial orientation. When comparing oscillopsia with no-oscillopsia subjects, significant differences were found in the dynamic visual acuity test, the saccade latency of eye movements, and the triangle completion test. Discussion Even though there is a significant VOR gain impairment in MJD with some subjects having less VOR gain than pBVL with reported oscillopsia, no individuals with MJD reported experiencing oscillopsia. This study further supports that subjects experiencing oscillopsia present a real impairment to stabilize the image on the retina, whereas those without oscillopsia may utilize saccade strategies to cope with it and may also rely on visual information for spatial orientation. Finding objective differences will help to understand the causes of the oscillopsia experience and develop coping strategies to overcome it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Geisinger
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Psychology and Educational Counseling, The Center for Psychobiological Research, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
| | - Zohar Elyoseph
- Department of Psychology and Educational Counseling, The Center for Psychobiological Research, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roy Zaltzman
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Neurology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel
| | - Matti Mintz
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Carlos R. Gordon
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Neurology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Jáuregui-Renaud K, García-Jacuinde DM, Bárcenas-Olvera SP, Gresty MA, Gutiérrez-Márquez A. Spatial anxiety contributes to the dizziness-related handicap of adults with peripheral vestibular disease. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1365745. [PMID: 38633539 PMCID: PMC11022853 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1365745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In subjects with peripheral vestibular disease and controls, we assessed: 1. The relationship between spatial anxiety and perceived stress, and 2. The combined contribution of spatial anxiety, spatial perspective-taking, and individual cofactors to dizziness-related handicap. 309 adults participated in the study (153 with and 156 without peripheral vestibular disease), including patients with bilateral vestibular deficiency, unilateral deficiency (evolution <3 or ≥3 months), Meniere's disease, and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Assessments included: general health, personal habits, spatial anxiety (3-domains), perceived stress, spatial perspective-taking, dizziness-related handicap (3-domains), unsteadiness, sleep quality, motion sickness susceptibility, trait anxiety/depression, state anxiety, depersonalization/derealization. After bivariate analyses, analysis of covariance was performed (p ≤ 0.05). Spatial anxiety was related to unsteadiness and perceived stress, with an inverse relationship with trait anxiety (ANCoVA, adjusted R2 = 0.27-0.30, F = 17.945-20.086, p < 0.00001). Variability on perspective-taking was related to vestibular disease, trait and state anxiety, motion sickness susceptibility, and age (ANCoVA, adjusted R2 = 0.18, F = 5.834, p < 0.00001). All domains of spatial anxiety contributed to the Physical domain of dizziness-related handicap, while the Navigation domain contributed to the Functional domain of handicap. Handicap variability was also related to unsteadiness, spatial perspective-taking, quality of sleep, and trait anxiety/depression (ANCoVA, adjusted R2 = 0.66, F = 39.07, p < 0.00001). Spatial anxiety is related to perceived stress in adults both with and without vestibular disease, subjects with trait anxiety rated lower on spatial anxiety. State anxiety and acute stress could be helpful for recovery after peripheral vestibular lesion. Spatial anxiety and perspective-taking contribute to the Physical and Functional domains of dizziness-related handicap, possibly because it discourages behavior beneficial to adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine Jáuregui-Renaud
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Otoneurología, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Dulce Maria García-Jacuinde
- Departamento de Audiología y Otoneurología, Hospital General del Centro Médico Nacional “La Raza”, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Simón Pedro Bárcenas-Olvera
- Departamento de Audiología y Otoneurología, Hospital General del Centro Médico Nacional “La Raza”, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Michael A. Gresty
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aralia Gutiérrez-Márquez
- Departamento de Audiología y Otoneurología, Hospital General del Centro Médico Nacional “La Raza”, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
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Moore AIG, Golding JF, Alenova A, Castro P, Bronstein AM. Sense of direction in vestibular disorders. J Vestib Res 2024:VES230082. [PMID: 38489201 DOI: 10.3233/ves-230082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our sense of direction (SOD) ability relies on the sensory integration of both visual information and self-motion cues from the proprioceptive and vestibular systems. Here, we assess how dysfunction of the vestibular system impacts perceived SOD in varying vestibular disorders, and secondly, we explore the effects of dizziness, migraine and psychological symptoms on SOD ability in patient and control groups. METHODS 87 patients with vestibular disorder and 69 control subjects were assessed with validated symptom and SOD questionnaires (Santa Barbara Sense of Direction scale and the Object Perspective test). RESULTS While patients with vestibular disorders performed significantly worse than controls at the group level, only central and functional disorders (vestibular migraine and persistent postural perceptual dizziness), not peripheral disorders (benign-paroxysmal positional vertigo, bilateral vestibular failure and Meniere's disease) showed significant differences compared to controls on the level of individual vestibular groups. Additionally, orientational abilities associated strongly with spatial anxiety and showed clear separation from general dizziness and psychological factors in both patient and control groups. CONCLUSIONS SOD appears to be less affected by peripheral vestibular dysfunction than by functional and/or central diagnoses, indicating that higher level disruptions to central vestibular processing networks may impact SOD more than reductions in sensory peripheral inputs. Additionally, spatial anxiety is highly associated with orientational abilities in both patients and control subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander I G Moore
- Department of Brain Sciences, Neuro-otology Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - John F Golding
- Department of Brain Sciences, Neuro-otology Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Anastasia Alenova
- Department of Brain Sciences, Neuro-otology Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Patricia Castro
- Department of Brain Sciences, Neuro-otology Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Universidad del Desarrollo, Escuela de Fonoaudiologia, Facultad de Medicina Clinica Alemana, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adolfo M Bronstein
- Department of Brain Sciences, Neuro-otology Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Langlois J, Hamstra SJ, Dagenais Y, Lemieux R, Lecourtois M, Yetisir E, Bellemare C, Bergeron G, Wells GA. Objects drawn from haptic perception and vision-based spatial abilities. Anat Sci Educ 2024; 17:433-443. [PMID: 38108595 DOI: 10.1002/ase.2366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Haptic perception is used in the anatomy laboratory with the handling of three-dimensional (3D) prosections, dissections, and synthetic models of anatomical structures. Vision-based spatial ability has been found to correlate with performance on tests of 3D anatomy knowledge in previous studies. The objective was to explore whether haptic-based spatial ability was correlated with vision-based spatial ability. Vision-based spatial ability was measured in a study group of 49 medical graduates with three separate tests: a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Tests in two (MRT A) and three (MRT C) dimensions and a Surface Development Test (SDT). Haptic-based spatial ability was measured using 18 different objects constructed from 10 cubes glued together. Participants were asked to draw these objects from blind haptic perception, and drawings were scored by two independent judges. The maximum score was 24 for each of MRT A and MRT C, 60 for SDT, and 18 for the drawings. The drawing score based on haptic perception [median = 17 (lower quartile = 16, upper quartile = 18)] correlated with MRT A [14 (9, 17)], MRT C [9 (7, 12)] and SDT [44 (36, 52)] scores with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.395 (p = 0.0049), 0.507 (p = 0.0002) and 0.606 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Spatial abilities assessed by vision-based tests were correlated with a drawing score based on haptic perception of objects. Future research should investigate the contribution of haptic-based and vision-based spatial abilities on learning 3D anatomy from physical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Langlois
- Department of Emergency Medicine, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stanley J Hamstra
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Holland Bone and Joint Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yvan Dagenais
- Department of Surgery, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Letters and Communications, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Renald Lemieux
- Health Data Strategy, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marc Lecourtois
- Mental Health Programme, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Granby, Quebec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Yetisir
- Cardiovascular Research Methods Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian Bellemare
- Department of Multidisciplinary Services, Clinical Quality Division, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Germain Bergeron
- Neuropsychology Program of the Trauma and Critical Care Group, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - George A Wells
- Cardiovascular Research Methods Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Brink A, Keramidas ME, Tribukait A, Eiken O. Factors of significance for the ability of fighter pilots to visually indicate the magnitude of roll tilt during simulated turns in a centrifuge. Perception 2024; 53:75-92. [PMID: 37946509 PMCID: PMC10798017 DOI: 10.1177/03010066231209847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
During coordinated flight and centrifugation, pilots show interindividual variability in perceived roll tilt. The study explored how this variability is related to perceptual and cognitive functions. Twelve pilots underwent three 6-min centrifugations on two occasions (G levels: 1.1G, 1.8G, and 2.5G; gondola tilts: 25°, 56°, and 66°). The subjective visual horizontal (SVH) was measured with an adjustable luminous line and the pilots gave estimates of experienced G level. Afterward, they were interrogated regarding the relationship between G level and roll tilt and adjusted the line to numerically mentioned angles. Generally, the roll tilt during centrifugation was underestimated, and there was a large interindividual variability. Both knowledge on the relationship between G level and bank angle, and ability to adjust the line according to given angles contributed to the prediction of SVH in a multiple regression model. However, in most cases, SVH was substantial smaller than predictions based on specific abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Brink
- Division of Environmental Physiology, Swedish Aerospace Physiology Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michail E Keramidas
- Division of Environmental Physiology, Swedish Aerospace Physiology Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Arne Tribukait
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Section for Eye and Vision, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ola Eiken
- Division of Environmental Physiology, Swedish Aerospace Physiology Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Zwergal A, Grabova D, Schöberl F. Vestibular contribution to spatial orientation and navigation. Curr Opin Neurol 2024; 37:52-58. [PMID: 38010039 PMCID: PMC10779452 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000001230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The vestibular system provides three-dimensional idiothetic cues for updating of one's position in space during head and body movement. Ascending vestibular signals reach entorhinal and hippocampal networks via head-direction pathways, where they converge with multisensory information to tune the place and grid cell code. RECENT FINDINGS Animal models have provided insight to neurobiological consequences of vestibular lesions for cerebral networks controlling spatial cognition. Multimodal cerebral imaging combined with behavioural testing of spatial orientation and navigation performance as well as strategy in the last years helped to decipher vestibular-cognitive interactions also in humans. SUMMARY This review will update the current knowledge on the anatomical and cellular basis of vestibular contributions to spatial orientation and navigation from a translational perspective (animal and human studies), delineate the behavioural and functional consequences of different vestibular pathologies on these cognitive domains, and will lastly speculate on a potential role of vestibular dysfunction for cognitive aging and impeding cognitive impairment in analogy to the well known effects of hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Zwergal
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Denis Grabova
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich
| | - Florian Schöberl
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Voros J, Kravets V, Smith K, Clark TK. Humans gradually integrate sudden gain or loss of visual information into spatial orientation perception. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1274949. [PMID: 38260024 PMCID: PMC10800753 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1274949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Vestibular and visual information is used in determining spatial orientation. Existing computational models of orientation perception focus on the integration of visual and vestibular orientation information when both are available. It is well-known, and computational models capture, differences in spatial orientation perception with visual information or without (i.e., in the dark). For example, during earth vertical yaw rotation at constant angular velocity without visual information, humans perceive their rate of rotation to decay. However, during the same sustained rotation with visual information, humans can continue to more accurately perceive self-rotation. Prior to this study, there was no existing literature on human motion perception where visual information suddenly become available or unavailable during self-motion. Methods Via a well verified psychophysical task, we obtained perceptual reports of self-rotation during various profiles of Earth-vertical yaw rotation. The task involved transitions in the availability of visual information (and control conditions with visual information available throughout the motion or unavailable throughout). Results We found that when visual orientation information suddenly became available, subjects gradually integrated the new visual information over ~10 seconds. In the opposite scenario (visual information suddenly removed), past visual information continued to impact subject perception of self-rotation for ~30 seconds. We present a novel computational model of orientation perception that is consistent with the experimental results presented in this study. Discussion The gradual integration of sudden loss or gain of visual information is achieved via low pass filtering in the visual angular velocity sensory conflict pathway. In conclusion, humans gradually integrate sudden gain or loss of visual information into their existing perception of self-motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Voros
- Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States
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Graham JA, Dumont JR, Winter SS, Brown JE, LaChance PA, Amon CC, Farnes KB, Morris AJ, Streltzov NA, Taube JS. Angular Head Velocity Cells within Brainstem Nuclei Projecting to the Head Direction Circuit. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8403-8424. [PMID: 37871964 PMCID: PMC10711713 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0581-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The sense of orientation of an animal is derived from the head direction (HD) system found in several limbic structures and depends on an intact vestibular labyrinth. However, how the vestibular system influences the generation and updating of the HD signal remains poorly understood. Anatomical and lesion studies point toward three key brainstem nuclei as key components for generating the HD signal-nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, supragenual nucleus, and dorsal paragigantocellularis reticular nuclei. Collectively, these nuclei are situated between the vestibular nuclei and the dorsal tegmental and lateral mammillary nuclei, which are thought to serve as the origin of the HD signal. To determine the types of information these brain areas convey to the HD network, we recorded neurons from these regions while female rats actively foraged in a cylindrical enclosure or were restrained and rotated passively. During foraging, a large subset of cells in all three nuclei exhibited activity that correlated with the angular head velocity (AHV) of the rat. Two fundamental types of AHV cells were observed; (1) symmetrical AHV cells increased or decreased their firing with increases in AHV regardless of the direction of rotation, and (2) asymmetrical AHV cells responded differentially to clockwise and counterclockwise head rotations. When rats were passively rotated, some AHV cells remained sensitive to AHV, whereas firing was attenuated in other cells. In addition, a large number of AHV cells were modulated by linear head velocity. These results indicate the types of information conveyed from the vestibular nuclei that are responsible for generating the HD signal.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Extracellular recording of brainstem nuclei (nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, supragenual nucleus, and dorsal paragigantocellularis reticular nucleus) that project to the head direction circuit identified different types of AHV cells while rats freely foraged in a cylindrical environment. The firing of many cells was also modulated by linear velocity. When rats were restrained and passively rotated, some cells remained sensitive to AHV, whereas others had attenuated firing. These brainstem nuclei provide critical information about the rotational movement of the head of the rat in the azimuthal plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalina A Graham
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Julie R Dumont
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Shawn S Winter
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Joel E Brown
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Carly C Amon
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Kara B Farnes
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Ashlyn J Morris
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Nicholas A Streltzov
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
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Wan Y, Edmond MA, Kitz C, Southern J, Holman HA. An integrated workflow for 2D and 3D posture analysis during vestibular system testing in mice. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1281790. [PMID: 38107632 PMCID: PMC10722188 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1281790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Posture extraction from videos is fundamental to many real-world applications, including health screenings. In this study, we extend the utility and specificity of a well-established protocol, the balance beam, for examining balance and active motor coordination in adult mice of both sexes. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to design a workflow for analyzing the postures of mice walking on a balance beam. Methods We developed new tools and scripts based on the FluoRender architecture, which can interact with DeepLabCut (DLC) through Python code. Notably, twenty input videos were divided into four feature point groups (head, body, tail, and feet), based on camera positions relative to the balance beam (left and right), and viewing angles (90° and 45° from the beam). We determined key feature points on the mouse to track posture in a still video frame. We extracted a standard walk cycle (SWC) by focusing on foot movements, which were computed by a weighted average of the extracted walk cycles. The correlation of each walk cycle to the SWC was used as the weight. Results We learned that positions of the camera angles significantly improved the performance of 2D pose estimation (90°) and 3D (45°). Comparing the SWCs from age-matched mice, we found a consistent pattern of supporting feet on the beam. Two feet were consistently on the beam followed by three feet and another three feet in a 2-3-3 pattern. However, this pattern can be mirrored among individual subjects. A subtle phase shift of foot movement was also observed from the SWCs. Furthermore, we compared the SWCs with speed values to reveal anomalies in mouse walk postures. Some anomalies can be explained as the start or finish of the traversal, while others may be correlated to the distractions of the test environment, which will need further investigation. Conclusion Our posture analysis workflow improves the classical behavioral testing and analysis, allowing the detection of subtle, but significant differences in vestibular function and motor coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wan
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Michaela A. Edmond
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Colin Kitz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Joseph Southern
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Holly A. Holman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Yang T, He Y, Wu L, Wang H, Wang X, Li Y, Guo Y, Wu S, Liu X. The effects of object size on spatial orientation: an eye movement study. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1197618. [PMID: 38027477 PMCID: PMC10668018 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1197618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The processing of visual information in the human brain is divided into two streams, namely, the dorsal and ventral streams, object identification is related to the ventral stream and motion processing is related to the dorsal stream. Object identification is interconnected with motion processing, object size was found to affect the information processing of motion characteristics in uniform linear motion. However, whether the object size affects the spatial orientation is still unknown. Methods Thirty-eight college students were recruited to participate in an experiment based on the spatial visualization dynamic test. Eyelink 1,000 Plus was used to collect eye movement data. The final direction difference (the difference between the final moving direction of the target and the final direction of the moving target pointing to the destination point), rotation angle (the rotation angle of the knob from the start of the target movement to the moment of key pressing) and eye movement indices under conditions of different object sizes and motion velocities were compared. Results The final direction difference and rotation angle under the condition of a 2.29°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point were significantly smaller than those under the other conditions (a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point; a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 2.29°-diameter destination point). The average pupil size under the condition of a 2.29°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point was significantly larger than the average pupil size under other conditions (a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point; a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 2.29°-diameter destination point). Discussion A relatively large moving target can resist the landmark attraction effect in spatial orientation, and the influence of object size on spatial orientation may originate from differences in cognitive resource consumption. The present study enriches the interaction theory of the processing of object characteristics and motion characteristics and provides new ideas for the application of eye movement technology in the examination of spatial orientation ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Yang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yang He
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lin Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiuchao Wang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yahong Li
- Central Theater Command Air Force Hospital of PLA, Datong, China
| | - Yaning Guo
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shengjun Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xufeng Liu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
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Cullen KE. Internal models of self-motion: neural computations by the vestibular cerebellum. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:986-1002. [PMID: 37739815 PMCID: PMC10591839 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The vestibular cerebellum plays an essential role in maintaining our balance and ensuring perceptual stability during activities of daily living. Here I examine three key regions of the vestibular cerebellum: the floccular lobe, anterior vermis (lobules I-V), and nodulus and ventral uvula (lobules X-IX of the posterior vermis). These cerebellar regions encode vestibular information and combine it with extravestibular signals to create internal models of eye, head, and body movements, as well as their spatial orientation with respect to gravity. To account for changes in the external environment and/or biomechanics during self-motion, the neural mechanisms underlying these computations are continually updated to ensure accurate motor behavior. To date, studies on the vestibular cerebellum have predominately focused on passive vestibular stimulation, whereas in actuality most stimulation is the result of voluntary movement. Accordingly, I also consider recent research exploring these computations during active self-motion and emerging evidence establishing the cerebellum's role in building predictive models of self-generated movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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12
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Grove CR, Klatt BN, Wagner AR, Anson ER. Vestibular perceptual testing from lab to clinic: a review. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1265889. [PMID: 37859653 PMCID: PMC10583719 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1265889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Not all dizziness presents as vertigo, suggesting other perceptual symptoms for individuals with vestibular disease. These non-specific perceptual complaints of dizziness have led to a recent resurgence in literature examining vestibular perceptual testing with the aim to enhance clinical diagnostics and therapeutics. Recent evidence supports incorporating rehabilitation methods to retrain vestibular perception. This review describes the current field of vestibular perceptual testing from scientific laboratory techniques that may not be clinic friendly to some low-tech options that may be more clinic friendly. Limitations are highlighted suggesting directions for additional research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin R. Grove
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Brooke N. Klatt
- Physical Therapy Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Andrew R. Wagner
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Eric R. Anson
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
- Physical Therapy Department, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
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13
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Kondashevskaya MV, Artem'eva KA, Kozlova MA, Areshidze DA, Kaktursky LV. Drawbacks and Unexpected Advantages of the Response to Modeling Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Old Wistar Rats. Dokl Biol Sci 2023; 512:300-306. [PMID: 38087017 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496623700576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
In modeling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), old Wistar rats exhibit the same general signs of a PTSD-like condition as young rats do. The ratio of testosterone to corticosterone levels was assessed as a new index and proved to provide a guideline for dividing the rat population into low- and high-anxiety groups when modeling PTSD. Several features were observed in behavior, psycho-emotional manifestations, hormone levels, and myocardial state in old rats. A sharp rise in circulating testosterone was for the first time shown to occur in old, but not young, rats in stress, contributing to a more rapid decision as to where to move in the labyrinth space. Priority data were obtained on dysfunctional accumulation of mitochondria in the myocardium in intact and stressed old rats. The information obtained may be useful in developing drugs against harmful consequences of PTSD and senile changes in the myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Kondashevskaya
- Avtsyn Institute of Human Morphology, Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, Russia.
| | - K A Artem'eva
- Avtsyn Institute of Human Morphology, Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, Russia
| | - M A Kozlova
- Avtsyn Institute of Human Morphology, Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, Russia
| | - D A Areshidze
- Avtsyn Institute of Human Morphology, Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, Russia
| | - L V Kaktursky
- Avtsyn Institute of Human Morphology, Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, Russia
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14
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Sagalajev B, Lennartz L, Vieth L, Gunawan CT, Neumaier B, Drzezga A, Visser-Vandewalle V, Endepols H, Sesia T. TgF344-AD Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease: Spatial Disorientation and Asymmetry in Hemispheric Neurodegeneration. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2023; 7:1085-1094. [PMID: 37849636 PMCID: PMC10578321 DOI: 10.3233/adr-230038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The TgF344-AD ratline represents a transgenic animal model of Alzheimer's disease. We previously reported spatial memory impairment in TgF344-AD rats, yet the underlying mechanism remained unknown. We, therefore, set out to determine if spatial memory impairment in TgF344-AD rats is attributed to spatial disorientation. Also, we aimed to investigate whether TgF344-AD rats exhibit signs of asymmetry in hemispheric neurodegeneration, similar to what is reported in spatially disoriented AD patients. Finally, we sought to examine how spatial disorientation correlates with working memory performance. Methods TgF344-AD rats were divided into two groups balanced by sex and genotype. The first group underwent the delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task for the assessment of spatial orientation and working memory, while the second group underwent positron emission tomography (PET) for the assessment of glucose metabolism and microglial activity as in-vivo markers of neurodegeneration. Rats were 13 months old during DMS training and 14-16 months old during DMS testing and PET. Results In the DMS task, TgF344-AD rats were more likely than their wild-type littermates to display strong preference for one of the two levers, preventing working memory testing. Rats without lever-preference showed similar working memory, regardless of their genotype. PET revealed hemispherically asymmetric clusters of increased microglial activity and altered glucose metabolism in TgF344-AD rats. Conclusions TgF344-AD rats display spatial disorientation and hemispherically asymmetrical neurodegeneration, suggesting a potential causal relationship consistent with past clinical research. In rats with preserved spatial orientation, working memory remains intact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boriss Sagalajev
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Cologne, Germany
- European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lina Lennartz
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Cologne, Germany
- European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lukas Vieth
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Cologne, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Nuclear Chemistry (INM-5), Jülich, Germany
| | - Cecilia Tasya Gunawan
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Cologne, Germany
- European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Bernd Neumaier
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Cologne, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Nuclear Chemistry (INM-5), Jülich, Germany
| | - Alexander Drzezga
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cologne, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Molecular Organization of the Brain (INM-2), Jülich, Germany
| | - Veerle Visser-Vandewalle
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Cologne, Germany
- European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Heike Endepols
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Cologne, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Nuclear Chemistry (INM-5), Jülich, Germany
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thibaut Sesia
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Cologne, Germany
- European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Maastricht, Netherlands
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15
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Loy JE, Demberg V. Individual Differences in Spatial Orientation Modulate Perspective Taking in Listeners. J Cogn 2023; 6:52. [PMID: 37663137 PMCID: PMC10473169 DOI: 10.5334/joc.321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research suggests that individuals exhibit consistent tendencies towards taking their own (an egocentric) or their partner's (an othercentric) spatial perspective. In addition, several factors such as spatial orientation ability, inhibitory control, and social preferences, have been found to mediate these perspective taking tendencies. However, these factors have not been studied together in the context of a single task. The present study explores these individual differences together in spatial perspective taking, using a task of simulated interaction in which listeners can choose to interpret an ambiguous spatial utterance egocentrically or othercentrically. We use a data-driven approach of latent profile analysis to classify participants into subgroups based on their spatial perspective taking tendencies. Our results show that stable subgroups of participants can be identified who differ in their perspective taking tendencies. This behaviour also correlates with a measure of listeners' spatial orientation ability, but not their inhibitory control or social preferences. Our results can be interpreted within a framework that views spatial perspective taking as an embodied cognitive process of a mental reorientation of the self relative to the environment, providing insight on the nature of the mechanisms underlying this operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia E. Loy
- Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Germany
| | - Vera Demberg
- Department of Computer Science and Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Germany
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16
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Zhang L, Malkemper EP. Cryptochromes in mammals: a magnetoreception misconception? Front Physiol 2023; 14:1250798. [PMID: 37670767 PMCID: PMC10475740 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1250798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes are flavoproteins related to photolyases that are widespread throughout the plant and animal kingdom. They govern blue light-dependent growth in plants, control circadian rhythms in a light-dependent manner in invertebrates, and play a central part in the circadian clock in vertebrates. In addition, cryptochromes might function as receptors that allow animals to sense the Earth's magnetic field. As cryptochromes are also present in mammals including humans, the possibility of a magnetosensitive protein is exciting. Here we attempt to provide a concise overview of cryptochromes in mammals. We briefly review their canonical role in the circadian rhythm from the molecular level to physiology, behaviour and diseases. We then discuss their disputed light sensitivity and proposed role in the magnetic sense in mammals, providing three mechanistic hypotheses. Specifically, mammalian cryptochromes could form light-induced radical pairs in particular cellular milieus, act as magnetoreceptors in darkness, or as secondary players in a magnetoreception signalling cascade. Future research can test these hypotheses to investigate if the role of mammalian cryptochromes extends beyond the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E. Pascal Malkemper
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior—caesar, Bonn, Germany
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17
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Pawar V, Ashraf H, Dorsala S, Mary P, Hameed N, H DN, Adatia SP, Raj L, Ananthu VR, Shouka M. Motorist's Vestibular Disorientation Syndrome (MVDS)-Proposed Diagnostic Criteria. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13050732. [PMID: 37240902 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13050732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Motorist's vestibular disorientation syndrome (MVDS) is a disorder in which patients experience dizziness while driving. MVDS is under-reported in the literature, and in clinical practice, it often goes unrecognized. We identified clinical characteristics of patients with MVDS using data from 24 patients who faced difficulties while driving and were diagnosed with MVDS. Their symptoms, duration of illness, precipitating factors, co-morbidities, history of other neuro-otological disorders, severity of symptoms, and associated anxiety and depression were reviewed. Ocular motor movements were recorded using video-nystagmography. Patients with vestibular disorders that can cause similar symptoms while driving were excluded. The mean age of the patients was 45.7 ± 8.7 years, and most were professional drivers (90.5%). The duration of the illness ranged from eight days to ten years. Most patients presented with disorientation (79.2%) exclusively while driving. The most common triggers for symptoms were higher speeds, i.e., >80 km/h (66.7%), multi-lane roads (58.3%), bends and turns (50%), and looking at other vehicles or signals while driving (41.7%). A history of migraines was reported in 62.5% of the patients, and motion sickness was reported in 50% of the patients. Anxiety was reported in 34.3% of patients, and 15.7% had depression. The video-nystagmography did not show any specific abnormalities. Patients responded to drugs used in prophylactic treatments for migraines such as Amitriptyline, Venlafaxine, Bisoprolol, and Magnesium, and to Pregabalin and Gabapentin. Based on these findings, a classification system and a diagnostic criterion for MVDS were proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Pawar
- Neurology Department, Aster Gardens Specialty Clinic, Building 10, Zen Cluster, Street 1, Discovery Gardens, Dubai P.O. Box 8703, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hanaan Ashraf
- Al Rafa Polyclinic-International City, Internal Medicine Department, Aster DM Healthcare, Dubai P.O. Box 8703, United Arab Emirates
| | - Srinivas Dorsala
- Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Belagavi 500010, Karnataka, India
| | - Preethy Mary
- Medical Trust Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Cochin 682016, Kerala, India
| | - Nazrin Hameed
- Medical Trust Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Cochin 682016, Kerala, India
| | - Divya Nair H
- Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar 382042, Gujarat, India
| | - Sweta Prakash Adatia
- Department of Neurology, RAK Hospital, Ras-Al-Khaimah P.O. Box 11393, United Arab Emirates
| | - Leya Raj
- Public Health Consultant, Karipuram 673121, Kerala, India
| | - V R Ananthu
- Al Sharq Hospital Fujairah, ENT Department, Al Sharq Healthcare, Fujairah P.O. Box 8505, United Arab Emirates
| | - M Shouka
- Audiologist, Neurology Department, Garden's Specialty Clinic, Aster DM Healthcare, Dubai P.O. Box 8704, United Arab Emirates
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LaChance PA, Taube JS. Geometric determinants of the postrhinal egocentric spatial map. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1728-1743.e7. [PMID: 37075750 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Animals use the geometry of their local environments to orient themselves during navigation. Single neurons in the rat postrhinal cortex (POR) appear to encode environmental geometry in an egocentric (self-centered) reference frame, such that they fire in response to the egocentric bearing and/or distance from the environment center or boundaries. One major issue is whether these neurons truly encode high-level global parameters, such as the bearing/distance of the environment centroid, or whether they are simply responsive to the bearings and distances of nearby walls. We recorded from POR neurons as rats foraged in environments with different geometric layouts and modeled their responses based on either global geometry (centroid) or local boundary encoding. POR neurons largely split into either centroid-encoding or local-boundary-encoding cells, with each group lying at one end of a continuum. We also found that distance-tuned cells tend to scale their linear tuning slopes in a very small environment, such that they lie somewhere between absolute and relative distance encoding. In addition, POR cells largely maintain their bearing preferences, but not their distance preferences, when exposed to different boundary types (opaque, transparent, drop edge), suggesting different driving forces behind the bearing and distance signals. Overall, the egocentric spatial correlates encoded by POR neurons comprise a largely robust and comprehensive representation of environmental geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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Popov T, Gips B, Weisz N, Jensen O. Brain areas associated with visual spatial attention display topographic organization during auditory spatial attention. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3478-3489. [PMID: 35972419 PMCID: PMC10068281 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatially selective modulation of alpha power (8-14 Hz) is a robust finding in electrophysiological studies of visual attention, and has been recently generalized to auditory spatial attention. This modulation pattern is interpreted as reflecting a top-down mechanism for suppressing distracting input from unattended directions of sound origin. The present study on auditory spatial attention extends this interpretation by demonstrating that alpha power modulation is closely linked to oculomotor action. We designed an auditory paradigm in which participants were required to attend to upcoming sounds from one of 24 loudspeakers arranged in a circular array around the head. Maintaining the location of an auditory cue was associated with a topographically modulated distribution of posterior alpha power resembling the findings known from visual attention. Multivariate analyses allowed the prediction of the sound location in the horizontal plane. Importantly, this prediction was also possible, when derived from signals capturing saccadic activity. A control experiment on auditory spatial attention confirmed that, in absence of any visual/auditory input, lateralization of alpha power is linked to the lateralized direction of gaze. Attending to an auditory target engages oculomotor and visual cortical areas in a topographic manner akin to the retinotopic organization associated with visual attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzvetan Popov
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 1-80502-784644-50205-B15 2TT, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Bart Gips
- NATO Science and Technology Organization Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) La Spezia, La Spezia 19126, Italy
| | - Nathan Weisz
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ole Jensen
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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20
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LaChance PA, Taube JS. A model for transforming egocentric views into goal-directed behavior. Hippocampus 2023; 33:488-504. [PMID: 36780179 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in the rat postrhinal cortex (POR) respond to the egocentric (observer-centered) bearing and distance of the boundaries, or geometric center, of an enclosed space. Understanding of the precise geometric and sensory properties of the environment that generate these signals is limited. Here we model how this signal may relate to visual perception of motion parallax along environmental boundaries. A behavioral extension of this tuning is the known 'centering response', in which animals follow a spatial gradient function based on boundary parallax to guide behavior toward the center of a corridor or enclosure. Adding an allocentric head direction signal to this representation can translate the gradient across two-dimensional space and provide a new gradient for directing behavior to any location. We propose a model for how this signal may support goal-directed navigation via projections to the dorsomedial striatum. The result is a straightforward code for navigational variables derived from visual geometric properties of the surrounding environment, which may be used to map space and transform incoming sensory information into an appropriate motor output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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21
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La Scaleia B, Lacquaniti F, Zago M. Enhancement of Vestibular Motion Discrimination by Small Stochastic Whole-body Perturbations in Young Healthy Humans. Neuroscience 2023; 510:32-48. [PMID: 36535577 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation has been shown to improve vestibular perception in healthy subjects. Here, we sought to obtain similar results using more natural stimuli consisting of small-amplitude motion perturbations of the whole body. Thirty participants were asked to report the perceived direction of antero-posterior sinusoidal motion on a MOOG platform. We compared the baseline perceptual thresholds with those obtained by applying small, stochastic perturbations at different power levels along the antero-posterior axis, symmetrically distributed around a zero-mean. At the population level, we found that the thresholds for all but the highest level of noise were significantly lower than the baseline threshold. At the individual level, the threshold was lower with at least one noise level than the threshold without noise in 87% of participants. Thus, small, stochastic oscillations of the whole body can increase the probability of recognizing the direction of motion from low, normally subthreshold vestibular signals, possibly due to stochastic resonance mechanisms. We suggest that, just as the external noise of the present experiments, also the spontaneous random oscillations of the head and body associated with standing posture are beneficial by enhancing vestibular thresholds with a mechanism similar to stochastic resonance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Visuomotor Control and Gravitational Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Visuomotor Control and Gravitational Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
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22
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Lee ES, Weon YC, Kim JS, Lee TK, Park JY. Functional and anatomical alterations in bilateral vestibulopathy: A multimodal neuroimaging study and clinical correlation. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1157931. [PMID: 37064188 PMCID: PMC10098449 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1157931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Object To study multimodal neuroimaging study including resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), anatomical connectivity and brain morphology in patients with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) and relationship with clinical correlation. Methods Thirteen patients with BVP (7 women; mean age ± SD = 63.5 ± 14.7 years, 22-80 years) and eighteen age and gender-matched controls were compared rs-fMRI and anatomical MRI. Also, we analyzed the relationship between multimodal neuroimaging and Dizziness Handicap Inventory score (DHI), Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VDRL), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results Compared with controls, BVP patients showed decreased functional connectivity among the key nodes of the salience network, auditory (including vestibular) network, bilateral posterior parahippocampal gyri, bilateral paracingulate gyri, and right frontoparietal network, and the anatomical connectivity in the right cerebellum, corpus callosum tapetum, and left fornix. BVP patients showed decreased gray matter volume in the bilateral parahippocampal gyri, right precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus and increased gray matter volume in the right superior frontal gyrus compared with controls. Correlation analyses showed rs-fMRI and clinical variables showed no significant result. DHI correlated negatively with anatomical connectivity in the bilateral frontal parahippocampal cingulum, corpus callosum, right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, bilateral fornix, and gray matter volumes in the bilateral middle occipital gyri, right superior occipital gyrus, left angular gyrus, and right cuneus in BVP. VADL correlated negatively with Anatomical connectivity in the corpus callosum, bilateral fornix, bilateral cerebellum, bilateral superior and anterior thalamic radiation, right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, bilateral fronto-parietal cingulum, right dentatoruburothalamic tract and gray matter volumes in the right angular gyri, bilateral parahippocampal gyri, right middle temporal gyrus, right cuneus, bilateral inferior occipital gyri, left middle occipital gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, bilateral caudate, left cerebellar crus, and bilateral calcarine gyri in BVP. Conclusions This study identified reductions in the volume of the hippocampus and alterations in functional and anatomical connectivity that concurs with previously established characteristics of BVP. The degree of disability can be inferred from the change in the connectivity and volume between vestibular cortical areas and their network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eek-Sung Lee
- Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Cheol Weon
- Department of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Soo Kim
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Kyeong Lee
- Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yun Park
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
- *Correspondence: Ji-Yun Park ;
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Lester AW, Jordan GA, Blum CJ, Philpot ZP, Barnes CA. Differential effects in young and aged rats' navigational accuracy following instantaneous rotation of environmental cues. Behav Neurosci 2022; 136:561-574. [PMID: 36395015 PMCID: PMC10482423 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Successful navigation depends critically upon two broad categories of spatial navigation strategies that include allocentric and egocentric reference frames, relying on external or internal spatial information, respectively. As with older adults, aged rats show robust impairments on a number of different spatial navigation tasks. There is some evidence that these navigation impairments are accompanied by a bias toward relying on egocentric over allocentric navigation strategies. To test the degree to which young and aged animals utilize these two navigation approaches, a novel behavioral arena was used in which rats are trained to traverse a circular track and to stop at a learned goal location that is fixed with respect to a panorama of visual cues projected onto the surrounding walls. By instantaneously rotating the cues, allocentric and egocentric reference frames were put in direct and immediate conflict and goal navigation performance was assessed with respect to how accurately young and aged animals were able to utilize the rotated cues. Behavioral data collected from nine young and eight aged animals revealed that both age groups were able to update their navigation performance following cue rotation. Contrary to what was expected, however, aged animals showed more accurate overall goal navigation performance, stronger allocentric strategy use, and more evident changes in behavior in response to cue rotation compared to younger animals. The young rats appeared to mix egocentric and allocentric strategies for ICR task solution. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carol A. Barnes
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute
- Departments of Psychology, Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
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24
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Hensgen R, Dippel S, Hümmert S, Jahn S, Seyfarth J, Homberg U. Myoinhibitory peptides in the central complex of the locust Schistocerca gregaria and colocalization with locustatachykinin-related peptides. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2782-2801. [PMID: 35700405 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The central complex in the brain of insects provides a neural network for sensorimotor processing that is essential for spatial navigation and locomotion and plays a role in sleep control. Studies on the neurochemical architecture of the central complex have been performed especially in the fruit fly Drosophila melangoaster and the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. In several insect species, myoinhibitory peptides (MIPs) are involved in circadian control and sleep-wake regulation. To identify neurons that might underlie these functions, we investigated the distribution of MIPs in the central complex of the locust. In silico transcript analysis suggests the presence of eight different MIPs in the desert locust. Through immunolabeling, we identified five systems of central-complex neurons that express MIP-like peptides. Two systems constitute columnar neurons of the protocerebral bridge and the lower division of the central body, while the other three systems are columnar neurons (two systems) and tangential neurons (one system) of the upper division of the central body. The innervation pattern and cell count of two systems of columnar neurons revealed the existence of 18 instead of 16 columns of the protocerebral bridge. Immunostaining of preparations containing intracellularly stained single cells allowed us to further specify subtypes of labeled columnar neurons. Double-label experiments showed that three systems of MIP-immunostained columnar neurons are also locustatachykinin-immunoreactive. No colocalization was found with serotonin immunostaining. The data provide novel insights into the architecture of the locust central complex and suggest that MIPs play a prominent role within the central-complex network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Dippel
- Department of Biology, Zoology, and Developmental Biology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Sophie Hümmert
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Jahn
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jutta Seyfarth
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
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25
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Kaiser A, Hensgen R, Tschirner K, Beetz E, Wüstenberg H, Pfaff M, Mota T, Pfeiffer K. A three-dimensional atlas of the honeybee central complex, associated neuropils and peptidergic layers of the central body. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2416-2438. [PMID: 35593178 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The central complex (CX) in the brain of insects is a highly conserved group of midline-spanning neuropils consisting of the upper and lower division of the central body, the protocerebral bridge, and the paired noduli. These neuropils are the substrate for a number of behaviors, most prominently goal-oriented locomotion. Honeybees have been a model organism for sky-compass orientation for more than 70 years, but there is still very limited knowledge about the structure and function of their CX. To advance and facilitate research on this brain area, we created a high-resolution three-dimensional atlas of the honeybee's CX and associated neuropils, including the posterior optic tubercles, the bulbs, and the anterior optic tubercles. To this end, we developed a modified version of the iterative shape averaging technique, which allowed us to achieve high volumetric accuracy of the neuropil models. For a finer definition of spatial locations within the central body, we defined layers based on immunostaining against the neuropeptides locustatachykinin, FMRFamide, gastrin/cholecystokinin, and allatostatin and included them into the atlas by elastic registration. Our honeybee CX atlas provides a platform for future neuroanatomical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kaiser
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Tschirner
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Beetz
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hauke Wüstenberg
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Pfaff
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Theo Mota
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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26
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Osterlund Oltmanns JR, Schaeffer EA, Goncalves Garcia M, Donaldson TN, Acosta G, Sanchez LM, Davies S, Savage DD, Wallace DG, Clark BJ. Sexually dimorphic organization of open field behavior following moderate prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:861-875. [PMID: 35315075 PMCID: PMC9117438 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can produce deficits in a wide range of cognitive functions but is especially detrimental to behaviors requiring accurate spatial information processing. In open field environments, spatial behavior is organized such that animals establish "home bases" marked by long stops focused around one location. Progressions away from the home base are circuitous and slow, while progressions directed toward the home base are non-circuitous and fast. The impact of PAE on the organization of open field behavior has not been experimentally investigated. METHODS In the present study, adult female and male rats with moderate PAE or saccharin exposure locomoted a circular high walled open field for 30 minutes under lighted conditions. RESULTS The findings indicate that PAE and sex influence the organization of open field behavior. Consistent with previous literature, PAE rats exhibited greater locomotion in the open field. Novel findings from the current study indicate that PAE and sex also impact open field measures specific to spatial orientation. While all rats established a home base on the periphery of the open field, PAE rats, particularly males, exhibited significantly less clustered home base stopping with smaller changes in heading between stops. PAE also impaired progression measures specific to distance estimation, while sex alone impacted progression measures specific to direction estimation. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the conclusion that adult male rats have an increased susceptibility to the effects of PAE on the organization of open field behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ericka A Schaeffer
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Tia N Donaldson
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Gabriela Acosta
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lilliana M Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Suzy Davies
- Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Daniel D Savage
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Douglas G Wallace
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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27
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Caldani S, Baghdadi M, Peyre H, Khoury E, Delorme R, Bucci MP. Poor visuo- spatial orientation and path memorization in children with dyslexia. Nord J Psychiatry 2022; 76:195-201. [PMID: 34278919 DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2021.1943705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Given the importance of spatial representation and navigation in the natural environment and the presence of sensory motor integration impairment in dyslexic children the aim of this study was to explore the capability in spatial orientation task in dyslexic children. MATERIALS AND METHODS We included forty children: 26 dyslexic children (mean age: 10.1 ± 0.3 years old) and 14 typically developing (TD) children (mean age: 10.1 ± 0.4 years old). Children have to walk on an unguided isosceles rectangle triangle of 3 meters that was marked on the ground of a room, during two visual conditions: eyes open and eyes closed. Their paths were recorded using the HTC Vive system (Base + Trackers) with a refresh rate of 90 Hz with accuracy < 0.05 mm. RESULTS Results underlined that both groups of children reported poor performance during eyes closed condition. Moreover, dyslexic children, reported poor spatial orientation capabilities in the most difficult conditions, that is during reproduction of hypotenuse and angle of 45 deg. CONCLUSIONS We suggested that visual information is important during walking; the poor body orientation observed in dyslexic children could be due to a deficient integration of the sensorial inputs (visual, vestibular and proprioceptive). Further studies testing vestibular/cerebellar rehabilitation could be useful for these kinds of children.HighlightsChildren with dyslexia showed poor spatial orientation capabilities compared to typically developing children, particularly when visual inputs are not available and in the most difficult conditions (like rotation of the body).Poor motor abilities reported by children with dyslexia could be due to cerebrocerebellar pathways impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Caldani
- UMR 7114 MoDyCo, CNRS, Paris Nanterre University, Nanterre, France.,Pediatric Balance Evaluation Center (EFEE), ENT Department, AP-HP, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France.,Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Moetez Baghdadi
- UMR 7114 MoDyCo, CNRS, Paris Nanterre University, Nanterre, France
| | - Hugo Peyre
- Paris University, Paris, France.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, AP-HP, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Elie Khoury
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, AP-HP, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- Paris University, Paris, France.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, AP-HP, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France.,Human Genetics & Cognitive Function, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Maria Pia Bucci
- UMR 7114 MoDyCo, CNRS, Paris Nanterre University, Nanterre, France.,Pediatric Balance Evaluation Center (EFEE), ENT Department, AP-HP, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France.,Paris University, Paris, France
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28
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Abstract
To make maps from airborne odours requires dynamic respiratory patterns. I propose that this constraint explains the modulation of memory by nasal respiration in mammals, including murine rodents (e.g. laboratory mouse, laboratory rat) and humans. My prior theories of limbic system evolution offer a framework to understand why this occurs. The answer begins with the evolution of nasal respiration in Devonian lobe-finned fishes. This evolutionary innovation led to adaptive radiations in chemosensory systems, including the emergence of the vomeronasal system and a specialization of the main olfactory system for spatial orientation. As mammals continued to radiate into environments hostile to spatial olfaction (air, water), there was a loss of hippocampal structure and function in lineages that evolved sensory modalities adapted to these new environments. Hence the independent evolution of echolocation in bats and toothed whales was accompanied by a loss of hippocampal structure (whales) and an absence of hippocampal theta oscillations during navigation (bats). In conclusion, models of hippocampal function that are divorced from considerations of ecology and evolution fall short of explaining hippocampal diversity across mammals and even hippocampal function in humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia F. Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA
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29
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Jung Kim M, Otero-Millan J, Tian J, Kheradmand A. Psychophysical Haptic Measurement of Vertical Perception: Elucidating a Hand Sensory Bias. Neuroscience 2022; 481:21-29. [PMID: 34848259 PMCID: PMC8817686 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The primary sensory modality for probing spatial perception can vary among psychophysical paradigms. In the subjective visual vertical (SVV) task, the brain must account for the position of the eye within the orbit to generate an estimate of a visual line orientation, whereas in the subjective haptic vertical (SHV) task, the position of the hand is used to sense the orientation of a haptic bar. Here we investigated whether a hand sensory bias can affect SHV measurement. We measured SHV in 12 subjects (6 left-handed and 6 right-handed) with a forced-choice paradigm using their left and right hands separately. The SHV measurement was less accurate than the SVV measurements (-0.6 ± 0.7) and it was biased in the direction of the hand used in the task but was not affected by handedness; SHV left hand -6.8 ± 2.1° (left-handed -7.9 ± 3.6°, right-handed -5.8 ± 2.5°) and right hand 9.8 ± 1.5° (left-handed 7.4 ± 2.2°, right-handed 12.3 ± 1.8°). SHV measurement with the same hand was also affected by the haptic bar placement on the left or right side versus midline, showing a side effect (left vs midline -2.0 ± 1.3°, right vs midline 3.8 ± 1.7°). Midline SHV measures using the left and right hands were different, confirming a laterality effect (left hand -4.5 ± 1.7°, right hand 6.4 ± 2.0°). These results demonstrate a sensory bias in SHV measurement related to the effects of both hand-in-body (i.e., right vs left hand) and hand-in-space positions. Such modality-specific bias may result in disparity between SHV and SVV measurements, and therefore cannot be generalized to vertical or spatial perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jung Kim
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jorge Otero-Millan
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Jing Tian
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amir Kheradmand
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR), The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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30
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Razzak AR, Jahrami H, Husni M, Ali ME, Bagust J. Symptom severity is associated with leftward lateralization upon contextual modulation of visual vertical in patients with schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:948114. [PMID: 35923447 PMCID: PMC9339704 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.948114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Contextual processing dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) is not uniform and task-dependent. In SCZ, studies on the rod and frame test (RFT), which evaluates contextual modulation of verticality perception, are sparse. A main study that utilized a two-alternative forced choice design for judging rod verticality reported equivalent strength of RFT contextual modulation in healthy controls and SCZ. The current study aims to uncover any potential differences in contextual modulation between controls and SCZ with an adjustment method on a computerized RFT. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 17 healthy controls and 15 SCZ aligned an oriented rod to their perceived vertical with a computer mouse under four randomized frame presentations: absent frame, non-tilted (Frame0°), or tilted by 18 degrees leftward (Frame-18°) or rightward (Frame+18°). Rod deviation error was assigned a negative or positive value when aligned leftward or rightward, respectively, of 0°. Signed and absolute errors, the rod and frame effect (RFE), and intra-individual variability (inconsistency) were used for analysis. RESULTS There was no group difference in rod alignment errors or derived measures, except that SCZ displayed greater inconsistency in rod alignment, compared to controls. The negative symptom scale (PANSS-N) scores correlated positively with the variability measure and with unsigned Frame-18° error. CONCLUSIONS Only the variability measure was sensitive enough to distinguish between controls and SCZ. SCZ with more severe negative symptoms had larger variability in rod alignment, probably reflecting a state of indifference. The larger deviation errors only with a leftward tilted frame, as PANSS-N scores increased, may indicate a lateralized attentional abnormality that is correlated with severity of symptoms in SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rima Razzak
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS), Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Manama, Bahrain
| | - Haitham Jahrami
- Ministry of Health (MOH), Manama, Bahrain.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS), Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Manama, Bahrain
| | - Mariwan Husni
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS), Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Manama, Bahrain.,Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, Ontario, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jeff Bagust
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, United Kingdom
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31
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Day BL, Ocal D, Peters A, Bancroft MJ, Cash D, Kaski D, Crutch SJ, Yong KXX. Altered visual and haptic verticality perception in posterior cortical atrophy and Alzheimer's disease. J Physiol 2021; 600:373-391. [PMID: 34841531 DOI: 10.1113/jp282289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing theoretical and empirical support for the brain combining multisensory information to determine the direction of gravity and hence uprightness. A fundamental part of the process is the spatial transformation of sensory signals between reference frames: eye-centred, head-centred, body-centred, etc. The question 'Am I the right way up?' posed by a patient with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) suggests disturbances in upright perception, subsequently investigated in PCA and typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD) based on what looks or feels upright. Participants repeatedly aligned to vertical a rod presented either visually (visual-vertical) or haptically (haptic-vertical). Visual-vertical involved orienting a projected rod presented without or with a visual orientation cue (circle, tilted square (±18°)). Haptic-vertical involved orientating a grasped rod with eyes closed using a combination of side (left, right) and hand (unimanual, bimanual) configurations. Intraindividual uncertainty and bias defined verticality perception. Uncertainty was consistently greater in both patient groups than in control groups, and greater in PCA than tAD. Bias in the frontal plane was strongly directionally affected by visual cue tilt (visual-vertical) and grip side (haptic-vertical). A model was developed that assumed verticality information from multiple sources is combined in a statistically optimal way to produce observed uncertainties and biases. Model results suggest the mechanism that spatially transforms graviceptive information between body parts is disturbed in both patient groups. Despite visual dysfunction being typically considered the primary feature of PCA, disturbances were greater in PCA than tAD particularly for haptic-vertical, and are considered in light of posterior parietal vulnerability. KEY POINTS: The perception of upright requires accurate and precise estimates of orientation based on multiple noisy sensory signals. The question 'Am I the right way up?' posed by a patient with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA; purported 'visual variant Alzheimer's') suggests disturbances in the perception of upright. What looks or feels upright in PCA and typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD) was investigated by asking participants to repeatedly align to vertical a rod presented visually (visual-vertical) or haptically (haptic-vertical). PCA and tAD groups exhibited not only greater perceptual uncertainty than controls, but also exaggerated bias induced by tilted visual orientation cues (visual-vertical) and grip side (haptic-vertical). When modelled, these abnormalities, which were particularly evident in PCA haptic-vertical performance, were compatible with disruption of a mechanism that spatially transforms verticality information between body parts. The findings suggest an important role of posterior parietal cortex in verticality perception, and have implications for understanding spatial disorientation in dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Day
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Dilek Ocal
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, DE
| | - Amy Peters
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Bancroft
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - David Cash
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Diego Kaski
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sebastian J Crutch
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Keir X X Yong
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Borel L, Honoré J, Bachelard-Serra M, Lavieille JP, Saj A. Representation of Body Orientation in Vestibular-Defective Patients Before and After Unilateral Vestibular Loss. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:733684. [PMID: 34776883 PMCID: PMC8580062 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.733684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The unilateral vestibular syndrome results in postural, oculomotor, perceptive, and cognitive symptoms. This study was designed to investigate the role of vestibular signals in body orientation representation, which remains poorly considered in vestibular patients. Methods: The subjective straight ahead (SSA) was investigated using a method disentangling translation and rotation components of error. Participants were required to align a rod with their body midline in the horizontal plane. Patients with right vestibular neurotomy (RVN; n =8) or left vestibular neurotomy (LVN; n = 13) or vestibular schwannoma resection were compared with 12 healthy controls. Patients were tested the day before surgery and during the recovery period, 7 days and 2 months after the surgery. Results: Before and after unilateral vestibular neurotomy, i.e., in the chronic phases, patients showed a rightward translation bias of their SSA, without rotation bias, whatever the side of the vestibular loss. However, the data show that the lower the translation error before neurotomy, the greater its increase 2 months after a total unilateral vestibular loss, therefore leading to a rightward translation of similar amplitude in the two groups of patients. In the early phase after surgery, SSA moved toward the operated side both in translation and in rotation, as typically found for biases occurring after unilateral vestibular loss, such as the subjective visual vertical (SVV) bias. Discussion and Conclusion: This study gives the first description of the immediate consequences and of the recovery time course of body orientation representation after a complete unilateral vestibular loss. The overall evolution differed according to the side of the lesion with more extensive changes over time before and after left vestibular loss. It is noteworthy that representational disturbances of self-orientation were highly unusual in the chronic stage after vestibular loss and similar to those reported after hemispheric lesions causing spatial neglect, while classical ipsilesional biases were reported in the acute stage. This study strongly supports the notion that the vestibular system plays a major role in body representation processes and more broadly in spatial cognition. From a clinical point of view, SSA appeared to be a reliable indicator for the presence of a vestibular disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliane Borel
- Cognitive Neurosciences Laboratory, UMR 7291, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Jacques Honoré
- SCALab, UMR 9193, University of Lille, CNRS, Lille, France
| | - Mathilde Bachelard-Serra
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hôpital La Conception, APHM, Marseille, France.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, CHP Clairval, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavieille
- Cognitive Neurosciences Laboratory, UMR 7291, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Marseille, France.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hôpital La Conception, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud Saj
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, University of Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre of Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabiliation of Montréal, CRIR/Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille du CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, Longueuil, QC, Canada
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33
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Castillo J, Carmona I, Commins S, Fernández S, Ortells JJ, Cimadevilla JM. Spatial Recognition Memory: Differential Brain Strategic Activation According to Sex. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:736778. [PMID: 34539360 PMCID: PMC8441006 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.736778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human spatial memory research has significantly progressed since the development of computerized tasks, with many studies examining sex-related performances. However, few studies explore the underlying electrophysiological correlates according to sex. In this study event-related potentials were compared between male and female participants during the performance of an allocentric spatial recognition task. Twenty-nine university students took part in the research. Results showed that while general performance was similar in both sexes, the brain of males and females displayed a differential activation. Males showed increased N200 modulation than females in the three phases of memory process (encoding, maintenance, and retrieval). Meanwhile females showed increased activation of P300 in the three phases of memory process compared to males. In addition, females exhibited more negative slow wave (NSW) activity during the encoding phase. These differences are discussed in terms of attentional control and the allocation of attentional resources during spatial processing. Our findings demonstrate that sex modulates the resources recruited to performed this spatial task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Castillo
- Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain.,Health Research Center, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - Isabel Carmona
- Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain.,Health Research Center, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - Sean Commins
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland
| | - Sergio Fernández
- Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain.,Health Research Center, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - Juan José Ortells
- Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain.,Health Research Center, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - José Manuel Cimadevilla
- Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain.,Health Research Center, University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
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Hensgen R, Göthe J, Jahn S, Hümmert S, Schneider KL, Takahashi N, Pegel U, Gotthardt S, Homberg U. Organization and neural connections of the lateral complex in the brain of the desert locust. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3533-3560. [PMID: 34216020 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The lateral complexes (LXs) are bilaterally paired neuropils in the insect brain that mediate communication between the central complex (CX), a brain center controlling spatial orientation, various sensory processing areas, and thoracic motor centers that execute locomotion. The LX of the desert locust consists of the lateral accessory lobe (LAL), and the medial and lateral bulb. We have analyzed the anatomical organization and the neuronal connections of the LX in the locust, to provide a basis for future functional studies. Reanalyzing the morphology of neurons connecting the CX and the LX revealed likely feedback loops in the sky compass network of the CX via connections in the gall of the LAL and a newly identified neuropil termed ovoid body. In addition, we characterized 16 different types of neuron that connect the LAL with other areas in the brain. Eight types of neuron provide information flow between both LALs, five types are LAL input neurons, and three types are LAL output neurons. Among these are neurons providing input from sensory brain areas such as the lobula and antennal neuropils. Brain regions most often targeted by LAL neurons are the posterior slope, the wedge, and the crepine. Two descending neurons with dendrites in the LAL were identified. Our data support and complement existing knowledge about how the LAL is embedded in the neuronal network involved in processing of sensory information and generation of appropriate behavioral output for goal-directed locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Göthe
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Jahn
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sophie Hümmert
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kim Lucia Schneider
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Naomi Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uta Pegel
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sascha Gotthardt
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
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35
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Brennan EKW, Jedrasiak-Cape I, Kailasa S, Rice SP, Sudhakar SK, Ahmed OJ. Thalamus and claustrum control parallel layer 1 circuits in retrosplenial cortex. eLife 2021; 10:e62207. [PMID: 34170817 PMCID: PMC8233040 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The granular retrosplenial cortex (RSG) is critical for both spatial and non-spatial behaviors, but the underlying neural codes remain poorly understood. Here, we use optogenetic circuit mapping in mice to reveal a double dissociation that allows parallel circuits in superficial RSG to process disparate inputs. The anterior thalamus and dorsal subiculum, sources of spatial information, strongly and selectively recruit small low-rheobase (LR) pyramidal cells in RSG. In contrast, neighboring regular-spiking (RS) cells are preferentially controlled by claustral and anterior cingulate inputs, sources of mostly non-spatial information. Precise sublaminar axonal and dendritic arborization within RSG layer 1, in particular, permits this parallel processing. Observed thalamocortical synaptic dynamics enable computational models of LR neurons to compute the speed of head rotation, despite receiving head direction inputs that do not explicitly encode speed. Thus, parallel input streams identify a distinct principal neuronal subtype ideally positioned to support spatial orientation computations in the RSG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen KW Brennan
- Department of Psychology, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | | | - Sameer Kailasa
- Department of Mathematics, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Sharena P Rice
- Department of Psychology, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | | | - Omar J Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
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Giancola M, Verde P, Cacciapuoti L, Angelino G, Piccardi L, Bocchi A, Palmiero M, Nori R. Do Advanced Spatial Strategies Depend on the Number of Flight Hours? The Case of Military Pilots. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070851. [PMID: 34202312 PMCID: PMC8301766 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Military pilots show advanced visuospatial skills. Previous studies demonstrate that they are better at mentally rotating a target, taking different perspectives, estimating distances and planning travel and have a topographic memory. Here, we compared navigational cognitive styles between military pilots and people without flight experience. Pilots were expected to be more survey-style users than nonpilots, showing more advanced navigational strategies. METHOD A total of 106 military jet pilots from the Italian Air Force and 92 nonpilots from the general population matched for education with the pilots were enrolled to investigate group differences in navigational styles. The participants were asked to perform a reduced version of the Spatial Cognitive Style Test (SCST), consisting of six tasks that allow us to distinguish individuals in terms of landmark (people orient themselves by using a figurative memory for environmental objects), route (people use an egocentric representation of the space) and survey (people have a map-like representation of the space) user styles. RESULTS In line with our hypothesis, military pilots mainly adopt the survey style, whereas nonpilots mainly adopt the route style. In addition, pilots outperformed nonpilots in both the 3D Rotation Task and Map Description Task. CONCLUSIONS Military flight expertise influences some aspects of spatial ability, leading to enhanced human navigation. However, it must be considered that they are a population whose navigational skills were already high at the time of selection at the academy before formal training began.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Giancola
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (M.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Paola Verde
- Aerospace Medicine Department, Aerospace Test Division, Italian Air Force, 00071 Pomezia, Italy; (L.C.); (G.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Luigi Cacciapuoti
- Aerospace Medicine Department, Aerospace Test Division, Italian Air Force, 00071 Pomezia, Italy; (L.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Gregorio Angelino
- Aerospace Medicine Department, Aerospace Test Division, Italian Air Force, 00071 Pomezia, Italy; (L.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology “Sapienza”, University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.P.); (A.B.)
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Bocchi
- Department of Psychology “Sapienza”, University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Massimiliano Palmiero
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (M.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Raffaella Nori
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
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Tascón L, Di Cicco C, Piccardi L, Palmiero M, Bocchi A, Cimadevilla JM. Sex Differences in Spatial Memory: Comparison of Three Tasks Using the Same Virtual Context. Brain Sci 2021; 11:757. [PMID: 34200351 PMCID: PMC8229883 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial memory has been studied through different instruments and tools with different modalities of administration. The cognitive load varies depending on the measure used and it should be taken into account to correctly interpret results. The aim of this research was to analyze how men and women perform three different spatial memory tasks with the same spatial context but with different cognitive demands. A total of 287 undergraduate students from the University of Almeria (Spain) and the University of L'Aquila (Italy) participated in the study. They were divided into three groups balanced by sex according to the spatial memory test they performed: the Walking Space Boxes Room Task (WSBRT), the Almeria Spatial Memory Recognition Test (ASMRT) and the Non-Walking Space Boxes Room Task (NWSBRT). Time spent and number of errors/correct answers were registered for analysis. In relation to the WSBRT and the ASMRT, men were faster and reached the optimal level of performance before women. In the three tests, familiarity with the spatial context helped to reduce the number of errors, regardless of the level of difficulty. In conclusion, sex differences were determined by the familiarity with the spatial context, the difficulty level of the task, the active or passive role of the participant and the amount of visual information provided in each screen shot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tascón
- Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Carmen Di Cicco
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (C.D.C.); (M.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Palmiero
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (C.D.C.); (M.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Alessia Bocchi
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (C.D.C.); (M.P.); (A.B.)
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - José Manuel Cimadevilla
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain;
- Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
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Özcan MŞ, Çetinkaya E, Göksun T, Kisbu-Sakarya Y. Does learning to code influence cognitive skills of elementary school children? Findings from a randomized experiment. Br J Educ Psychol 2021; 91:1434-1455. [PMID: 34042178 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coding has been added to school curricula in several countries, being one of the necessary competencies of the 21st century. Although it has also been suggested to foster the development of several cognitive skills such as computational thinking and problem-solving, studies on the effects of coding are very limited, provide mixed results, and lack causal evidence. AIM This study aims to evaluate the impact of a learn-to-code programme on three cognitive skills in children: computational thinking, fluid intelligence, and spatial orientation, using a randomized trial. SAMPLE One hundred seventy-four (n = 81 girls) 4th-grade children participated in the study. METHODS Children were randomly assigned to one of the three 10-week learning programmes: learn-to-code (treatment of interest), mathematics (another STEM-related comparison treatment), and reading (control). Children responded to paper-pencil computational thinking, and spatial orientation measurements, and face-to-face matrix reasoning task at pre- and post-tests. RESULTS Results showed that children's computational thinking scores increased significantly only in the learn-to-code condition. Fluid intelligence significantly increased in all conditions, possibly due to a practice effect. The spatial orientation did not improve in any of the conditions. CONCLUSION These findings suggested that learning to code can be selectively beneficial for the development of computational thinking skills while not effective for spatial reasoning and fluid intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Esra Çetinkaya
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tilbe Göksun
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Halicki KT, Ingendahl M, Mayer M, John M, Schreiner MR, Wänke M. From Which Direction Does the Empire Strike (Back)? Front Psychol 2021; 12:625554. [PMID: 33995179 PMCID: PMC8118385 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In cultures with left-right-script, agentic behavior is mentally represented as following a left-to-right trajectory, an effect referred to as the Spatial Agency Bias (SAB, Suitner and Maass, 2016). In this research, we investigated whether spatial representations of activities are universal across activities by analyzing the opposite concepts of “attack” and “defense”. Both behaviors involve similar actions (e.g., fighting) but may differ in perceived agency. Moreover “defense” is necessarily always a response to an attack and may therefore be represented by a trajectory in the opposite direction. Two studies found the classic SAB for activities representing attacking but a reduction (Study 1) and reversal (Study 2) for activities involving defense. Although the spatial representation of defense on the right was much weaker and less unequivocal than that of attack on the left, the results suggest that the spatial representations of defense and attack are located in different positions. Apparently not all actors and all activities are spatially represented on the left with a left-to-right trajectory but position and direction depend on the perceived agency. Directions for future research and applications of our findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Theresa Halicki
- Department of Consumer and Economic Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Moritz Ingendahl
- Department of Consumer and Economic Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Maren Mayer
- Department of Consumer and Economic Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Melvin John
- Department of Consumer and Economic Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcel Raphael Schreiner
- Department of Consumer and Economic Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michaela Wänke
- Department of Consumer and Economic Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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Abstract
This paper describes a series of studies resulting from the finding that when free floating in weightless conditions with eyes closed, all sense of one's spatial orientation with respect to the aircraft can be lost. But, a touch of the hand to the enclosure restores the sense of spatial anchoring within the environment. This observation led to the exploration of how light touch of the hand can stabilize postural control on Earth even in individuals lacking vestibular function, and can override the effect of otherwise destabilizing tonic vibration reflexes in leg muscles. Such haptic stabilization appears to represent a long loop cortical reflex with contact cues at the hand phase leading EMG activity in leg muscles, which change the center of pressure at the feet to counteract body sway. Experiments on dynamic control of balance in a device programmed to exhibit inverted pendulum behavior about different axes and planes of rotation revealed that the direction of gravity not the direction of balance influences the perceived upright. Active control does not improve the accuracy of indicating the upright vs. passive exposure. In the absence of position dependent gravity shear forces on the otolith organs and body surface, drifting and loss of control soon result and subjects are unaware of their ongoing spatial position. There is a failure of dynamic path integration of the semicircular canal signals, such as occurs in weightless conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Lackner
- Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States
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Karmali F, Haburcakova C, Gong W, Della Santina CC, Merfeld DM, Lewis RF. An Implanted Vestibular Prosthesis Improves Spatial Orientation in Animals with Severe Vestibular Damage. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3879-88. [PMID: 33731447 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2204-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gravity is a pervasive environmental stimulus, and accurate graviception is required for optimal spatial orientation and postural stability. The primary graviceptors are the vestibular organs, which include angular velocity (semicircular canals) and linear acceleration (otolith organs) sensors. Graviception is degraded in patients with vestibular damage, resulting in spatial misperception and imbalance. Since minimal therapy is available for these patients, substantial effort has focused on developing a vestibular prosthesis or vestibular implant (VI) that reproduces information normally provided by the canals (since reproducing otolith function is very challenging technically). Prior studies demonstrated that angular eye velocity responses could be driven by canal VI-mediated angular head velocity information, but it remains unknown whether a canal VI could improve spatial perception and posture since these behaviors require accurate estimates of angular head position in space relative to gravity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a canal VI that transduces angular head velocity and provides this information to the brain via motion-modulated electrical stimulation of canal afferent nerves could improve the perception of angular head position relative to gravity in monkeys with severe vestibular damage. Using a subjective visual vertical task, we found that normal female monkeys accurately sensed the orientation of the head relative to gravity during dynamic tilts, that this ability was degraded following bilateral vestibular damage, and improved when the canal VI was used. These results demonstrate that a canal VI can improve graviception in vestibulopathic animals, suggesting that it could reduce the disabling perceptual and postural deficits experienced by patients with severe vestibular damage.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Patients with vestibular damage experience impaired vision, spatial perception, and balance, symptoms that could potentially respond to a vestibular implant (VI). Anatomic features facilitate semicircular canal (angular velocity) prosthetics but inhibit approaches with the otolith (linear acceleration) organs, and canal VIs that sense angular head velocity can generate compensatory eye velocity responses in vestibulopathic subjects. Can the brain use canal VI head velocity information to improve estimates of head orientation (e.g., head position relative to gravity), which is a prerequisite for accurate spatial perception and posture? Here we show that a canal VI can improve the perception of head orientation in vestibulopathic monkeys, results that are highly significant because they suggest that VIs mimicking canal function can improve spatial orientation and balance in vestibulopathic patients.
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Caraballo I, Lara-Bocanegra A, Bohórquez MR. Factors Related to the Performance of Elite Young Sailors in a Regatta: Spatial Orientation, Age and Experience. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:2913. [PMID: 33809133 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18062913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the role of spatial orientation in the performance of sport sailors. Participants were 30 elite male sailors from classes 420, Laser, Windsurfing RS:X and Windsurfing Techno, grouped into two categories: Monohull (18 sailors) and Windsurfing (12 sailors). Ages ranged between 13 and 18 years old (M = 15.7, SD = 1.05). To assess spatial orientation, the Perspective Taking/Spatial Orientation Test was used, and performance was inferred from the final classification at the regatta. In addition, the influence of experience and age on the performance was analyzed. The results show that in the Monohull group, the performance is determined by the spatial orientation (18% of the explained variance), while in the Windsurfing group, the variables that are related to performance are sailing experience and age (60% of the explained variance). Spatial orientation seems to be the more important variable for performance in the Monohull group, while in classes belonging to the Windsurfing group, this variable does not seem to be decisive for obtaining good results in the regatta.
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Mehlman ML, Marcroft JL, Taube JS. Anatomical projections to the dorsal tegmental nucleus and abducens nucleus arise from separate cell populations in the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, but overlapping cell populations in the medial vestibular nucleus. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:2706-2726. [PMID: 33511641 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Specialized circuitry in the brain processes spatial information to provide a sense of direction used for navigation. The dorsal tegmental nucleus (DTN) is a core component of this circuitry and utilizes vestibular inputs to generate neural activity encoding the animal's directional heading. Projections arising from the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH) and the medial vestibular nucleus (MVe) are thought to transmit critical vestibular signals to the DTN and other brain areas, including the abducens nucleus (ABN), a component of eye movement circuitry. Here, we utilized a dual retrograde tracer approach in rats to investigate whether overlapping or distinct populations of neurons project from the NPH or MVe to the DTN and ABN. We report that individual MVe neurons project to both the DTN and ABN. In contrast, we observed individual NPH neurons that project to either the DTN or ABN, but rarely to both structures simultaneously. We also examined labeling patterns in other structures located in the brainstem and posterior cortex and observed (1) complex patterns of interhemispheric connectivity between the left and right DTN, (2) projections from the supragenual nucleus, interpeduncular nucleus, and retrosplenial cortex to the DTN, (3) projections from the lateral superior olive to the ABN, and (4) a unique population of cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Collectively, our experiments provide valuable new information that extends our understanding of the anatomical organization of the brain's spatial processing circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max L Mehlman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer L Marcroft
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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Saito K, Otsuru N, Yokota H, Inukai Y, Miyaguchi S, Kojima S, Onishi H. α-tACS over the somatosensory cortex enhances tactile spatial discrimination in healthy subjects with low alpha activity. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02019. [PMID: 33405361 PMCID: PMC7994706 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Spontaneous oscillations in the somatosensory cortex, especially of the alpha (8 - 14 Hz) and gamma (60 - 80 Hz) frequencies, affect tactile perception; moreover, these oscillations can be selectively modulated by frequency-matched transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on the basis of ongoing oscillatory brain activity. To examine whether tACS can actually improve tactile perception via alpha and gamma modulation, we measured the effects of 10-Hz and 70-Hz tACS (α- and γ-tACS) on the left somatosensory cortex on right-finger tactile spatial orientation discrimination, and the associations between performance changes and individual alpha and gamma activities. METHODS Fifteen neurologically healthy subjects were recruited into this study. Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed before the first day, to assess the normal alpha- and gamma-activity levels. A grating orientation discrimination task was performed before and during 10-Hz and 70-Hz tACS. RESULTS The 10-Hz tACS protocol decreased the grating orientation discrimination threshold, primarily in subjects with low alpha event-related synchronization (ERS). In contrast, the 70-Hz tACS had no effect on the grating orientation discrimination threshold. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that 10-Hz tACS can improve tactile orientation discrimination in subjects with low alpha activity. Alpha-frequency tACS may help identify the contributions of these oscillations to other neurophysiological and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Saito
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Naofumi Otsuru
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hirotake Yokota
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yasuto Inukai
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shota Miyaguchi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Sho Kojima
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hideaki Onishi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
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45
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Anson E, Ehrenburg MR, Simonsick EM, Agrawal Y. Association between vestibular function and rotational spatial orientation perception in older adults. J Vestib Res 2021; 31:469-478. [PMID: 33579887 DOI: 10.3233/ves-201582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spatial orientation is a complex process involving vestibular sensory input and possibly cognitive ability. Previous research demonstrated that rotational spatial orientation was worse for individuals with profound bilateral vestibular dysfunction. OBJECTIVE Determine whether rotational and linear vestibular function were independently associated with large amplitude rotational spatial orientation perception in healthy aging. METHODS Tests of rotational spatial orientation accuracy and vestibular function [vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP)] were administered to 272 healthy community-dwelling adults participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using a mixed model multiple linear regression we regressed spatial orientation errors on lateral semicircular canal function, utricular function (ocular VEMP), and saccular function (cervical VEMP) in a single model controlling for rotation size, age, and sex. RESULTS After adjusting for age, and sex, individuals with bilaterally low VOR gain (β= 20.9, p = 0.014) and those with bilaterally absent utricular function (β= 9.32, p = 0.017) made significantly larger spatial orientation errors relative to individuals with normal vestibular function. CONCLUSIONS The current results demonstrate for the first time that either bilateral lateral semicircular canal dysfunction or bilateral utricular dysfunction are associated with worse rotational spatial orientation. We also demonstrated in a healthy aging cohort that increased age also contributes to spatial orientation ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Anson
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - M R Ehrenburg
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - E M Simonsick
- Longitudinal Studies Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Y Agrawal
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Paśko W, Śliż M, Paszkowski M, Zieliński J, Polak K, Huzarski M, Przednowek K. Characteristics of Cognitive Abilities among Youths Practicing Football. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:1371. [PMID: 33546115 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess selected cognitive abilities depending on age, anthropometric parametres, physical fitness and technical skills in the group of young players training football. The study covered a group of 258 young players practicing football (age: 12.1± 2.03), who were divided into 5 age categories (8–9 years old, 10–11 years old, 12–13 years old, 14–15 years old, 16–17 years old). Selected cognitive abilities include: simple reaction time (SIRT), complex reaction time (CHORT), hand-eye coordination (HECOR) and spatial orientation (SPANT). Studies were performed using Test2Drive computer tests. In addition, the level of physical fitness was measured using: The standing long jump, 30 m sprint, 20 m shuttle run test (without and with the ball) and slalom (without and with the ball). The analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between age and cognitive abilities. There was also a statistically significant correlation between fitness tests and reaction time in individual cognitive tests. There were no statistically significant relationships between technical skills and cognitive abilities. The study confirms that age and physical fitness affect the level of cognitive abilities.
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Oliveira LM, Evangelista E Souza EH, Alves MR, Carneiro LSF, Fagundes DF, de Paula AMB, Engedal K, Nascimento OJM, Monteiro-Junior RS. 2D Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Improves Spatial Navigation in Institutionalized Non-robust Older Persons: A Preliminary Data Report of a Single-Blind, Randomized, and Controlled Study. Front Neurol 2021; 11:609988. [PMID: 33584510 PMCID: PMC7874171 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.609988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Spatial navigation is a prodromal dementia marker. Exercise used alongside virtual reality improves many cognitive functions, but effects on spatial navigation are still unclear. Objective: To investigate the effect of virtual reality-based physical exercise with 2D exergames on spatial navigation in institutionalized non-robust older persons. Method: A total of 14 older persons (aged ≧ 60) were randomly allocated to the exergame (EG) and active control (ACG) groups. EG performed exercises with 2D exergames, while the ACG used the same movements as the EG, but without the use of virtual reality. Spatial navigation was assessed through the Floor Maze Test, where the immediate maze time (IMT) and delayed maze time (DMT) were recorded. Results: Spatial navigation was enhanced in EG participants compared to ACG individuals. A significant (p = 0.01) IMT reduction between groups was observed, while DMT time without prior planning was significantly different at the significance threshold (p = 0.07). Conclusions: Virtual reality-based exercise improves the spatial navigation of institutionalized non-robust older persons. This study should be replicated to confirm the findings reported herein. Clinical Trial Registration: This study was registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (Protocol RBR-8dv3kg - https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-8dv3kg).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Mendes Oliveira
- Graduate Program of Medicine (Neurology/Neurosciences), Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Rocha Alves
- Graduate Program of Medicine (Neurology/Neurosciences), Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | | | - Daniel Ferreira Fagundes
- Graduate Program of Medicine (Neurology/Neurosciences), Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | | | - Knut Engedal
- Norwegian Advisory Unit for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
| | - Osvaldo J M Nascimento
- Graduate Program of Medicine (Neurology/Neurosciences), Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Renato Sobral Monteiro-Junior
- Graduate Program of Medicine (Neurology/Neurosciences), Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil.,Graduate Program of Health Sciences, Montes Claros State University, Montes Claros, Brazil
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Abstract
Throughout Bernard Cohen's active career at Mount Sinai that lasted over a half century, he was involved in research on vestibular control of the oculomotor, body postural, and autonomic systems in animals and humans, contributing to our understanding of such maladies as motion sickness, mal de débarquement syndrome, and orthostatic syncope. This review is an attempt to trace and connect Cohen's varied research interests and his approaches to them. His influence was vast. His scientific contributions will continue to drive research directions for many years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Maruta
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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49
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Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is popular across many disciplines and has been increasingly used in sports as a training tool lately. However, it is not clear whether the spatial orientation of humans works equally within VR and in the real-world. In this paper, two studies are presented, in which natural body movements were allowed and demanded. Firstly, a series of verbal and walking distance estimation tests were conducted in both the virtual and the real environment. The non-parametric Friedman test with pairwise comparisons showed no significant differences neither in verbal nor in walking distance estimations between the conditions (all p > 0.05). However, shorter distances (0.9-1.5 m) were estimated more precisely than larger distances (2.6-2.8 m) in both environments. Secondly, a self-developed route recall test to examine the spatial orientation was performed in the virtual and the real environment. The participants visually perceived the predefined route and were instructed to follow these routes with their eyes blindfolded and afterward to return to their starting position. Between the ending and the starting position, no difference between the two environments was observed (p > 0.05). Based on these two studies, the performance of the human spatial orientation preliminarily verified the same in a virtual and real environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pastel
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - C H Chen
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - D Bürger
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - M Naujoks
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - L F Martin
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - K Petri
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - K Witte
- Department of Sports Engineering and Movement Science, Institute III: Sports Science, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
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Homberg U, Hensgen R, Rieber E, Seyfarth J, Kern M, Dippel S, Dircksen H, Spänig L, Kina YP. Orcokinin in the central complex of the locust Schistocerca gregaria: Identification of immunostained neurons and colocalization with other neuroactive substances. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:1876-1894. [PMID: 33128250 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The central complex is a group of highly interconnected neuropils in the insect brain. It is involved in the control of spatial orientation, based on external compass cues and various internal needs. The functional and neurochemical organization of the central complex has been studied in detail in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. In addition to classical neurotransmitters, immunocytochemistry has provided evidence for a major contribution of neuropeptides to neural signaling within the central complex. To complement these data, we have identified all orcokinin-immunoreactive neurons in the locust central complex and associated brain areas. About 50 bilateral pairs of neurons innervating all substructures of the central complex exhibit orcokinin immunoreactivity. Among these were about 20 columnar neurons, 33 bilateral pairs of tangential neurons of the central body, and seven pairs of tangential neurons of the protocerebral bridge. In silico transcript analysis suggests the presence of eight different orcokinin-A type peptides in the desert locust. Double label experiments showed that all orcokinin-immunostained tangential neurons of the lateral accessory lobe cluster were also immunoreactive for GABA and the GABA-synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase. Two types of tangential neurons of the upper division of the central body were, furthermore, also labeled with an antiserum against Dip-allatostatin I. No colocalization was found with serotonin immunostaining. The data provide additional insights into the neurochemical organization of the locust central complex and suggest that orcokinin-peptides of the orcokinin-A gene act as neuroactive substances at all stages of signal processing in this brain area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Rieber
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany.,Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jutta Seyfarth
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Martina Kern
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Dippel
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Spänig
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Yelda Pakize Kina
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
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