scholarly journals Architectural Affordance Impacts Human Sensorimotor Brain Dynamics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakaria Djebbara ◽  
Lars Brorson Fich ◽  
Klaus Gramann
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Brain Dynamics ◽  
Alpha Band ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
Sensory Signals ◽  
Event Related Desynchronization ◽  
Motor Priming ◽  
Attentional Mechanisms

AbstractAction is a medium of collecting sensory information about the environment, which in turn is shaped by architectural affordances. Affordances characterize the fit between the physical structure of the body and capacities for movement and interaction with the environment, thus relying on sensorimotor processes associated with exploring the surroundings. Central to sensorimotor brain dynamics, the attentional mechanisms directing the gating function of sensory signals share neuronal resources with motor-related processes necessary to inferring the external causes of sensory signals. Such a predictive coding approach suggests that sensorimotor dynamics are sensitive to architectural affordances that support or suppress specific kinds of actions for an individual. However, how architectural affordances relate to the attentional mechanisms underlying the gating function for sensory signals remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that event-related desynchronization of alpha-band oscillations in parieto-occipital and medio-temporal regions covary with the architectural affordances. Source-level time-frequency analysis of data recorded in a motor-priming Mobile Brain/Body Imaging experiment revealed strong event-related desynchronization of the alpha band to originate from the posterior cingulate complex and bilateral parahippocampal areas. Our results firstly contribute to the understanding of how the brain resolves architectural affordances relevant to behaviour. Second, our results indicate that the alpha-band originating from the posterior cingulate complex covaries with the architectural affordances before participants interact with the environment. During the interaction, the bilateral parahippocampal areas dynamically reflect the affordable behaviour as perceived through the visual system. We conclude that the sensorimotor dynamics are developed for processing behaviour-relevant features in the designed environment.

scholarly journals The brain dynamics of architectural affordances during transition

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakaria Djebbara ◽  
Lars Brorson Fich ◽  
Klaus Gramann
Keyword(s):  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
The Body ◽  
Brain Dynamics ◽  
Alpha Band ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
Sensory Signals ◽  
Event Related Desynchronization ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Attentional Mechanisms

AbstractAction is a medium of collecting sensory information about the environment, which in turn is shaped by architectural affordances. Affordances characterize the fit between the physical structure of the body and capacities for movement and interaction with the environment, thus relying on sensorimotor processes associated with exploring the surroundings. Central to sensorimotor brain dynamics, the attentional mechanisms directing the gating function of sensory signals share neuronal resources with motor-related processes necessary to inferring the external causes of sensory signals. Such a predictive coding approach suggests that sensorimotor dynamics are sensitive to architectural affordances that support or suppress specific kinds of actions for an individual. However, how architectural affordances relate to the attentional mechanisms underlying the gating function for sensory signals remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that event-related desynchronization of alpha-band oscillations in parieto-occipital and medio-temporal regions covary with the architectural affordances. Source-level time–frequency analysis of data recorded in a motor-priming Mobile Brain/Body Imaging experiment revealed strong event-related desynchronization of the alpha band to originate from the posterior cingulate complex, the parahippocampal region as well as the occipital cortex. Our results firstly contribute to the understanding of how the brain resolves architectural affordances relevant to behaviour. Second, our results indicate that the alpha-band originating from the occipital cortex and parahippocampal region covaries with the architectural affordances before participants interact with the environment, whereas during the interaction, the posterior cingulate cortex and motor areas dynamically reflect the affordable behaviour. We conclude that the sensorimotor dynamics reflect behaviour-relevant features in the designed environment.

scholarly journals Sensor-Level Wavelet Analysis Reveals EEG Biomarkers of Perceptual Decision-Making

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2461
Author(s):  
Alexander Kuc ◽  
Vadim V. Grubov ◽  
Vladimir A. Maksimenko ◽  
Natalia Shusharina ◽  
Alexander N. Pisarchik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Perceptual Process ◽  
Perceptual Decision Making ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Perceptual Decision ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Band Power ◽  
Sensory Features

Perceptual decision-making requires transforming sensory information into decisions. An ambiguity of sensory input affects perceptual decisions inducing specific time-frequency patterns on EEG (electroencephalogram) signals. This paper uses a wavelet-based method to analyze how ambiguity affects EEG features during a perceptual decision-making task. We observe that parietal and temporal beta-band wavelet power monotonically increases throughout the perceptual process. Ambiguity induces high frontal beta-band power at 0.3–0.6 s post-stimulus onset. It may reflect the increasing reliance on the top-down mechanisms to facilitate accumulating decision-relevant sensory features. Finally, this study analyzes the perceptual process using mixed within-trial and within-subject design. First, we found significant percept-related changes in each subject and then test their significance at the group level. Thus, observed beta-band biomarkers are pronounced in single EEG trials and may serve as control commands for brain-computer interface (BCI).

scholarly journals The emulation theory of representation: Motor control, imagery, and perception

2004 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Grush
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Sensory Feedback ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Feedback Delay ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Effects Of Feedback ◽  
The Brain

The emulation theory of representation is developed and explored as a framework that can revealingly synthesize a wide variety of representational functions of the brain. The framework is based on constructs from control theory (forward models) and signal processing (Kalman filters). The idea is that in addition to simply engaging with the body and environment, the brain constructs neural circuits that act as models of the body and environment. During overt sensorimotor engagement, these models are driven by efference copies in parallel with the body and environment, in order to provide expectations of the sensory feedback, and to enhance and process sensory information. These models can also be run off-line in order to produce imagery, estimate outcomes of different actions, and evaluate and develop motor plans. The framework is initially developed within the context of motor control, where it has been shown that inner models running in parallel with the body can reduce the effects of feedback delay problems. The same mechanisms can account for motor imagery as the off-line driving of the emulator via efference copies. The framework is extended to account for visual imagery as the off-line driving of an emulator of the motor-visual loop. I also show how such systems can provide for amodal spatial imagery. Perception, including visual perception, results from such models being used to form expectations of, and to interpret, sensory input. I close by briefly outlining other cognitive functions that might also be synthesized within this framework, including reasoning, theory of mind phenomena, and language.

scholarly journals Imagination der Bewegung durch Vibrationsreize – ein neuer Ansatz in der Frühmobilisation auf der Intensivstation?

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-218
Author(s):  
M. Lippert-Grüner ◽  
B. Bakaláø ◽  
R. Zajíèek ◽  
F. Duška
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Early Mobilization ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
The Body ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Vibration Effect ◽  
Illusory Movement

Zusammenfassung Die Optimierung der motorischen Leistung und die Einbindung und Vernetzung bisher nicht verwendeter motorischer Einheiten sowie die vermehrte Ausschüttung neurotropher Faktoren sind zentrale Mechanismen der Vibrationswirkung, die therapeutisch auf einzelne Körperteile oder den gesamten Körper angewendet werden können. Eine Möglichkeit, die Frühmobilisation bei kritisch kranken Patienten effektiver zu gestalten und immobilitätsbedingten Veränderungen vorzubeugen, könnte die Verwendung des Vibramoov™-Systems sein. Gezielt programmierte Vibrationssequenzen stimulieren hier das Nervensystem mit sensorischen Informationen, die die Empfindung einer Bewegung nachahmen (z. B. des Gehens) und somit Regenerations- und Reor-ganisationsprozesse im zentralen Nervensystem unterstützen können. Von Bedeutung ist dieser Therapieansatz vor allem bei Patienten, bei denen aufgrund ihres Zustandes konventionelle Maßnahmen nicht oder nur eingeschränkt durchgeführt werden können. Da bisher keine Erfah-rungen zur Anwendung bei intensivpflichtigen Patienten verfügbar sind, wurde eine Pilotstudie durchgeführt mit der Fragestellung, ob diese Therapieform sicher ist und im normalen Betrieb auf der Intensivstation verwendet werden kann. Die Ergebnisse der Pilotstudie mit fünf Patienten zei-gen, dass die Anwendung von Vibramoov™ zu keiner wesentlichen Veränderung kardiopulmo-naler Parameter im Sinne einer Non-Toleranz führte und im klinischen Setting gut umsetzbar war. Schlüsselwörter: Frührehabilitation, Imagination von Bewegung, Intensivstation, Vibramoov™ Imagination of movement through vibrational stimuli – a new approach to early mobilization in intensive care units? A pilot study Abstract The optimization of motor performance and the integration and networking of previously unused motor units, as well as the increased release of neurotrophic factors, are central mechanisms related to the vibration effect that can be applied therapeutically to individual parts of the body or to the entire body. One way to make early mobilization more effective in critically ill patients and to prevent changes due to immobility could be rehabilitation with functional proprioceptive stimulation, also known as “illusory movement”. Specifically programmed vibration sequences stimulate the nervous system with sensory information that mimics the sensation of movement (e. g., walking) and can thus support regeneration and reorganization processes in the central nervous system. This therapeutic approach is particularly important for patients who, due to their condition, cannot – or only to a limited extent – carry out conventional measures. Since no experience has so far been available for use in intensive care patients, we carried out a pilot study to answer the question of whether this form of therapy can be used safely and in normal operations in the intensive care unit. The results of the pilot study with 5 patients showed that the use of Vibramoov™ did not lead to any significant change in cardiopulmonary parameters in terms of non-tolerance and was easy to implement in a clinical setting. Keywords: early rehabilitation, illusory movements, ICU, functional proprio-ceptive stimulation

Can Biomechanically Determined Stress be Perceived?

1993 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 789-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah D. Thompson ◽  
Don B. Chaffin
Keyword(s):  
Protective Action ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Back Stress ◽  
Physical Stress ◽  
The Body ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Back Injuries ◽  
Low Back Injuries ◽  
Biomechanical Approach ◽  
Psychophysical Approach

Back and overexertion injuries are a costly and debilitating problem in industry. It has been suggested that the best protective action in the prevention of back injuries is to rely on a person's perception of the risks, and allow them to operate within them. However, this assumes that a person is aware of the sensory information from the body concerning unsafe levels of stress, particularly in the back. Unfortunately, there is some question as to whether this assumption is valid. The purpose of this study was to determine how well physical stress resulting from performing occasional lifting exertions could be perceived. This required an evaluation to determine how perception (psychophysical approach) relates to physical tolerances (biomechanical approach). The results showed that back stress resulting from occasional lifting exertions is not well perceived in general. The fact that the stress was not well perceived by some may indicate why low back injuries are so pervasive in the population, and why engineering and ergonomic changes are needed to reduce the exposure to conditions that would overstress the back.

scholarly journals Time-Frequency Characteristics of In-Home Radio Channels Influenced by Activities of the Home Occupant

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 3557
Author(s):  
Alireza Borhani ◽  
Matthias Pätzold ◽  
Kun Yang
Keyword(s):  
Radio Channel ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Fall Detection ◽  
The Body ◽  
Home Healthcare ◽  
Radio Waves ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Daily Life Activities ◽  
Data Files ◽  
The Impact

While aging is a serious global concern, in-home healthcare monitoring solutions are limited to context-aware systems and wearable sensors, which may easily be forgotten or ignored for privacy and comfort reasons. An emerging non-wearable fall detection approach is based on processing radio waves reflected off the body, who has no active interaction with the system. This paper reports on an indoor radio channel measurement campaign at 5.9 GHz, which has been conducted to study the impact of fall incidents and some daily life activities on the temporal and spectral properties of the indoor channel under both line-of-sight (LOS) and obstructed-LOS (OLOS) propagation conditions. The time-frequency characteristic of the channel has been thoroughly investigated by spectrogram analysis. Studying the instantaneous Doppler characteristics shows that the Doppler spread ignores small variations of the channel (especially under OLOS conditions), but highlights coarse ones caused by falls. The channel properties studied in this paper can be considered to be new useful metrics for the design of reliable fall detection algorithms. We share all measured data files with the community through Code Ocean. The data can be used for validating a new class of channel models aiming at the design of smart activity recognition systems via a software-based approach.

scholarly journals Enhanced Alpha-oscillations in Visual Cortex during Anticipation of Self-generated Visual Stimulation

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2540-2551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max-Philipp Stenner ◽  
Markus Bauer ◽  
Patrick Haggard ◽  
Hans-Jochen Heinze ◽  
Ray Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Forward Models ◽  
Alpha Oscillations ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Sensory Attenuation ◽  
Sensory Neural ◽  
Motor Actions

The perceived intensity of sensory stimuli is reduced when these stimuli are caused by the observer's actions. This phenomenon is traditionally explained by forward models of sensory action–outcome, which arise from motor processing. Although these forward models critically predict anticipatory modulation of sensory neural processing, neurophysiological evidence for anticipatory modulation is sparse and has not been linked to perceptual data showing sensory attenuation. By combining a psychophysical task involving contrast discrimination with source-level time–frequency analysis of MEG data, we demonstrate that the amplitude of alpha-oscillations in visual cortex is enhanced before the onset of a visual stimulus when the identity and onset of the stimulus are controlled by participants' motor actions. Critically, this prestimulus enhancement of alpha-amplitude is paralleled by psychophysical judgments of a reduced contrast for this stimulus. We suggest that alpha-oscillations in visual cortex preceding self-generated visual stimulation are a likely neurophysiological signature of motor-induced sensory anticipation and mediate sensory attenuation. We discuss our results in relation to proposals that attribute generic inhibitory functions to alpha-oscillations in prioritizing and gating sensory information via top–down control.

Medical modification of sensation

1976 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Hodge ◽  
Robert B. King
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cutaneous Sensation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Control ◽  
Reticulospinal Tract ◽  
System Part ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervus Intermedius

✓ The authors describe the sensory examinations of three patients who had undergone cervical rhizotomy alone and in combination with trigeminal tractotomy and section of the nervus intermedius, the glossopharyngeal nerve, and the upper portion of the vagus nerve. Following administration of L-dopa there was an increase in their pain and a decrease in the area of clinically anesthetic or analgesic skin. When methyldopa was given, the subjective and objective changes were the opposite of those elicited by L-dopa. These observations support the existence of a wider dorsal root cutaneous distribution than is usually accepted as well as significant control of cutaneous sensation by suprasegmental areas of the central nervous system. Part of the suprasegmental bias supplied to the area in the spinal cord that processes sensory information apparently occurs by way of an aminergic descending reticulospinal tract. These findings are discussed in terms of attempts totally to denervate restricted cutaneous areas of the body for treatment of pain-producing states.

44. Exploring event related brain dynamics with test on complex valued time-frequency representations

2008 ◽  
Vol 119 (9) ◽  
pp. e110
Author(s):  
E. Martı´nez Montes ◽  
E. Cuspineda ◽  
W. El deredy ◽  
J.M. Sánchez Bornot ◽  
A. Lage Castellanos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Dynamics ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Complex Valued

scholarly journals Age-related reweighting of visual and vestibular cues for vertical perception

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 1279-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart B. G. T. Alberts ◽  
Luc P. J. Selen ◽  
W. Pieter Medendorp
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Individual Subject ◽  
Noise Characteristics ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Vestibular Cues ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Visual Frame

As we age, the acuity of our sensory organs declines, which may affect our lifestyle. Sensory deterioration in the vestibular system is typically bilateral and gradual, and could lead to problems with balance and spatial orientation. To compensate for the sensory deterioration, it has been suggested that the brain reweights the sensory information sources according to their relative noise characteristics. For rehabilitation and training programs, it is important to understand the consequences of this reweighting, preferably at the individual subject level. We psychometrically examined the age-dependent reweighting of visual and vestibular cues used in spatial orientation in a group of 32 subjects (age range: 19–76 yr). We asked subjects to indicate the orientation of a line (clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the gravitational vertical) presented within an oriented square visual frame when seated upright or with their head tilted 30° relative to the body. Results show that subjects’ vertical perception is biased by the orientation of the visual frame. Both the magnitude of this bias and response variability become larger with increasing age. Deducing the underlying sensory noise characteristics, using Bayesian inference, suggests an age-dependent reweighting of sensory information, with an increasing weight of the visual contextual information. Further scrutiny of the model suggests that this shift in sensory weights is the result of an increase in the noise of the vestibular signal. Our approach quantifies how noise properties of visual and vestibular systems change over the life span, which helps to understand the aging process at the neurocomputational level. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Perception of visual vertical involves a weighted fusion of visual and vestibular tilt cues. Using a Bayesian approach and experimental psychophysics, we quantify how this fusion process changes with age. We show that, with age, the vestibular information is down-weighted whereas the visual weight is increased. This shift in sensory reweighting is primarily due to an age-related increase of the noise of vestibular signals.

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