scholarly journals Visualizing sounds: training-induced plasticity with a visual-to-auditory conversion device

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Pesnot Lerousseau ◽  
Gabriel Arnold ◽  
Malika Auvray
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Sensory Substitution ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
List Type ◽  
Visual Functions ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Auditory Processes

AbstractSensory substitution devices aim at restoring visual functions by converting visual information into auditory or tactile stimuli. Although these devices show promises in the range of behavioral abilities they allow, the processes underlying their use remains underspecified. In particular, while an initial debate focused on the visual versus auditory or tactile nature of sensory substitution, since over a decade, the idea that it reflects a mixture of both has emerged. In order to investigate behaviorally the extent to which visual and auditory processes are involved, participants completed a Stroop-like crossmodal interference paradigm before and after being trained with a conversion device which translates visual images into sounds. In addition, participants’ auditory abilities and their phenomenologies were measured. Our study revealed that, after training, when asked to identify sounds, processes shared with vision were involved, as participants’ performance in sound identification was influenced by the simultaneously presented visual distractors. In addition, participants’ performance during training and their associated phenomenology depended on their auditory abilities, revealing that processing finds its roots in the input sensory modality. Our results pave the way for improving the design and learning of these devices by taking into account inter-individual differences in auditory and visual perceptual strategies.HighlightsTrained people spontaneously use processes shared with vision when hearing sounds from the deviceProcesses with conversion devices find roots both in vision and auditionTraining with a visual-to-auditory conversion device induces perceptual plasticity

scholarly journals Training-induced plasticity enables visualizing sounds with a visual-to-auditory conversion device

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Pesnot Lerousseau ◽  
Gabriel Arnold ◽  
Malika Auvray
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Sensory Substitution ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Visual Functions ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Visual Distractors ◽  
Auditory Processes

AbstractSensory substitution devices aim at restoring visual functions by converting visual information into auditory or tactile stimuli. Although these devices show promise in the range of behavioral abilities they allow, the processes underlying their use remain underspecified. In particular, while an initial debate focused on the visual versus auditory or tactile nature of sensory substitution, since over a decade, the idea that it reflects a mixture of both has emerged. In order to investigate behaviorally the extent to which visual and auditory processes are involved, participants completed a Stroop-like crossmodal interference paradigm before and after being trained with a conversion device which translates visual images into sounds. In addition, participants' auditory abilities and their phenomenologies were measured. Our study revealed that, after training, when asked to identify sounds, processes shared with vision were involved, as participants’ performance in sound identification was influenced by the simultaneously presented visual distractors. In addition, participants’ performance during training and their associated phenomenology depended on their auditory abilities, revealing that processing finds its roots in the input sensory modality. Our results pave the way for improving the design and learning of these devices by taking into account inter-individual differences in auditory and visual perceptual strategies.

Individual Differences in Sensory Substitution

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 579-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Arnold ◽  
Jacques Pesnot-Lerousseau ◽  
Malika Auvray
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Sensory Substitution ◽  
Cognitive Capacities ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Multisensory Experience

Sensory substitution devices were developed in the context of perceptual rehabilitation and they aim at compensating one or several functions of a deficient sensory modality by converting stimuli that are normally accessed through this deficient sensory modality into stimuli accessible by another sensory modality. For instance, they can convert visual information into sounds or tactile stimuli. In this article, we review those studies that investigated the individual differences at the behavioural, neural, and phenomenological levels when using a sensory substitution device. We highlight how taking into account individual differences has consequences for the optimization and learning of sensory substitution devices. We also discuss the extent to which these studies allow a better understanding of the experience with sensory substitution devices, and in particular how the resulting experience is not akin to a single sensory modality. Rather, it should be conceived as a multisensory experience, involving both perceptual and cognitive processes, and emerging on each user’s pre-existing sensory and cognitive capacities.

The Processing of What, Where, and How

2018 ◽  
pp. 150-166
Author(s):  
Michael J. Proulx ◽  
David J. Brown ◽  
Achille Pasqualotto
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Spatial Navigation ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
Sensory Substitution ◽  
Action Processing ◽  
Extrapersonal Space ◽  
Detection Of Objects ◽  
Processing Of Visual Information

Vision is the default sensory modality for normal spatial navigation in humans. Touch is restricted to providing information about peripersonal space, whereas detecting and avoiding obstacles in extrapersonal space is key for efficient navigation. Hearing is restricted to the detection of objects that emit noise, yet many obstacles such as walls are silent. Sensory substitution devices provide a means of translating distal visual information into a form that visually impaired individuals can process through either touch or hearing. Here we will review findings from various sensory substitution systems for the processing of visual information that can be classified as what (object recognition), where (localization), and how (perception for action) processing. Different forms of sensory substitution excel at some tasks more than others. Spatial navigation brings together these different forms of information and provides a useful model for comparing sensory substitution systems, with important implications for rehabilitation, neuroanatomy, and theories of cognition.

Information-Seeking Behavior in the Tactile Modality

1980 ◽  
Vol 50 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1179-1191
Author(s):  
Dan L. Rogers ◽  
Austin Jones
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Sensory Deprivation ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Information Value ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Male Undergraduate ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Tactile Modality

In two experiments male undergraduate students ( ns = 24 and 28) were placed in a sensory deprivation environment to assess operationally defined drive properties of statistically defined information in the tactile sensory modality. In the first experiment it was demonstrated that there is a relationship between rate of responding for tactile information and duration of sensory deprivation, and a positive linear relationship between response rate and the relative information value of tactile stimuli. In the second experiment it was observed that information satiation in the tactile modality reduces drive for visual information. These results were discussed in relation to previous studies of auditory and visual information drives and were taken to support the existence of a generalized drive for information.

Where’s Wally? Audio–visual mismatch directs ocular saccades in sensory substitution

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Wright ◽  
Jamie Ward ◽  
Sarah Simonon ◽  
Aaron Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Thermal Imaging ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Visual Field Loss ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Sensory Substitution ◽  
Covert Visual Attention ◽  
Small Image

Sensory substitution is the representation of information from one sensory modality (e.g., vision) within another modality (e.g., audition). We used a visual-to-auditory sensory substitution device (SSD) to explore the effect of incongruous (true-)visual and substituted-visual signals on visual attention. In our multisensory sensory substitution paradigm, both visual and sonified-visual information were presented. By making small alterations to the sonified image, but not the seen image, we introduced audio–visual mismatch. The alterations consisted of the addition of a small image (for instance, the Wally character from the ‘Where’s Wally?’ books) within the original image. Participants were asked to listen to the sonified image and identify which quadrant contained the alteration. Monitoring eye movements revealed the effect of the audio–visual mismatch on covert visual attention. We found that participants consistently fixated more, and dwelled for longer, in the quadrant corresponding to the location (in the sonified image) of the target. This effect was not contingent on the participant reporting the location of the target correctly, which indicates a low-level interaction between an auditory stream and visual attention. We propose that this suggests a shared visual workspace that is accessible by visual sources other than the eyes. If this is indeed the case, it would support the development of other, more esoteric, forms of sensory substitution. These could include an expanded field of view (e.g., rear-view cameras), overlaid visual information (e.g., thermal imaging) or restoration of partial visual field loss (e.g., hemianopsia).

Dynamics of Visual Functions in Patient with Pituitary Tumors before and after Surgery

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (S 01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliya Khisanova ◽  
Bakhtiyar Pashaev ◽  
Gulnar Vagapova ◽  
Valery Danilov ◽  
Dmitry Bochkarev
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Tumors ◽  
Visual Functions ◽  
Before And After

scholarly journals Cooperation & Liaison between Universities & Editors (CLUE): recommendations on best practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Wager ◽  
◽  
Sabine Kleinert
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Research Integrity ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Publication Ethics ◽  
List Type ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Academic Journals ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Published Research

Abstract Background Inaccurate, false or incomplete research publications may mislead readers including researchers and decision-makers. It is therefore important that such problems are identified and rectified promptly. This usually involves collaboration between the research institutions and academic journals involved, but these interactions can be problematic. Methods These recommendations were developed following discussions at World Conferences on Research Integrity in 2013 and 2017, and at a specially convened 3-day workshop in 2016 involving participants from 7 countries with expertise in publication ethics and research integrity. The recommendations aim to address issues surrounding cooperation and liaison between institutions (e.g. universities) and journals about possible and actual problems with the integrity of reported research arising before and after publication. Results The main recommendations are that research institutions should: develop mechanisms for assessing the integrity of reported research (if concerns are raised) that are distinct from processes to determine whether individual researchers have committed misconduct; release relevant sections of reports of research integrity or misconduct investigations to all journals that have published research that was investigated; take responsibility for research performed under their auspices regardless of whether the researcher still works at that institution or how long ago the work was done; work with funders to ensure essential research data is retained for at least 10 years. Journals should: respond to institutions about research integrity cases in a timely manner; have criteria for determining whether, and what type of, information and evidence relating to the integrity of research reports should be passed on to institutions; pass on research integrity concerns to institutions, regardless of whether they intend to accept the work for publication; retain peer review records for at least 10 years to enable the investigation of peer review manipulation or other inappropriate behaviour by authors or reviewers. Conclusions Various difficulties can prevent effective cooperation between academic journals and research institutions about research integrity concerns and hinder the correction of the research record if problems are discovered. While the issues and their solutions may vary across different settings, we encourage research institutions, journals and funders to consider how they might improve future collaboration and cooperation on research integrity cases.

scholarly journals Do Valenced Odors and Trait Body Odor Disgust Affect Evaluation of Emotion in Dynamic Faces?

Perception ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1412-1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmeri Syrjänen ◽  
Marco Tullio Liuzza ◽  
Håkan Fischer ◽  
Jonas K. Olofsson
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Body Odor ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Facial Perception ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Dynamic Faces ◽  
Unpleasant Odor

Disgust is a core emotion evolved to detect and avoid the ingestion of poisonous food as well as the contact with pathogens and other harmful agents. Previous research has shown that multisensory presentation of olfactory and visual information may strengthen the processing of disgust-relevant information. However, it is not known whether these findings extend to dynamic facial stimuli that changes from neutral to emotionally expressive, or if individual differences in trait body odor disgust may influence the processing of disgust-related information. In this preregistered study, we tested whether a classification of dynamic facial expressions as happy or disgusted, and an emotional evaluation of these facial expressions, would be affected by individual differences in body odor disgust sensitivity, and by exposure to a sweat-like, negatively valenced odor (valeric acid), as compared with a soap-like, positively valenced odor (lilac essence) or a no-odor control. Using Bayesian hypothesis testing, we found evidence that odors do not affect recognition of emotion in dynamic faces even when body odor disgust sensitivity was used as moderator. However, an exploratory analysis suggested that an unpleasant odor context may cause faster RTs for faces, independent of their emotional expression. Our results further our understanding of the scope and limits of odor effects on facial perception affect and suggest further studies should focus on reproducibility, specifying experimental circumstances where odor effects on facial expressions may be present versus absent.

scholarly journals Individual level reliability of PAS-induced neural plasticity

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeun Kim ◽  
Jacqueline P. Ngo ◽  
Choi Deblieck ◽  
Dylan J. Edwards ◽  
Bruce Dobkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Recovery Of Function ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Base Line ◽  
List Type ◽  
Paired Associative Stimulation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Minimum Number

AbstractObjectiveWe assessed the individual level reliability of neural plasticity changes induced by paired associative stimulation (PAS), which combines peripheral nerve stimulation with transcranial magnetic stimulation to induce short-term plastic changes in the brain.MethodsFor 5 consecutive weeks, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of 8 healthy subjects were acquired every 10 minutes post-PAS intervention for a period of 60 minutes. The post-PAS MEPs were evaluated against base-line MEPs using permutation and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests to determine whether the MEP magnitudes changed after PAS. Moreover, various sample sizes of the MEP data were used to deduce the minimum number of MEPs needed to reliably detect individual propensity to neural plasticity.ResultsGroup analysis exhibited significant increase in post-PAS MEPs, confirming previous results. While high between-sessions variability was observed at individual level, data show that between 40 to 50 MEPs can reliably assess each subject’s responsiveness to PAS. Subjects exhibited three different plasticity patterns: in the modulated hemisphere only, both hemispheres, or neither hemisphere.ConclusionsPAS can reliably assess individual differences in neural plasticity.SignificanceA marker of individual plasticity may be useful to predict the effects of a motor rehabilitation, drug or other intervention to increase recovery of function after brain injury.HighlightsPaired associative stimulation (PAS) assesses neural plasticity non invasively.The study shows how PAS can reliably determine individual differences in plasticity.PAS may be used to predict intervention outcome or individualize treatment dose.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Contemporary versus Older Studies of Aspirin for Primary Prevention

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Moriarty ◽  
Mark H. Ebell
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Cardiovascular Events ◽  
Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events ◽  
List Type ◽  
Cancer Death ◽  
Major Hemorrhage ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Modern Era

AbstractObjectiveThis study compares the benefits and harms of aspirin for primary prevention before and after widespread use of statins and colorectal cancer screening.MethodsWe compared studies of aspirin for primary prevention that recruited patients from 2005 onward with previous individual patient meta-analyses that recruited patients from 1978 to 2002. Data for contemporary studies were synthesized using random-effects models. We report vascular (major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE], myocardial infarction [MI], stroke), bleeding, cancer, and mortality outcomes.ResultsThe IPD analyses of older studies included 95,456 patients for CV prevention and 25,270 for cancer mortality, while the four newer studies had 61,604 patients. Relative risks for vascular outcomes for older vs newer studies follow: MACE: 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.95) vs 0.93 (0.86-0.99); fatal hemorrhagic stroke: 1.73 (1.11-2.72) vs 1.06 (0.66-1.70); any ischemic stroke: 0.86 (0.74-1.00) vs 0.86 (0.75-0.98); any MI: 0.84 (0.77-0.92) vs 0.88 (0.77-1.00); and non-fatal MI: 0.79 (0.71-0.88) vs 0.94 (0.83-1.08). Cancer death was not significantly decreased in newer studies (RR 1.11, 0.92-1.34). Major hemorrhage was significantly increased for both older and newer studies (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.25-1.76 vs 1.37, 95% CI 1.24-1.53). There was no effect in either group on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, fatal stroke, or fatal MI.ConclusionsIn the modern era characterized by widespread statin use and cancer screening, aspirin does not reduce the risk of non-fatal MI or cancer death. There are no mortality benefits and a significant risk of major hemorrhage. Aspirin should no longer be recommended for primary prevention.Summary of current evidence and what this study addsWhat is already known about this subject?The cumulative evidence for aspirin suggests a role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and in reducing cancer incidence and mortality.However most of the trials of aspirin for primary prevention were set in Europe and the United States and recruited patients prior to the year 2000.The benefits and harms of aspirin should be considered separately in studies performed in the eras before and after widespread use of statins and colorectal cancer screening.What does this study add?This study provides the most detailed summary to date of cardiac, stroke, bleeding, mortality and cancer outcomes to date in the literature.In trials of aspirin for primary prevention from 2005 onwards, aspirin reduced major adverse cardiovascular events but significantly increased the risk of bleeding, with no benefit for mortality or,Unlike older studies, there was no reduction in cancer mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction.How does this impact on clinical practice?Our study suggests aspirin should not be recommended for primary prevention in the modern era.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document