scholarly journals Overt attention towards appetitive cues enhances their subjective value, independent of orbitofrontal cortex activity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent B. McGinty
Keyword(s):  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Overt Attention ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
Appetitive Cues

ABSTRACTNeural representations of value underlie many behaviors that are crucial for survival. Previously, we found that value representations in primate orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) are modulated by attention, specifically, by overt shifts of gaze towards or away from reward-associated visual cues (McGinty et al., 2016). Here, we investigate the influence of overt attention on behavior, by asking how gaze shifts correlate with reward anticipatory responses, and whether activity in OFC mediates this correlation. Macaque monkeys viewed Pavlovian-conditioned appetitive cues on a visual display, while the fraction of time they spent looking towards or away from the cues was measured using an eye tracker. Also measured during cue presentation were the monkeys’ reward anticipation, indicated by conditioned licking responses (CRs), and single neuron activity in OFC. In general, gaze allocation predicted subsequent licking responses: the longer the monkeys spent looking at a cue at a given time point in a trial, the more likely they were to produce an anticipatory CR later in that trial, as if the subjective value of the cue were increased. To address neural mechanisms, mediation analysis measured the extent to which the gaze-CR correlation could be statistically explained by the concurrently recorded firing of single OFC neurons. The resulting mediation effects were indistinguishable from chance. Therefore, while overt attention may increase the subjective value of reward-associated cues (as revealed by anticipatory behaviors), the underlying mechanism remains unknown, as does the functional significance of gaze-driven modulation of OFC value signals.

scholarly journals A protocol to examine vision and gait in Parkinson’s disease: impact of cognition and response to visual cues

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Stuart ◽  
Brook Galna ◽  
Sue Lord ◽  
Lynn Rochester
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Saccadic Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Motor Tasks ◽  
3D Motion Analysis ◽  
Visual Sampling ◽  
Measure Of Performance

BackgroundCognitive and visual impairments are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and contribute to gait deficit and falls. To date, cognition and vision in gait in PD have been assessed separately. Impact of both functions (which we term ‘visuo-cognition’) on gait however is likely interactive and can be tested using visual sampling (specifically saccadic eye movements) to provide an online behavioural measure of performance. Although experiments using static paradigms show saccadic impairment in PD, few studies have quantified visual sampling during dynamic motor tasks such as gait.This article describes a protocol developed for testing visuo-cognition during gait in order to examine the: 1) independent roles of cognition and vision in gait in PD, 2) interaction between both functions, and 3) role of visuo-cognition in gait in PD.Methods Two groups of older adults (≥50 years old) were recruited; non-demented people with PD (n=60) and age-matched controls (n=40). Participants attended one session and a sub-group (n=25) attended two further sessions in order to establish mobile eye-tracker reliability. Participants walked in a gait laboratory under different attentional (single and dual task), environmental (walk straight, through a door and turning), and cueing (no visual cues and visual cues) conditions. Visual sampling was recorded using synchronised mobile eye-tracker and electrooculography systems, and gait was measured using 3D motion analysis.Discussion This exploratory study examined visuo-cognitive processes and their impact on gait in PD. Improved understanding of the influence of cognitive and visual functions on visual sampling during gait and gait in PD will assist in development of interventions to improve gait and reduce falls risk. This study will also help establish robust mobile eye-tracking methods in older adults and people with PD.

Using colour semiotics to explore colour meanings

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen ◽  
Marie-Nathalie Jauffret
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Indexical Sign ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The impact of colour is acknowledged within the marketing field. However, research on colour communication is limited, with most prior studies focusing on pre-defined meanings or colour associations. The purpose of this paper is to reveal insights into colour meaning and propose an alternative view to understanding colour communication. Design/methodology/approach The study takes a conceptual approach and proposes Peircean semiotics to understand colour communication. The proposed framework is applied to analyse a set of colour meanings detected by prior colour research. Findings The study elucidates the underlying mechanism of how colour is read and interpreted in various marketing activities, and how meaning is conveyed. This study addresses this mechanism by identifying colour semantics and colour as a symbolic, iconic and indexical sign. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the scholarly knowledge of colour in marketing. It enriches the understanding of how consumers interpret representations of single visual signs expressed in contexts such as products, brands and brand packaging to make informed product decisions. Practical implications By understanding consumer interpretation as a stage in the communication process, marketers can develop more informed marketing activities to communicate the intended meanings. This may well strengthen the brand identity and contribute to the perceived brand value. Originality/value By elaborating on how colours convey meanings and the mechanism that explains such meanings, this study demonstrates that colour meaning is far more than mere association. The study contributes to the current knowledge of colour by facilitating a deeper understanding of how consumers interpret representations of single visual cues expressed in various contexts.

Transfer of Landing Skill after Training with Supplementary Visual Cues

1979 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavan Lintern
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Of Training ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Transfer Task ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Training Condition ◽  
Training Design ◽  
Augmented Feedback ◽  
Trained Subjects ◽  
Better Than

An aircraft simulator with a closed-loop computer-generated visual display, was used to teach flight-naive subjects to land. A control training condition in which subjects learned to land with reference to a skeletal airport scene consisting of a horizon, runway, centerline, and aiming bar, was tested against training with constantly augmented feedback, adaptively augmented feedback, and a flightpath tracking display. A simulator-to-simulator transfer-of-training design showed that adaptively trained subjects performed best in a transfer task that was identical to the control group's training condition. Several subjects attempted six landings in a light airplane after they had completed their experimental work in the simulator. They performed better than another group of subjects that had not had any landing practice in the simulator.

Mapping Alterations of the Functional Structure of the Cerebral Cortex in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 4753-4762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Pujol ◽  
Laura Blanco-Hinojo ◽  
Dídac Maciá ◽  
Pino Alonso ◽  
Ben J Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Inhibitory Neuron ◽  
Functional Structure ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Neurophysiological Studies

AbstractWe mapped alterations of the functional structure of the cerebral cortex using a novel imaging approach in a sample of 160 obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Whole-brain functional connectivity maps were generated using multidistance measures of intracortical neural activity coupling defined within isodistant local areas. OCD patients demonstrated neural activity desynchronization within the orbitofrontal cortex and in primary somatosensory, auditory, visual, gustatory, and olfactory areas. Symptom severity was significantly associated with the degree of functional structure alteration in OCD-relevant brain regions. By means of a novel imaging perspective, we once again identified brain alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex, involving areas purportedly implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD. However, our results also indicated that weaker intracortical activity coupling is also present in each primary sensory area. On the basis of previous neurophysiological studies, such cortical activity desynchronization may best be interpreted as reflecting deficient inhibitory neuron activity and altered sensory filtering.

Direct and indirect resistance of sugarcane to Diatraea saccharalis induced by jasmonic acid

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A. Sanches ◽  
F. Santos ◽  
M.F.G.V. Peñaflor ◽  
J.M.S. Bento
Keyword(s):  
Jasmonic Acid ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Host Finding ◽  
Specialist Herbivore ◽  
Sugarcane Borer ◽  
Diatraea Saccharalis ◽  
Induced Defences ◽  
Potential Strategy

AbstractTreating plants with synthetic jasmonic acid (JA) induces a defensive response similar to herbivore attack, and is a potential strategy for integrated pest management. Despite the importance of sugarcane, its JA-induced defences have not yet been studied. We investigated the effects of JA treatment on the direct and indirect resistance of sugarcane to the key-pest and specialist herbivore Diatraea saccharalis and the generalist Spodoptera frugiperda. Indirect defences were examined by testing the attraction of Cotesia flavipes, a sugarcane-borer parasitoid, to JA-induced volatile. The results showed that JA-treated sugarcane did not affect the weight gain of the two larvae. However, in dual-choice assays, both species preferred to feed on mock rather than JA-treated plants. Leaf colorimetric analyses showed that visual cues are unlikely to be involved in larval preference, whereas results from olfactometric assays revealed that D. saccharalis preferred JA-induced over mock plant volatiles. After 48 h of treatment, JA-treated plants emitted a volatile blend attractive to C. flavipes, comprised mainly of sesquiterpenes. However, the parasitoid did not discriminate JA-treated from host-damaged plant volatiles. When the wasps were given a choice between JA-treated and JA-treated + host-damaged plants, they preferred the latter, which emitted a more complex blend, suggesting that JA treatment likely does not hamper host-finding. We concluded that JA induces the emission of volatiles that are attractive to the sugarcane borer parasitoid, as well as an antixenosis type of resistance in sugarcane against the two pests, although neither volatiles nor visual cues alone are involved in the underlying mechanism.

scholarly journals The effect of contextual cues on the encoding of motor memories

2013 ◽  
Vol 109 (10) ◽  
pp. 2632-2644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian S. Howard ◽  
Daniel M. Wolpert ◽  
David W. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Contextual Cues ◽  
Motion Cues ◽  
Visual Motion Cues ◽  
Display Location

Several studies have shown that sensory contextual cues can reduce the interference observed during learning of opposing force fields. However, because each study examined a small set of cues, often in a unique paradigm, the relative efficacy of different sensory contextual cues is unclear. In the present study we quantify how seven contextual cues, some investigated previously and some novel, affect the formation and recall of motor memories. Subjects made movements in a velocity-dependent curl field, with direction varying randomly from trial to trial but always associated with a unique contextual cue. Linking field direction to the cursor or background color, or to peripheral visual motion cues, did not reduce interference. In contrast, the orientation of a visual object attached to the hand cursor significantly reduced interference, albeit by a small amount. When the fields were associated with movement in different locations in the workspace, a substantial reduction in interference was observed. We tested whether this reduction in interference was due to the different locations of the visual feedback (targets and cursor) or the movements (proprioceptive). When the fields were associated only with changes in visual display location (movements always made centrally) or only with changes in the movement location (visual feedback always displayed centrally), a substantial reduction in interference was observed. These results show that although some visual cues can lead to the formation and recall of distinct representations in motor memory, changes in spatial visual and proprioceptive states of the movement are far more effective than changes in simple visual contextual cues.

scholarly journals Environmental constraints drive the partitioning of the soundscape in fishes

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (19) ◽  
pp. 6092-6097 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laëtitia Ruppé ◽  
Gaël Clément ◽  
Anthony Herrel ◽  
Laurent Ballesta ◽  
Thierry Décamps ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Clear Distinction ◽  
Interference Avoidance ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Underwater Environment ◽  
Fish Sounds ◽  
Passive Acoustic ◽  
Diurnal Species

The underwater environment is more and more being depicted as particularly noisy, and the inventory of calling fishes is continuously increasing. However, it currently remains unknown how species share the soundscape and are able to communicate without misinterpreting the messages. Different mechanisms of interference avoidance have been documented in birds, mammals, and frogs, but little is known about interference avoidance in fishes. How fish thus partition the soundscape underwater remains unknown, as acoustic communication and its organization have never been studied at the level of fish communities. In this study, passive acoustic recordings were used to inventory sounds produced in a fish community (120 m depth) in an attempt to understand how different species partition the acoustic environment. We uncovered an important diversity of fish sounds, and 16 of the 37 different sounds recorded were sufficiently abundant to use in a quantitative analysis. We show that sonic activity allows a clear distinction between a diurnal and a nocturnal group of fishes. Moreover, frequencies of signals made during the day overlap, whereas there is a clear distinction between the different representatives of the nocturnal callers because of a lack of overlap in sound frequency. This first demonstration, to our knowledge, of interference avoidance in a fish community can be understood by the way sounds are used. In diurnal species, sounds are mostly used to support visual display, whereas nocturnal species are generally deprived of visual cues, resulting in acoustic constraints being more important.

scholarly journals Reward-specific satiety affects subjective value signals in orbitofrontal cortex during multicomponent economic choice

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (30) ◽  
pp. e2022650118
Author(s):  
Alexandre Pastor-Bernier ◽  
Arkadiusz Stasiak ◽  
Wolfram Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Revealed Preference ◽  
Value Change ◽  
Neuronal Coding ◽  
Preference Theory ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
Reward Value ◽  
Value Loss ◽  
Reward Functions

Sensitivity to satiety constitutes a basic requirement for neuronal coding of subjective reward value. Satiety from natural ongoing consumption affects reward functions in learning and approach behavior. More specifically, satiety reduces the subjective economic value of individual rewards during choice between options that typically contain multiple reward components. The unconfounded assessment of economic reward value requires tests at choice indifference between two options, which is difficult to achieve with sated rewards. By conceptualizing choices between options with multiple reward components (“bundles”), Revealed Preference Theory may offer a solution. Despite satiety, choices against an unaltered reference bundle may remain indifferent when the reduced value of a sated bundle reward is compensated by larger amounts of an unsated reward of the same bundle, and then the value loss of the sated reward is indicated by the amount of the added unsated reward. Here, we show psychophysically titrated choice indifference in monkeys between bundles of differently sated rewards. Neuronal chosen value signals in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) followed closely the subjective value change within recording periods of individual neurons. A neuronal classifier distinguishing the bundles and predicting choice substantiated the subjective value change. The choice between conventional single rewards confirmed the neuronal changes seen with two-reward bundles. Thus, reward-specific satiety reduces subjective reward value signals in OFC. With satiety being an important factor of subjective reward value, these results extend the notion of subjective economic reward value coding in OFC neurons.

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