The role of the anterior intraparietal sulcus and the lateral occipital cortex in fingertip force scaling and weight perception during object lifting

This article provides new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying object lifting and perception. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation during object lifting, we show that effects of previous experience on force scaling and weight perception are not mediated by the anterior intraparietal sulcus or the lateral occipital cortex (LO). In contrast, we highlight a unique role for LO in load force scaling, suggesting different brain processes for grip and load force scaling in object manipulation.

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The role of the anterior intraparietal sulcus and the lateral occipital cortex in fingertip force scaling and weight perception during object lifting

10.1101/2019.12.20.883918 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vonne van Polanen ◽

Guy Rens ◽

Marco Davare

Keyword(s):

Weight Perception ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Load Force ◽

Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Weight Estimation ◽

Object Lifting ◽

Force Planning ◽

Force Scaling ◽

Anterior Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Lateral Occipital Cortex

ABSTRACTSkillful object lifting relies on scaling fingertip forces according to the object’s weight. When no visual cues about weight are available, force planning relies on recent lifting experience. Recently, we showed that previously lifted objects also affect weight estimation, as objects are perceived to be lighter when lifted after heavy objects compared to light ones. Here, we investigated the underlying neural mechanisms mediating these effects. We asked participants to lift objects and estimate their weight. Simultaneously, we applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during the dynamic loading or static holding phase. Two subject groups received TMS of either the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) or lateral occipital area (LO), known to be important nodes in object grasping and perception. We hypothesized that TMS-induced disruption of aIPS and LO would alter force scaling and weight perception. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find effects of aIPS or LO stimulation on force planning or weight estimation caused by previous lifting experience. However, we found that TMS of both areas increased grip forces, but only when applied during dynamic loading, and decreased weight estimation, but only when applied during static holding, suggesting time-specific effects. Interestingly, our results also indicate that TMS over LO, but not aIPS, affected load force scaling specifically for heavy objects, which further indicates that planning of load and grip forces might be controlled differently. These findings provide new insights on the interactions between brain networks mediating action and perception during object manipulation.NEW & NOTEWORTHYThis article provides new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying object lifting and perception. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation during object lifting, we show that effects of previous experience on force scaling and weight perception are not mediated by the anterior intraparietal sulcus nor the lateral occipital cortex (LO). In contrast, we highlight a unique role for LO in load force scaling, suggesting different brain processes for grip and load force scaling in object manipulation.

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Effects of Mnemonic Strategy Training on Brain Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Left-Hemisphere Ischemic Stroke Patients

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2019/4172569 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Alana X. Batista ◽

Paulo R. Bazán ◽

Adriana B. Conforto ◽

Maria da Graça M. Martin ◽

Sharon. S. Simon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Training ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Strategy Training ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Mnemonic Strategy ◽

Superior Parietal Cortex ◽

Anterior Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Lateral Occipital Cortex

Memory dysfunction is one of the main cognitive impairments caused by stroke, especially associative memory. Therefore, cognitive training, such as face-name mnemonic strategy training, could be an important intervention for this group of patients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the behavioral effects of face-name mnemonic strategy training, along with the neural substrate behind these effects, in the left frontoparietal lobe stroke patients. Volunteers underwent 2 sessions of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during face-name association task: one prior and the other after the cognitive training. The fMRI followed a block design task with three active conditions: trained face-name pairs, untrained face-name pairs, and a couple of repeated face-name pairs. Prior to each fMRI session, volunteers underwent neuropsychological assessment. Training resulted in better performance on delayed memory scores of HVLT-R, and on recognition on a generalization strategy task, as well as better performance in the fMRI task. Also, trained face-name pairs presented higher activation after training in default-mode network regions, such as the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and angular gyrus, as well as in lateral occipital and temporal regions. Similarly, untrained face-name pairs also showed a nonspecific training effect in the right superior parietal cortex, right supramarginal gyrus, anterior intraparietal sulcus, and lateral occipital cortex. A correlation between brain activation and task performance was also found in the angular gyrus, superior parietal cortex, anterior intraparietal sulcus, and lateral occipital cortex. In conclusion, these results suggest that face-name mnemonic strategy training has the potential to improve memory performance and to foster brain activation changes, by the recruitment of contralesional areas from default-mode, frontoparietal, and dorsal attention networks as a possible compensation mechanism.

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Dissociating the role of dorsal and ventral visual streams in object lifting and weight perception

Frontiers in Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/conf.fnins.2019.96.00066 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Vonne Van Polanen ◽

Guy Rens ◽

Marco Davare

Keyword(s):

Weight Perception ◽

Object Lifting

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The role of putative human anterior intraparietal sulcus area in observed manipulative action discrimination

Brain and Behavior ◽

10.1002/brb3.1226 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. e01226 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Guy A. Orban ◽

Stefania Ferri ◽

Artem Platonov

Keyword(s):

Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Anterior Intraparietal Sulcus

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The Benefit of Object Interactions Arises in the Lateral Occipital Cortex Independent of Attentional Modulation from the Intraparietal Sulcus: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

Journal of Neuroscience ◽

10.1523/jneurosci.6450-10.2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 31 (22) ◽

pp. 8320-8324 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J. G. Kim ◽

I. Biederman ◽

C.-H. Juan

Keyword(s):

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Attentional Modulation ◽

Object Interactions ◽

Lateral Occipital Cortex

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The role of the lateral occipital cortex in aesthetic appreciation of representational and abstract paintings: A TMS study

Brain and Cognition ◽

10.1016/j.bandc.2015.01.008 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 95 ◽

pp. 44-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Zaira Cattaneo ◽

Carlotta Lega ◽

Chiara Ferrari ◽

Tomaso Vecchi ◽

Camilo José Cela-Conde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occipital Cortex ◽

Aesthetic Appreciation ◽

Lateral Occipital Cortex

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Effects of TMS over the anterior intraparietal area on anticipatory fingertip force scaling and the size-weight illusion

10.1101/2020.05.18.101675 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Vonne van Polanen ◽

Gavin Buckingham ◽

Marco Davare

Keyword(s):

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Weight Perception ◽

Control Area ◽

Equal Weight ◽

Small Object ◽

Object Size ◽

Neural Underpinnings ◽

Weight Illusion ◽

Force Scaling

ABSTRACTIn skilled object lifting, fingertip forces need to be carefully scaled to object weight, which can be inferred from object properties, such as size or material. This anticipatory force scaling ensures smooth and efficient lifting movements. However, even with accurate motor plans, weight perception can still be biased. In the size-weight illusion, objects of different size but equal weight are perceived to differ in heaviness, with the small object perceived to be heavier than the large object. The neural underpinnings of the size-weight illusion and anticipatory force scaling to object size are largely unknown. In this study, we hypothesized a possible role of the anterior intraparietal cortex (aIPS) in predictive force scaling and the size-weight illusion, which we investigated by applying continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) prior to participants lifting objects designed to induce the size-weight illusion. Participants received cTBS over aIPS, the primary motor cortex (control area), or sham stimulation. We found no evidence that aIPS stimulation affected the size-weight illusion. Small effects were, however, found on anticipatory force scaling, where grip force was less tuned to object size during initial lifts. These findings suggest that, while aIPS might be peripherally involved in sensorimotor prediction, other brain areas underpin the processes that mediate the size-weight illusion.

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