Reconstructing neural representations of tactile space

Tamè, Luigi; Tucciarelli, Raffaele; Sadibolova, Renata; Sereno, Martin I.; Longo, Matthew R.

doi:10.1101/679241

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…We explored tactile space organization across IFD patients using a novel behavioral paradigm, which allowes quantification of distortions in tactile spatial perception and matches cortical tactile space organization in the primary somatosensory cortex. 7,12 Clearly, stimulus size judgments differed across orientations in controls and in groups of patients with CD, BSP/Meige syndrome, and FHD, replicating distortions of tactile space previously shown for healthy individuals. 7 However, contrary to our hypothesis, we found that there was neither change in the magnitude of anisotropy nor in the axis at which tactile distances were perceived as largest or in the global stimulus size estimation between groups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…7 Indeed, perceptual distortions of tactile space match cortical tactile space organization in the primary somatosensory cortex. 12 Previous literature shows impaired tactile spatial acuity in different forms of IFD [13][14][15][16][17] that is suggested to reflect a - --------------------------------------------------------degradation of somatotopic organization in the somatosensory cortex. [18][19][20][21][22] We therefore employed a novel behavioral paradigm to examine the perceptual organization of tactile space in IFD.…”

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confidence: 97%

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Intact Organization of Tactile Space Perception in Isolated Focal Dystonia

et al. 2021

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Background: Systematic perceptual distortions of tactile space have been documented in healthy adults. In isolated focal dystonia impaired spatial somatosensory processing is suggested to be a central pathophysiological finding, but the structure of tactile space for different body parts has not been previously explored. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess tactile space organization with a novel behavioral paradigm of tactile distance perception in patients with isolated focal dystonia and controls. Methods: Three groups of isolated focal dystonia patients (cervical dystonia, blepharospasm/Meige syndrome, focal hand dystonia) and controls estimated perceived distances between 2 touches across 8 orientations on the back of both hands and the forehead. Results: Stimulus size judgments differed significantly across orientations in all groups replicating distortions of tactile space known for healthy individuals. There were no differences between groups in the behavioral parameters we assessed on the hands and forehead. Conclusions: Tactile space organization is comparable between isolated focal dystonia and healthy controls in dystonic and unaffected body parts.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

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confidence: 97%

Intact Organization of Tactile Space Perception in Isolated Focal Dystonia

et al. 2021

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“…The motivation for developing such technologies is predicated on the assumption that humans can perceive the spatial and temporal features of whole hand tactile stimuli in the same way we would perceive equivalent visual stimuli with our eyes. Although the spatial and temporal features of such whole hand tactile stimuli prompt obvious parallels with visual stimuli (shapes, lines, motion), touch is a distinct sensory domain, processed in distinct cortical regions ( Gardner, 1988 ; Pei et al., 2010 , 2011 ; Tamè et al., 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Directional biases in whole hand motion perception revealed by mid-air tactile stimulation

Perquin

Taylor

Lorusso

et al. 2021

Cortex

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Many emerging technologies are attempting to leverage the tactile domain to convey complex spatiotemporal information translated directly from the visual domain, such as shape and motion. Despite the intuitive appeal of touch for communication, we do not know to what extent the hand can substitute for the retina in this way. Here we ask whether the tactile system can be used to perceive complex whole hand motion stimuli, and whether it exhibits the same kind of established perceptual biases as reported in the visual domain. Using ultrasound stimulation, we were able to project complex moving dot percepts onto the palm in mid-air, over 30 cm above an emitter device. We generated dot kinetogram stimuli involving motion in three different directional axes (‘Horizontal’, ‘Vertical’, and ‘Oblique’) on the ventral surface of the hand. Using Bayesian statistics, we found clear evidence that participants were able to discriminate tactile motion direction. Furthermore, there was a marked directional bias in motion perception: participants were both better and more confident at discriminating motion in the vertical and horizontal axes of the hand, compared to those stimuli moving obliquely. This pattern directly mirrors the perceptional biases that have been robustly reported in the visual field, termed the ‘Oblique Effect’. These data demonstrate the existence of biases in motion perception that transcend sensory modality. Furthermore, we extend the Oblique Effect to a whole hand scale, using motion stimuli presented on the broad and relatively low acuity surface of the palm, away from the densely innervated and much studied fingertips. These findings highlight targeted ultrasound stimulation as a versatile method to convey potentially complex spatial and temporal information without the need for a user to wear or touch a device.

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“…Assessing anisotropy, therefore, provides a unique opportunity to capture spatial processing of tactile input in the context of a specific body part. Tactile distance judgements are particularly relevant to evaluate given recent work showing that distortions in tactile distance perception at the hand are mirrored in the neural representation in S1 ( Tamè et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intact tactile anisotropy despite altered hand perception in complex regional pain syndrome: rethinking the role of the primary sensory cortex in tactile and perceptual dysfunction

Reinersmann

Skinner

Lücke

et al. 2021

PeerJ

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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is characterised by pain, autonomic, sensory and motor abnormalities. It is associated with changes in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1 representation), reductions in tactile sensitivity (tested by two-point discrimination), and alterations in perceived hand size or shape (hand perception). The frequent co-occurrence of these three phenomena has led to the assumption that S1 changes underlie tactile sensitivity and perceptual disturbances. However, studies underpinning such a presumed relationship use tactile sensitivity paradigms that involve the processing of both non-spatial and spatial cues. Here, we used a task that evaluates anisotropy (i.e., orientation-dependency; a feature of peripheral and S1 representation) to interrogate spatial processing of tactile input in CRPS and its relation to hand perception. People with upper limb CRPS (n = 14) and controls with (n = 15) or without pain (n = 19) judged tactile distances between stimuli-pairs applied across and along the back of either hand to provide measures of tactile anisotropy. Hand perception was evaluated using a visual scaling task and questionnaires. Data were analysed with generalised estimating equations. Contrary to our hypotheses, tactile anisotropy was bilaterally preserved in CRPS, and the magnitude of anisotropic perception bias was comparable between groups. Hand perception was distorted in CRPS but not related to the magnitude of anisotropy or bias. Our results suggest against impairments in spatial processing of tactile input, and by implication S1 representation, as the cause of distorted hand perception in CRPS. Further work is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of somatosensory dysfunction and distorted hand perception in CRPS.

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Reconstructing neural representations of tactile space

Cited by 3 publications

References 82 publications

Intact Organization of Tactile Space Perception in Isolated Focal Dystonia

Intact Organization of Tactile Space Perception in Isolated Focal Dystonia

Directional biases in whole hand motion perception revealed by mid-air tactile stimulation

Intact tactile anisotropy despite altered hand perception in complex regional pain syndrome: rethinking the role of the primary sensory cortex in tactile and perceptual dysfunction

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