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Effects of optokinetically induced rotatory self-motion on spatial perception and representation
P S Sándor1, D Bächtold, V Henn
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
Summary
Optokinetic stimulation influences spatial perception in healthy individuals. Leftward circular vection (CV) induced a leftward spatial bias, affecting real and representational space exploration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Perception Psychology
- Human Spatial Orientation
Background:
- Vestibular and optokinetic stimulation can influence spatial neglect.
- Rightward circular vection (CV) has been previously shown to reduce left-sided hemineglect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how optokinetically induced rotatory self-motion sensation (circular vection) affects spatial asymmetries in healthy subjects.
- To examine the influence of CV on both real and representational space.
Main Methods:
- Twenty healthy, right-handed men participated.
- Tasks included line bisection (LB) for real space and a stimulus-response compatibility task (RULER) for representational space.
- Optokinetic stimulation was used to induce leftward and rightward CV, with performance compared to a baseline condition.
Main Results:
- Leftward CV caused a significant leftward shift in line bisection for both hands, creating a pseudoneglect.
- Rightward CV did not affect line bisection.
- While CV did not significantly alter the representation of space in the RULER task, the pattern of deviations mirrored the LB findings.
Conclusions:
- Optokinetic stimulation impacts spatial exploration and, to a lesser degree, spatial representation in healthy individuals.
- Leftward CV, not rightward CV, induced a leftward spatial deviation in this study.
- The findings suggest that peripheral visual field stimulation, without central visual cues, makes the direction of CV the primary factor in hemispatial effects.