Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Extended multisensory space in blind cane users.

Andrea Serino1, Michela Bassolino, Alessandro Farnè

  • 1Dipartimento di Psicologia, Universitaà degli Studi di Bologna, Bologna, Italy. andrea.serino@unibo.it

Psychological Science
|July 7, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Will I speak louder if I see you struggling to understand? Speech modifications in response to non-verbal visual cues of listening effort.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026
Same author

Precise tactile localization on tools in two dimensions.

iScience·2026
Same author

On the impact of tactile processing on motor cortex: how touch shapes motor behaviour.

Brain structure & function·2026
Same author

From peripersonal space to cognitive maps: An evolutionary perspective.

Progress in neurobiology·2026
Same author

Addendum: Neural anticipation of virtual infection triggers an immune response.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same author

Make it fun but keep it simple: EEG reveals the impact of easy yet engaging games for stroke rehabilitation.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

A Field Experiment Testing Whether Accountability Reduces Racial Gaps in Performance Evaluations.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Does Testosterone Affect Cognitive Reflection? Evidence From a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Study of 1,000 Participants.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Does Overconfidence Really Confer Adaptive Benefits to Children's Learning?

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

How Does the Mind Grow? Cross-Cultural Intuitive Theories of Mental Development.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Not All Practice Is Created Equal: Longitudinal Evidence From Over 40,000 Chess Players.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Eye Glint as a Novel Perceptual Cue in Human Vision.

Psychological science·2026
See all related articles

This study explored auditory peripersonal space around the hand. Long-term tool use, like with a cane, durably extends this sensory space, particularly in blind individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Integration
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • The peripersonal space (PPS) is a sensorimotor space around the body crucial for interaction.
  • Auditory contributions to PPS are less understood than visual or tactile ones.
  • Tool use is known to alter PPS, but the impact of long-term, everyday tool use remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence and characteristics of auditory peripersonal space (aPPS) around the hand.
  • To determine if aPPS can be extended by brief or long-term tool use.
  • To compare the effects of tool use on aPPS in blind and sighted individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Audio-tactile integration tasks were conducted in peripersonal and far space.
  • Participants included blind individuals who regularly use canes and sighted individuals.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Sighted participants underwent brief cane training before and after testing.

    • Main Results:

    • In sighted individuals, aPPS was initially limited to the peri-hand space but expanded after brief tool use.
    • Blind individuals demonstrated an expanded peri-hand space when holding a cane, but not a short handle.
    • The expansion of aPPS in blind participants suggests a durable effect of long-term tool experience.

    Conclusions:

    • Auditory peripersonal space exists around the hand and is modifiable by tool use.
    • Long-term, everyday tool use, such as by blind individuals with canes, leads to a durable extension of aPPS.
    • These findings highlight the adaptive nature of sensory spaces in response to environmental interaction and experience.