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Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS
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Cognition overrides orientation dependence in tactile viewpoint selection.

Jessica Hartcher-O'Brien1,2, Malika Auvray3

  • 1UPMC Univ. Paris 06, UMR 7222, ISIR, Sorbonne Universités, 75005, Paris, France. jesshartcher@gmail.com.

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|February 20, 2016
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Summary

The brain uses hand orientation to interpret tactile information, adopting external or gaze-centered perspectives. This tactile perspective-taking is adaptable and can generalize across different body surfaces.

Keywords:
Ambiguous pattern of stimulationCoordinate assignmentFrame of referenceTouchViewpoint selection

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Somatosensory System
  • Perception

Background:

  • Humans process tactile spatial information without vision.
  • The brain's coordinate system for passive touch perception is not fully understood.
  • Hand orientation's role in tactile spatial assignment is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate if hand orientation influences tactile coordinate assignment.
  • Determine if cognitive control can override orientation-driven tactile perspectives.
  • Assess if tactile adaptation transfers across body surfaces.

Main Methods:

  • Tactile stimulation with ambiguous spatial patterns.
  • Manipulation of hand orientation (external vs. gaze-centered perspective).
  • Adaptation training with mirror-reversed tactile perspectives.
  • Testing for generalization of adaptation across surfaces and body midline.

Main Results:

  • Hand orientation dictates tactile perspective: external when hand faces observer, gaze-centered when facing away.
  • Tactile adaptation to a reversed perspective is possible.
  • Adapted perspective generalizes to non-adapted surfaces, including across the body midline.

Conclusions:

  • Hand orientation is a key factor in assigning spatial coordinates to tactile input.
  • Tactile perspective-taking exhibits plasticity, influenced by both postural cues and higher-order processing.
  • The somatosensory system can override low-level orientation cues through cognitive adaptation.