Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
06:17
Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function
Published on: January 26, 2024
2.7K
How visual experience impacts the internal and external spatial mapping of sensorimotor functions.
Virginie Crollen1, Geneviève Albouy2, Franco Lepore3
1Centre for Mind/Brain Science, University of Trento, Mattarello, Italy. virginie.crollen@unitn.it.
Scientific Reports
|April 23, 2017
Summary
Visual experience influences how the brain uses internal and external spatial coordinates for touch and movement. Early blind individuals show different spatial processing compared to sighted controls, impacting tactile perception and motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory processing
- Motor control
Background:
- Tactile perception and motor production rely on both internally and externally referenced spatial coordinates.
- Understanding how visual experience shapes the coding of space for these modalities is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of visual experience on the internal/external spatial coding for tactile perception and motor production.
- To compare spatial processing strategies between early blind (EB) individuals and sighted controls (SC).
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Temporal Order Judgment (TOJ) task with hands in parallel or crossed midline.
- Experiment 2: Motor sequence learning and reproduction task with a transformed keypad (upside down).
- Participants: Early blind (EB) and sighted controls (SC).
Main Results:
- In the TOJ task, crossing hands impaired sighted controls but not early blind individuals.
- Motor sequence knowledge transfer was significant in both EB and SC, regardless of internal or external representation.
- Visual experience differentially affects the reliance on internal versus external coordinates based on task demands.
Conclusions:
- Visual experience plays a critical role in modulating the automatic weighting of internal and external spatial frames of reference.
- Early blindness leads to distinct spatial processing strategies, particularly when external spatial cues conflict with internal body representations.
Related Concept Videos
01:33Somatosensation
44.0K
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
44.0K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
8.5K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
8.5K
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
2.4K
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
2.4K
01:23Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
3.1K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
3.1K
01:24Vision
60.8K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
60.8K
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
10.1K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
10.1K