Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2025
07:42
A Simple Non-invasive Method for Temporary Knockdown of Upper Limb Proprioception
Published on: March 3, 2018
9.6K
Haptic awareness changes when lying down
Kaian Unwalla1, Michelle L Cadieux2, David I Shore2,3
1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada. unwallk@mcmaster.ca.
Scientific Reports
|June 30, 2021
Summary
Accurate touch localization relies on integrating internal and external reference frames. Visual and vestibular input significantly influence this process, with reduced visual or altered vestibular input impacting spatial awareness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Perception
- Sensory Integration
Background:
- Accurate touch localization necessitates integrating internal (anatomical) and external (spatial) reference frames.
- The reliability of visual and vestibular information influences the weighting of these frames.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the integration of internal and external reference frames in tactile perception.
- To determine how manipulating visual and vestibular information affects this integration.
Main Methods:
- A tactile temporal order judgment task was employed with participants' hands crossed over the midline.
- Visual information was manipulated (full vision vs. blindfold), and vestibular information was altered by posture (upright vs. side-lying).
- A Bayesian hierarchical model was used to estimate perceptual weights.
Main Results:
- Participants lying on their side showed reduced weighting of the external reference frame and a smaller performance deficit.
- Blindfolding participants also led to similar reductions in external reference frame weighting.
- Both visual and vestibular systems play crucial roles in integrating tactile reference frames.
Conclusions:
- The visual system is important for weighting tactile reference frames.
- The vestibular system is also critical for the integration of spatial and anatomical information in touch perception.
Related Concept Videos
01:33Somatosensation
41.2K
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.
41.2K
01:15Subconsciousness and No Awareness
449
The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
449
01:06Altered States of Awareness
687
Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...
687
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
1.5K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
1.5K
01:27Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors
301
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs due to uncomfortable sensations. These sensations typically occur during periods of rest or inactivity, particularly when lying down or sitting, and can severely disrupt sleep.
The exact cause of RLS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate muscle movement. Imbalances in dopamine levels...
The exact cause of RLS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate muscle movement. Imbalances in dopamine levels...
301
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
6.5K
The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
6.5K