Augmented error feedback for control of saccade timing and amplitude

描述(由申请人提供)：人类有非凡的能力做出预测性运动，以克服神经处理的延迟，并适应因衰老和疾病而产生的变化。在每种情况下，正确的功能都依赖于对感觉错误信息的检测和处理，以便对未来的行为进行适当的编程。我们提出了一种新的呈现误差反馈的方法，以提高预测和自适应能力。当被试看到以大约1赫兹的频率周期性起搏的视觉目标时，正常受试者自然会进行预测性扫视--它们在特定目标的视觉反馈之前被触发，潜伏期为-100毫秒到+100毫秒。预测扫视的序列是相关的：存储过去的扫视的性能，并在后续扫视的计时中将其考虑在内。小脑缺陷患者的初步证据是，他们在做出这些预测性动作方面存在缺陷，这至少部分是由于在监控、存储和处理先前动作的错误方面存在缺陷。这项研究计划的最终目标是以新的方式向这些患者呈现眼跳错误信息，帮助他们改善预测性眼跳计时和准确性。我们的方法是用听觉信息或不同形式的视觉信息来增加每次扫视的正常视觉错误，并进一步呈现在之前的几次试验中积累的错误信息，而不仅仅是最近的一次。该研究计划有四个目标。首先，确定增广反馈对预测眼跳计时控制的有效性。我们将在每次试验中向受试者提供计时误差的增强听觉反馈，以将计时误差驱动到所需的值并降低其变异性。该反馈的形式是在产生扫视时或当其定时落入所需范围时所产生的蜂鸣声。第二，增加连续预测性眼跳之间的相关性。这些关联在正常受试者中自然发生，并反映了这样一个事实，即之前的表现被用来规划随后的动作。我们将确定这些相关性是否具有性能优势，并尝试通过提供基于之前几次扫视而不是前一次扫视中累积的计时误差的误差反馈来增加它们的范围。第三，使用类似的方法来控制预测性扫视的端点(幅度)，使用位置误差的误差反馈。第四，使用类似的方法来提高对两步刺激的适应能力：视觉目标随着眼睛接近它而移动，经过一段时间的适应后，当在初始位置看到目标时，眼睛会跳到移位的目标位置。通过提供基于移位目标位置的增广反馈，我们希望提高这种适应的速度和程度。所有手术都将在有预测和适应缺陷的正常人和小脑患者身上进行。该方法在运动学习中有其最终的用处，因此最终目标是提高小脑患者的适应能力，这可能对康复计划产生深远影响。 与公共健康相关：做出预测性动作和适应不断变化的条件的能力受损，可能会严重影响健康--特别是如果这些基本上是自动的过程需要有意识的处理。预测能力受损会影响在预期即将到来的需求时产生适当运动动作的能力，而适应能力受损会影响这种能力，以适应因衰老和疾病而产生的变化。训练大脑以弥补这些区域的缺陷的程序在神经康复计划中可能会有很大的好处。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Humans have a remarkable ability to make predictive movements in order to overcome delays in neural processing, and to adapt to changes due to aging and disease. In each case, proper functioning relies on the detection and processing of sensory error information in order to properly program future behavior. We propose a new approach to presenting error feedback, to improve prediction and adaptation. When presented with periodically paced visual targets paced at about 1 Hz, normal subjects naturally make predictive saccades - they are triggered before visual feedback from a given target, with latencies of -100 to +100 msec. Sequences of predictive saccades are correlated: performance of past saccades is stored and taken into account in the timing of subsequent saccades. Initial evidence in patients with cerebellar deficits is that they have deficiencies in making these predictive movements, and that this is due at least in part to deficiencies in monitoring, storing, and processing the errors of previous movements. The ultimate goal of this research program is to present saccade error information to these patients in new ways, to help them improve predictive-saccade timing and accuracy. Our approach is to augment the normal visual error from each saccade with auditory information or with visual information in a different form, and further to present error information that has been accumulated over several previous trials rather than just the most recent. The research plan has four aims. First, determine the effectiveness of augmented feedback for control of predictive-saccade timing. We will supply augmented auditory feedback of timing error to the subject on each trial, to drive timing error to a desired value and to decrease its variability. This feedback is in the form of a beep generated when a saccade is generated or when its timing falls within a desired range. Second, increase correlations between consecutive predictive saccades. These correlations occur naturally in normal subjects, and reflect the fact that previous performance is used to program subsequent movements. We will determine if there is a performance advantage to these correlations, and attempt to increase their extent by providing error feedback based on timing error accumulated over several previous saccades rather than the single preceding one. Third, use similar methods to control endpoints (amplitudes) of predictive saccades, using error feedback of position errors. Fourth, use similar methods to improve the ability to adapt to a double-step stimulus: a visual target moves as the eyes approach it, and after a period of adaptation the eyes make a saccade to the displaced target position when presented with a target at the initial location. By providing augmented feedback based on displaced target position, we hope to improve the rate and extent of this adaptation. All procedures will be performed on normals and cerebellar patients with deficits in prediction and adaptation. The methodology has its ultimate usefulness in motor learning, thus the final aim has the goal of improving adaptive capabilities of cerebellar patients, which can have profound impact on rehabilitation programs. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Impaired ability to make predictive movements, and to adaptive to changing conditions, can seriously impact health - especially if these largely automatic processes then require conscious processing. Impaired prediction adversely affects the ability to generate appropriate motor actions in anticipation of upcoming requirements, and impaired adaptation affects that ability to adjust for changes due to aging and disease. Procedures that train the brain to compensate for deficiencies in these areas can be of great benefit in programs of neural rehabilitation.