Cortical Processing of Tactual Spacial Information

描述(申请人提供)：在这项申请中，我们结合了两项长期研究的成果，研究触觉空间知觉的神经机制。印第安纳大学的詹姆斯·克雷格博士将不会续签他的赠款，而是将加入约翰·霍普金斯大学的这个项目。这个应用程序的主要目标是了解二维形状、纹理和运动在体感皮质中是如何表现的。形状、质地和运动在所有感觉系统中都很重要。我们将使用一个400探头刺激器来刺激指垫，它可以产生广泛的动态模式。我们将在人类身上进行心理物理研究，并在非人类灵长类动物上进行神经生理学研究。第一个目标是了解复杂的模式是如何在躯体感觉皮质中被感知和呈现的。在这些实验中，我们将研究直线和曲线等空间特征是如何在空间和时间上结合起来形成复杂的空间模式的。第二个目的是研究质地在体感皮质中是如何表现的。在这些实验中，我们将使用之前用于研究纹理感知的外围机制的广泛空间模式来确定纹理在皮质中是如何编码的。第三个目标是研究运动在大脑皮层中是如何表现的。特别是，我们将以不同的方向和扫描速度扫描手指垫上的各种空间模式，以确定运动如何与形状和纹理处理相互作用。这些研究的结果将提供对中枢神经问题潜在机制的理解，并将提供对假肢控制所必需的感觉反馈的理解。第三个好处是，这些研究将有助于聋人和盲人皮肤交流系统的发展。公共卫生相关性：拟议研究的结果将有助于我们理解外周和中枢神经问题的影响，以及我们对神经系统检查结果的解释，如光触摸阈值、空间敏锐度和方向敏感度的变化。要为假肢的控制提供感觉反馈，了解手如何正常处理触摸信息是很重要的。此外，所提出的触觉模式感知能力的测量方法将有助于盲人、聋人和聋盲人皮肤交流系统的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this application we combine the efforts of two long term studies investigating the neural mechanisms of tactile spatial perception. Dr. James Craig of Indiana University will not be renewing his grant but instead will be joining this project at Johns Hopkins University. The broad goals of this application are to understand how two-dimensional shape, texture and motion are represented in somatosensory cortex. Shape, texture and motion are important in all sensory systems. We will use a 400-probe stimulator that can produce a wide range of dynamic patterns to stimulate the finger pad. We will perform both psychophysical studies in humans and neurophysiological studies in non-human primates. The first aim is to understand how complex patterns are perceived and represented in somatosensory cortex. In these experiments we will investigate how spatial features such as lines and curves are combined both spatially and temporally to from complex spatial patterns. The second aim is to investigate how texture is represented in somatosensory cortex. In these experiments, we will use a wide range of spatial patterns that we used previously to study the peripheral mechanisms of texture perception to determine how texture is coded in cortex. The third aim is to investigate how motion is represented in cortex. In particular we will scan various spatial patterns across the finger pad at different directions and scanning velocities to determine how motion interacts with form and texture processing. The results from these studies will provide an understanding of the mechanisms underlying central neurological problems and will provide an understanding of the sensory feedback that is necessary for the control of prosthetic limbs. A third benefit is that these studies will aid in the development of cutaneous communication systems for the deaf and blind. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The results from the proposed studies will aid our understanding of the effects of both peripheral and central neurological problems, and our interpretation of the results of neurological examinations, such as changes in light touch thresholds, spatial acuity, and directional sensitivity. To provide sensory feedback for the control of prosthetic limbs, it is important to understand how the hand normally processes touch information. In addition, the proposed measures of the perceptibility of tactile patterns will aid in the development of cutaneous communication systems for the blind, deaf, and deaf-blind.