Cortical Processing of Tactual Spacial Information

描述（由申请人提供）：在这个申请中，我们结合了两个长期研究的努力，研究触觉空间感知的神经机制。印第安纳大学的詹姆斯·克雷格博士将不再续签他的资助，而是加入约翰·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、纹理和运动是如何在体感皮层中表现出来的。形状、质地和运动在所有感官系统中都很重要。我们将使用一个400个探针的刺激器，它可以产生广泛的动态模式来刺激手指垫。我们将进行人类的心理物理学研究和非人类灵长类动物的神经生理学研究。第一个目标是了解复杂的模式是如何在体感皮层中被感知和表征的。在这些实验中，我们将研究如何在空间和时间上结合线条和曲线等空间特征来形成复杂的空间模式。第二个目的是研究纹理是如何在体感觉皮层中表现出来的。在这些实验中，我们将使用之前用于研究纹理感知外围机制的广泛空间模式来确定纹理如何在皮层中编码。第三个目标是研究运动如何在大脑皮层中表现出来。特别是，我们将在不同方向和扫描速度上扫描手指板上的各种空间模式，以确定运动如何与形式和纹理处理相互作用。这些研究的结果将有助于理解中枢神经问题的潜在机制，并有助于理解控制假肢所必需的感觉反馈。第三个好处是，这些研究将有助于聋哑人和盲人皮肤通讯系统的发展。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系统问题的影响，以及我们对神经系统检查结果的解释，如轻触阈值、空间灵敏度和方向灵敏度的变化。为了给假肢的控制提供感官反馈，了解手通常如何处理触摸信息是很重要的。此外，所提出的触觉模式可感知性的测量将有助于盲人、聋哑人和聋哑人的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.