Augmented error feedback for control of saccade timing and amplitude

描述（由申请人提供）：人类具有进行预测运动的非凡能力，以克服神经处理的延迟，并适应由于衰老和疾病而引起的变化。在每种情况下，正常的功能都依赖于对感觉错误信息的检测和处理，以便正确地编程未来的行为。我们提出了一种新的方法来呈现错误反馈，以改善预测和适应。当呈现以约1Hz起搏的周期性起搏的视觉目标时，正常受试者自然地进行预测性扫视-它们在来自给定目标的视觉反馈之前被触发，具有-100至+100毫秒的延迟。预测性扫视的序列是相关的：过去扫视的表现被存储并且在随后扫视的定时中被考虑。小脑缺陷患者的初步证据是，他们在做出这些预测性运动方面存在缺陷，这至少部分是由于在监测、存储和处理先前运动的错误方面存在缺陷。本研究的最终目标是以新的方式向这些患者呈现扫视错误信息，以帮助他们提高预测性扫视的时间和准确性。我们的方法是增加正常的视觉错误，从每一个眼跳与听觉信息或视觉信息以不同的形式，并进一步提出错误的信息，已经积累了几个以前的试验，而不仅仅是最近的。 研究计划有四个目标。首先，确定增强反馈的有效性控制的预测扫视时间。我们将在每次试验中向受试者提供定时误差的增强听觉反馈，以将定时误差驱动到期望值并降低其可变性。该反馈是当产生扫视时或者当其定时福尔斯落在期望范围内时产生的蜂鸣声的形式。第二，增加连续预测性扫视之间的相关性。这些相关性在正常受试者中自然发生，并且反映了先前的表现被用于编程随后的动作的事实。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在几次之前的扫视而不是单个之前扫视中积累的定时误差的误差反馈来增加其程度。第三，使用位置误差的误差反馈，使用类似的方法来控制预测性扫视的端点（幅度）。第四，使用类似的方法来提高对双阶刺激的适应能力：当眼睛接近视觉目标时，视觉目标移动，并且在适应一段时间后，当在初始位置处呈现目标时，眼睛对移位的目标位置进行扫视。通过提供基于位移目标位置的增强反馈，我们希望提高这种适应的速度和程度。所有程序将在正常人和预测和适应缺陷的小脑患者上进行。该方法在运动学习中具有最终的实用性，因此最终目的是提高小脑患者的适应能力，这对康复计划具有深远的影响。 公共卫生相关性：预测运动和适应不断变化的条件的能力受损，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。受损的预测会对预期即将到来的需求产生适当的运动动作的能力产生不利影响，而受损的适应性会影响因衰老和疾病而调整变化的能力。训练大脑以弥补这些领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.