Effects of different visual environmental conditions on long term motor memory consolidation. Research data of an experiment following the saccadic adaptation paradigm.
Cognitive PsychologyAuthors(s) / Creator(s)
Voges, CarolineHelmchen, Christoph
Heide, Wolfgang
Sprenger, Andreas
Abstract
Adaptation of saccade amplitude in response to intra-saccadic target displacement is a type of implicit motor learning which is required to compensate for physiological changes in saccade performance. Once established trials without intra-saccadic target displacement lead to de-adaptation or extinction, which has been attributed either to extra-retinal mechanisms of spatial constancy or to the influence of the stable visual surrounding. Therefore we investigated whether visual deprivation (“Ganzfeld”-stimulation or sleep) can partially maintain this motor learning compared to free viewing of the natural surroundings. Thirty-five healthy volunteers performed two adaptation blocks of 100 inward adaptation trials – interspersed by an extinction block – which were followed by a two hours break with or without visual deprivation (VD). Using additional adaptation and extinction blocks short- and long- (4 weeks) term memory of this implicit motor learning were tested. In the short term, motor memory tested immediately after free viewing was superior to adaptation performance after VD. In the long run, however, effects were opposite: motor memory and relearning of adaptation were superior in the VD conditions. This could imply independent mechanisms that underlie the short-term ability of retrieving learned saccadic gain and its long-term consolidation. We suggest that subjects mainly rely on visual cues (i.e. retinal error) in the free viewing condition which makes them prone to changes of the visual stimulus in the extinction block. This indicates the role of a stable visual array for resetting adapted saccade amplitudes. In contrast, visual deprivation (GS and sleep), might train subjects to rely on extra-retinal cues, e.g. efference copy or prediction to remap their internal representations of saccade targets, thus leading to better consolidation of saccadic adaptation.
Persistent Identifier
https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.vsce10aus26Year of Publication
2015Funding
Citation
Study Description
Research Questions/Hypotheses:
The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of visual information on the consolidation of adapted saccades. It was to be demonstrated whether (1) free vision in a natural, spatially stable environment – meaning in a constant egocentric visual field – recalibrates the saccadic system and (2) whether visual deprivation or sleep after adaption facilitates its consolidation. For this purpose, the learning curves of the sequence adaption – extinction – adaption were investigated before and after varying visual conditions. Measures for retention, such as an improvement of re-adaption, were of interest. Free vision served as a control condition for two different types of visual deprivation (“Ganzfeld”-stimulation and sleep). Furthermore, longitudinal effects after 4 weeks were determined.
Research Design:
Experimental Design, Mixed Design, Laboratory Experiment; repeated measurements
Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:
The subjects sat in a dark room on a chair at a distance of 1.4 m from a projection screen. During measurement, a chin rest stabilized the subject’s head. A red laser dot with a diameter of 0.1° served as the stimulus that the subjects were supposed to follow with their eyes. Eye movements were recorded via video-oculography (Eyelink-II, SR Research Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada). During trial runs with adaption, the beginning of a gaze jump was recognized online and the gaze target was relocated accordingly.
Data Collection Method:
Data collection in the presence of an experimenter
- Individual administration
- Computer-supported
- Specialized apparatuses or measurement instruments, namely electroencephalography (EEG); electrooculography (EOG), electromyography (EMG), recording of eye movements
Population:
Healthy adults aged 18-30 years
Survey Time Period:
The trial with two-hour „Ganzfeld“-stimulation or normal vision took place between 10 am and 4 pm. After 4 weeks, the subjects were tested in the opposite condition. The sleep condition took place at night.
Sample:
Simple random sample
Gender Distribution:
Study 1:
55 % female subjects (n=11)
45 % male subjects (n=9)
Study 2:
66,67 % female subjects (n=10)
33,33 % male subjects (n=5)
Age Distribution: 18-30 years
Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany/Schleswig-Holstein/Lübeck
Subject Recruitment:
recruitment via fliers; payment of up to 120,-Euro (depending on time spent on the experiment)
Sample Size:
Study 1: 23 individuals; study 2: 16 individuals
Return/Drop Out:
Study 1: 3 persons were excluded; study 2: 1 person was excluded.
MD5: 7285e4ba00a3c42e9c11963724abab84
| Position | Name | Label | Valid Values | Missing Values |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
GROUP
|
group
|
1 "daytime conditions (Ganzfeld stimulation or normal viewing)"
2 "sleep condition"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
2
|
SUBJECT_NUMBER
|
subject number
|
1-26 "subject number"
|
99 "missing value"
|
|
3
|
AGE
|
age of the subject
|
19-30 "years"
|
999 "missing value"
|
|
4
|
SEX
|
sex of the subject
|
1 "male"
2 "female"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
5
|
FIRST_CONDITION
|
first condition during 2h rest/sleep
|
1 "Ganzfeld stimulation"
2 "normal viewing"
3 "sleep"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
6
|
SECOND_CONDITION
|
condition in the second session after 4 weeks
|
1 "Ganzfeld stimulation"
2 "viewing"
3 "sleep"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
7
|
FIRST_DIRECTION
|
first direction of adaptation
|
1 "left"
2 "right"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
8
|
SECOND_DIRECTION
|
direction of adaptation in the second session after 4 weeks
|
1 "left"
2 "right"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
9
|
DOMINANT_EYE
|
dominant eye of the subject
|
1 "left"
2 "right"
|
9 "missing value"
|
|
10
|
GAIN_BASE_REC1
|
median baseline gain in the first recording
|
0,86-1,08 "median baseline gain"
|
9 "missing value"
|
| Utilized Test Methods |
|---|
|
McLaughlin, S.C. (1967). Parametric adjustment in saccadic eye movements. Perception & Psychophysics, 2 (8), 359-362.
|
| Further Reading |
|---|
|
Leigh, R. J., & Zee, D. S. (2006). The Neurology of Eye Movements. New York: Oxford University Press.
|
|
Pelisson, D., Alahyane, N., Panouilleres, M., & Tilikete, C. (2010). Sensorimotor adaptation of saccadic eye movements. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34, 1103-1120.
|
|
Rechtschaffen, A., & Kales, A. (1968). A Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques and Scoring System for Sleep Stages of Human Subjects. Washington: Public Health Service, United States Government Printing Office.
|