Effects of different visual environmental conditions on long term motor memory consolidation. Research data of an experiment following the saccadic adaptation paradigm.

Cognitive Psychology

Authors(s) / Creator(s)




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.vsce10aus26

Year of Publication

Funding

German Research Foundation (DFG) (SFB 654)

Citation

Voges, C., Helmchen, C., Heide, W. & Sprenger, A. (2015). Effects of different visual environmental conditions on long term motor memory consolidation. Research data of an experiment following the saccadic adaptation paradigm. (Version 1.0.0) [Data and Documentation]. Trier: Research Data Center at ZPID. https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.vsce10aus26

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

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.

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