Alteration of one sensory system can have striking effects on the processing and organization of the remaining senses, a phenomenon known as cross-modal plasticity. The goal of this thesis was to understand the circuit basis of this form of plasticity. I established the mouse as a model system for studying cross-modal plasticity by comparing population activity in visual cortex between animals reared in complete darkness from birth (DR) to those housed in a normal light/dark environment (LR). I found that secondary visual cortex (V2L) responds much more strongly to auditory stimuli in DR than LR. I provide evidence that there is a sensitive period for cross-modal responses that ends in early adulthood. I also show that exposure to light later in life reduces V2L auditory activity to LR levels. I recorded single units to show that there is a higher percentage of auditory responsive neurons in DR V2L. In collaboration with Lia Min in Michela Fagiolini’s laboratory, we discovered that this was associated with an increase in the number of projections from auditory thalamus and auditory cortex. We also provide evidence that V2L is multimodal from birth and becomes less so with visual experience. I examined several molecular pathways that are affected by dark-rearing to see if they are involved in cross-modal plasticity. I found that Nogo receptor (NgR), Lynx1, and Icam5 signaling all play a fundamental role in controlling the duration of plasticity. I also show that the hyperconnectivity in NgR -/- and DR mice leads to an increase in multisensory enhancement. In primary visual cortex, cross-modal influences were much weaker. Similar to V2L, the distribution of cell types was affected by NgR signaling. I also found that both the range of cross-modal influence and its sign (excitatory or inhibitory) is dependent on visual experience. Finally, I show that NgR signaling and the maturation of inhibitory circuits affect these two properties. Together, these results provide evidence of the molecular mechanisms underlying cross-modal plasticity. We believe that this will further our knowledge of how to improve rehabilitation strategies after loss of a sensory system.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of cognitive versus multisensory interventions on handwriting legibility of primary students referred to occupational therapy for handwriting difficulties. Using a randomized three-group research design, 72 first and second-grade students were assigned to either a cognitive intervention, multisensory intervention, or no intervention (control) group. Letter legibility was measured before and after 10 weeks of intervention. Analysis of variance of difference scores showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention groups. Grade 1 students improved with or without intervention, but grade 2 students showed dramatic improvement with cognitive intervention compared to multisensory intervention (d = 1.09) or no intervention (d = .92). Several students in both grades showed declining performance in the multisensory and control groups, but no students had lower legibility after cognitive intervention. These results challenge current occupational therapy practice of using a multisensory approach for remediation of handwriting difficulties, especially for students in grade 2.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of cognitive versus multisensory interventions on handwriting legibility of primary students referred to occupational therapy for handwriting difficulties. Using a randomized three-group research design, 72 first and second-grade students were assigned to either a cognitive intervention, multisensory intervention, or no intervention (control) group. Letter legibility was measured before and after 10 weeks of intervention. Analysis of variance of difference scores showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention groups. Grade 1 students improved with or without intervention, but grade 2 students showed dramatic improvement with cognitive intervention compared to multisensory intervention (d = 1.09) or no intervention (d = .92). Several students in both grades showed declining performance in the multisensory and control groups, but no students had lower legibility after cognitive intervention. These results challenge current occupational therapy practice of using a multisensory approach for remediation of handwriting difficulties, especially for students in grade 2.

Spatial navigation is essential for everyday function. It is successfully achieved by combining internally generated information – such vestibular and self-motion cues (known as path integration) – with external sources of information such as visual landmarks. These multiple sources and sensory domains are often associated with uncertainty and can provide conflicting information. The key to successful navigation is therefore how to integrate information from these internal and external sources in the best way. Healthy younger adults do this in a statistically optimal fashion by considering the perceived reliability of a cue during integration, consistent with the rules of Bayesian integration. However, the precise impact of ageing on the component senses of path integration and integration of such self-motion with external information is currently unclear. Given that impaired spatial ability is a common problem associated with ageing and is often a primary indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, this thesis asks whether age-related navigational impairments are related to fundamental deficits in the components of path integration and/or inadequate integration of spatial cues. Part 1 focussed on how ageing impacts the vestibular, kinaesthetic and visual components of path integration during linear navigation in the real world. Using path reproduction, distance estimation and depth perception tasks, I found that older adults showed no performance deficits in conditions that replicated those of everyday walking when visual and self-motion cues were present. However, they were impaired when relying on vestibular information alone. My results suggest that older adults are especially vulnerable to sensory deprivation but that weaker sensory domains can be compensated for by other sensory information, potentially by integrating different spatial cues in a Bayesian fashion: where the impact of unreliable/diminished senses can be minimised. Part 2 developed the conclusions of Part 1 by testing younger and older adults’ integration of visual landmarks and self-motion information during a simple homing task. I investigated the hypothesis that the integration of spatial information from multiple sensory domains is driven by Bayesian principles and that old age may affect the efficiency and elasticity of reliability-driven integration. Younger and older participants navigated to a previously visited location using self-motion and/or visual information. In some trials there was a conflict of information, which revealed the relative influence of self-motion and visual landmarks on behaviour. Findings revealed that both younger and older adults integrated visual and self-motion information to improve accuracy and precision, but older adults did not place as much influence on visual information as would have been optimal. This may have been the result of increased noise in the underlying spatial representations of older adults. Furthermore, older adults did not effectively re-weight visual and self-motion cues in line with the changing reliability of visual information, suggesting diminished plasticity in the underlying spatial representations. However, further development of the testing paradigm would strengthen support for these findings. Together, the findings of Part 2 suggest that increased neural noise and the suboptimal weighting of spatial cues might contribute to the common problems with navigation experienced by many older adults. This thesis provides original evidence for age-related changes to multisensory integration of spatial cues. Path integration abilities are relatively preserved when older adults navigate linear paths in the real world, despite loss of vestibular function. However, navigation is affected by old age when the task becomes more complex. Multisensory integration of spatial cues is partially preserved but it is not fully efficient. I offer evidence that the navigational impairments common to old age are related to fundamental deficits in the components of path integration, task complexity, and suboptimal integration of spatial cues. Crucially however, path integration is preserved sufficiently in older adults that they are able to navigate in small scale with relative success.

The current study investigates the influence of auditory cues on the localization of briefly presented peripheral visual stimuli. Because the brief presentation of peripheral visual stimuli often leads to mislocalization (Binda, Morrone, & Burr, 2010; Bocianski, Musseler, & Erlhagen, 2008; Musseler, Heijden, Mahmud, Dubel, & Ertsey, 1999) these types of stimuli are the most commonly studied and represent the basis of the current study. Musseler et al. (1999) found that peripheral mislocalization toward the fovea occurred during asynchronous presentations of a pair of visual stimuli in retinal periphery, but not during synchronous presentations of stimuli. The current project is an investigation of how sound influences mislocalization of briefly presented peripheral stimuli. If the mechanism of mislocalization is an increased variability of responses when the peripheral stimuli are presented asynchronously, could sound reduce the variability of localization judgments and thus, reduce or eliminate the mislocalization effect? Does sound influence peripheral mislocalization in some other way? This study found that during a relative judgment task, a brief, laterally presented sound leads to mislocalization of a target stimulus toward the direction of the sound (Experiment 1). During an absolute judgment task, however, the influence of the brief, laterally presented sound no longer evokes mislocalization in the direction of the sound. Rather, stimulus onset asynchrony elicits mislocalization similar to the results of Musseler et al. (Experiment 2). When a dynamic sound stimulus occurs prior to the onset of the target stimulus during an absolute judgment task, however, sound idiosyncratically influences the localization of a target stimulus toward the onset of the sound stimulus or direction of the apparent motion of the sound stimulus (Experiment 3).

abstract: Understanding where our bodies are in space is imperative for motor control, particularly for actions such as goal-directed reaching. Multisensory integration is crucial for reducing uncertainty in arm position estimates. This dissertation examines time and frequency-domain correlates of visual-proprioceptive integration during an arm-position maintenance task. Neural recordings were obtained from two different cortical areas as non-human primates performed a center-out reaching task in a virtual reality environment. Following a reach, animals maintained the end-point position of their arm under unimodal (proprioception only) and bimodal (proprioception and vision) conditions. In both areas, time domain and multi-taper spectral analysis methods were used to quantify changes in the spiking, local field potential (LFP), and spike-field coherence during arm-position maintenance. In both areas, individual neurons were classified based on the spectrum of their spiking patterns. A large proportion of cells in the SPL that exhibited sensory condition-specific oscillatory spiking in the beta (13-30Hz) frequency band. Cells in the IPL typically had a more diverse mix of oscillatory and refractory spiking patterns during the task in response to changing sensory condition. Contrary to the assumptions made in many modelling studies, none of the cells exhibited Poisson-spiking statistics in SPL or IPL. Evoked LFPs in both areas exhibited greater effects of target location than visual condition, though the evoked responses in the preferred reach direction were generally suppressed in the bimodal condition relative to the unimodal condition. Significant effects of target location on evoked responses were observed during the movement period of the task well. In the frequency domain, LFP power in both cortical areas was enhanced in the beta band during the position estimation epoch of the task, indicating that LFP beta oscillations may be important for maintaining the ongoing state. This was particularly evident at the population level, with clear increase in alpha and beta power. Differences in spectral power between conditions also became apparent at the population level, with power during bimodal trials being suppressed relative to unimodal. The spike-field coherence showed confounding results in both the SPL and IPL, with no clear correlation between incidence of beta oscillations and significant beta coherence. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biomedical Engineering 2017

Submitted by ALEXANDRA BEATRIZ PORTES DE CERQUEIRA CÉSAR (ale.bia.cesar@gmail.com) on 2018-04-18T15:19:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_final_Alexandra.pdf: 5671441 bytes, checksum: 3f93e91f4ca5ce03f302390f2946a1db (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Satie Tagara (satie@marilia.unesp.br) on 2018-04-19T13:02:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 cerqueiracesar_abp_me_mar.pdf: 5671441 bytes, checksum: 3f93e91f4ca5ce03f302390f2946a1db (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-19T13:02:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cerqueiracesar_abp_me_mar.pdf: 5671441 bytes, checksum: 3f93e91f4ca5ce03f302390f2946a1db (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-22 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Este estudo teve por objetivos elaborar um programa de intervenção multissensorial para sujeitos com dislexia e analisar a significância clínica do desempenho dos sujeitos em dois estudos pilotos. Método: O estudo foi desenvolvido em 2 fases, sendo a Fase 1 a elaboração de um programa de intervenção multissensorial pra sujeitos com dislexia com base nos estudos descritos na literatura e a Fase 2 a aplicação e análise da significância clínica do desempenho dos escolares com dislexia no programa de intervenção multissensorial elaborado. Na Fase 1 foi realizado levantamento bibliográfico para elaboração do programa, elaborado a partir das habilidades de reconhecimento do alfabeto, correspondência grafema-fonema, conhecimento do ponto articulatório do fonema, realização do traçado de letra, estereognosia, identificação de rima, produção de rima, identificação de aliteração, produção de aliteração, adição silábica, subtração silábica, substituição silábica, combinação silábica, adição fonêmica, subtração fonêmica, substituição fonêmica e combinação fonêmica. A Fase 2 foi dividida em dois estudos pilotos. Participaram do Estudo Piloto I 5 sujeitos do 3º ao 5º ano do ensino fundamental, com idade de 8 a 10 anos e 11 meses, de ambos os gêneros, com diagnóstico interdisciplinar de dislexia; e o Estudo Piloto II teve como participantes 10 sujeitos do 3º ao 5º ano do ensino fundamental, com idade de 8 a 10 anos e 11 meses, de ambos os gêneros, com diagnóstico interdisciplinar de dislexia, divididos em 2 grupos. Grupo I (GI): composto por 5 sujeitos com diagnóstico interdisciplinar de dislexia submetidos à intervenção e Grupo II (GII): composto por 5 sujeitos com diagnóstico interdisciplinar de dislexia não submetidos à intervenção. Todos os sujeitos foram submetidos na pré e pós-testagem à aplicação das Provas de habilidades metalinguísticas e de leitura e do Protocolo de avaliação da Ortografia. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio do Método JT para verificar se houve mudança positiva ou negativa e significância clínica evidenciando assim a eficácia terapêutica do programa elaborado na Fase 1. Resultados: A partir dos resultados e da aplicação do Programa de Intervenção Multissensorial no Estudo Piloto I, fez-se necessário a mudança de estímulos nas sessões 6 a 10, bem como nas atividades da habilidade de Domínio do Princípio Alfabético. Os resultados do Estudo Piloto II mostraram que houve melhora e significância clínica nas provas de habilidades metalinguísticas, como identificação de fonema inicial e medial; adição, subtração, substituição e segmentação de sílabas; repetição de não-palavras polissilábicas com 4, com 5 e com 6 sílabas; e nas provas de ortografia, como quanto aos erros do tipo CF/G nas provas de ditado de palavras, ditado de pseudopalavras e ditado de figuras; quanto aos erros do tipo OAS nas provas de ditado de palavras, ditado de pseudopalavras e ditado de figuras; quanto aos erros do tipo CF/GDC nas provas de ditado de palavras, ditado de pseudopalavras e ditado de figuras; quanto aos erros do tipo APIA na prova de ditado de figuras; quanto aos erros do tipo OA na prova de ditado de figuras e quanto aos erros dos tipos OP e AP na prova de ditado de frases. Os sujeitos do GI, submetidos à intervenção obtiveram melhor desempenho na pós-testagem em comparação com a pré-testagem. Conclusão: o programa elaborado mostrou-se eficaz e com aplicabilidade, podendo ser utilizado como um instrumento de intervenção baseada em evidência científica que auxilie a melhroa do desempenho em decodificação e codificação da leitura e escrita de escolares com dislexia. / This study aimed to develop a multisensory intervention program for subjects with dyslexia and to analyze the clinical significance of the subjects' performance in two pilot studies. Method: The study was developed in 2 phases, Phase 1 being the elaboration of a multisensory intervention program for subjects with dyslexia based on the studies described in the literature and Phase 2 the application and analysis of the clinical significance of the performance of students with dyslexia in the multisensory intervention program developed. In Phase 1 a bibliographical survey was carried out for the elaboration of the program, elaborated from the alphabet recognition skills, grapheme-phoneme correspondence, knowledge of articulatory point of the phoneme, accomplishment of letter tracing, stereognosia, rhyme identification, rhyme production, identification of alliteration, alliteration production, syllabic addition, syllabic subtraction, syllabic substitution, syllabic combination, phonemic addition, phonemic subtraction, phonemic substitution and phonemic combination. Phase 2 was divided into two pilot studies. Pilot Study I participated in 5 subjects from the 3rd to the 5th year of primary education, aged 8 to 10 years and 11 months, of both genders, with an interdisciplinary diagnosis of dyslexia; and the Pilot Study II had as participants 10 subjects from the 3rd to the 5th year of primary education, aged 8 to 10 years and 11 months, of both genders, with an interdisciplinary diagnosis of dyslexia, divided into 2 groups. Group I (GI): composed of 5 subjects with interdisciplinary diagnosis of dyslexia submitted to the intervention and Group II (GII): composed of 5 subjects with an interdisciplinary diagnosis of dyslexia not submitted to the intervention. All subjects were submitted in the pre- and post-test to the application of the Metalinguistic and Reading Skills Tests and the Spelling Assessment Protocol. Statistical analysis was performed using the JT method to verify whether there was a positive or negative change and clinical significance, thus evidencing the therapeutic efficacy of the program elaborated in Phase 1. Results: Based on the results and the application of the Multisensory Intervention Program in the Pilot Study I, it was necessary to change stimuli in sessions 6 to 10, as well as in the activities of the Domain ability of the Alphabetical Principle. The results of the Pilot Study II showed that there was improvement and clinical significance in the tests of metalinguistic abilities, as identification of initial and medial phoneme; addition, subtraction, substitution and segmentation of syllables; repetition of non-polysyllabic words with 4, with 5 and with 6 syllables; and in spelling tests, as for CF/G type errors in word dictation, pseudoword dictation and figure dictation; as for OAS-type errors in proofs of word dictation, dictation of pseudowords and dictation of figures; for CF/GDC type errors in word dictation tests, pseudowell dictation and figure dictation; as for the APIA type errors in the dictation test of figures; as well as for errors of type OA in the proof of dictation of figures and for errors of types OP and AP in the proof of dictation of sentences. The GI subjects who underwent the intervention obtained better performance in the post-test compared to the pre-test. Conclusion: the elaborated program was effective and can be used as an intervention instrument based on scientific evidence that helps improve performance in decoding and coding of students with dyslexia. / FAPESP: 2016/01370-4

En un contexto dado, nuestra percepción de un estímulo (en el presente marco, un producto alimenticio) se ve afectada, en primer lugar, por sus diversas propiedades sensoriales (extrínsecas e intrínsecas). Las características intrínsecas de un alimento (por ejemplo su sabor, olor, color, textura, emisión de sonido al romperse, etc.) obviamente desempañan un papel esencial en su evaluación por parte de los consumidores. Sin embargo, el impacto que puede llegar a producir tanto los envases como la cubertería o vajilla empleada en la evaluación de un alimento, a un nivel tanto sensorial como afectivo, ha sido poco explorado desde un enfoque multisensorial. La presente tesis tiene como finalidad investigar cómo los distintos sentidos interactúan durante el consumo de un alimento o bebida, y más precisamente, cómo la información sensorial que recibimos a través de los elementos externos al alimento influye en nuestra percepción gustativa y hedónica del mismo. Cada estudio comprendido en la tesis explora nuestra percepción multisensorial de los alimentos analizando la interacción entre distintas modalidades principalmente entre la visión, el tacto y el gusto que intervienen en el proceso. Para ello se han empleado diversas técnicas provenientes de disciplinas como la psicofísica, sociología, ciencia sensorial y marketing (por ejemplo, tarea de asociaciones implícitas (IAT), asociación libre de palabras, distintos tipos de cuestionarios, etc.). Los resultados obtenidos se explican en un marco interdisciplinar, combinando conocimientos y teorías de áreas como la psicología perceptiva, la ciencia sensorial, la investigación con consumidores, y el diseño. En conjunto, los resultados demuestran la complejidad de la percepción multisensorial de un alimento (junto con los elementos que lo acompañan durante el consumo), así como la de su medida e interpretación. Esta tesis doctoral se ha elaborado de acuerdo con los requisitos establecidos por la UPV. / Piqueras Fiszman, B. (2012). More than meets the mouth: Assessing the impact of the extrinsic factors on the multisensory perception of food products [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/18104 / Palancia

The master's thesis deals with the shift from visual to multisensory perception. In this context, it works with the concept of comfort, which it applies to both physical and mental aspects of the experience of visitors to art institutions. Creating a sense of comfort is important not only at the end of the process - that is, evoking that feeling in visitors - but also in the creative process. The work uses the environment of wellness (spa) resorts and is based on the growing popularity of relaxation facilities. It uses various clichés that are associated with this environment. Galleries and spa resorts are a leisure activity. Both environments offer care, although each in a different way. In the wellness resorts, others take care of our body. In a museum or gallery, they care more about the mental side, but we still feel that we have to make some effort so that we can be cared for in this way. The diploma thesis is a real, created space, the basic layout and equipment of which are inspired by the sauna. All objects in the space, but also its other "layers" acting on the senses of visitors serve to make people feel comfortable even in an environment that is in a sense inhospitable. Sauna benches invite you to sit down, stored bathrobes offer the feeling of luxury and instantly available care that we know from wellness resorts. The space is filled with the scent released from the diffuser. The last component of the space is the "meditation" audio, which accompanies visitors both in the real space in which it is located and in the abstract space of the scent.

No description available.