The purpose of the study was to explore perceptual-motor differences between blind and sighted adults from a neuropsychological perspective, and to analyze differences within the blind group. Perceptual-motor abilities were examined using the Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation System (CVES), a vocational rehabilitation and neuropsychological battery designed for use with blind populations. The data were processed using Analysis of Covariance. Results showed that sighted persons had better motor abilities, while persons with blindness were more skilled at haptic identification of shape and texture. Analysis within the blind group showed that texture identification skills are better when blindness occurs earlier in life and to the extent that the blindness is total. Later onset blindness and the retention of some functional vision may not lead to a refocusing of attentional states necessary to develop haptic images. New neural connections may develop in persons with congenital/total blindness, a hypothesis in line with recent neuroradiological findings that occipital lobe activation occurs when congenitally blind individuals engage in tactile processing tasks. One implication of the findings is that teaching individuals who retain some functional vision to read Braille is probably counterproductive. These individuals would be better served by learning to use a CCTV and large print books. Future researchers should examine blindness from a multivariate perspective, examining subsets of blind groups based on age at onset, visual status, and other pertinent variables. Other implications are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.

Research presented in this dissertation has the central aim of applying a novel method of source localization called beamforming to neuromagnetic recordings for characterizing dynamic spatiotemporal activity of sensorimotor brain processes in subjects during rhythmic auditory stimulation, self-paced movement, and two sensorimotor coordination (synchronization and syncopation) tasks known to differentiate on the basis of behavioral stability. Each experimental condition was performed at different rates resulting in 26 experimental runs per subject. Event-related neural responses were recorded with a whole-head MEG system and characterized in terms of their phase-locked (evoked) and non-phase-locked (induced) activity within the brain using both whole-brain analysis and region of interest (ROI) analysis. The analysis of the auditory conditions revealed that neural activity within extraauditory areas throughout the brain, including sensorimotor cortex, is modulated by rhythmic auditory stimulation. Additionally, the temporal profile of this activity was markedly different between sensorimotor and auditory cortex, possibly revealing different physiological processes, entrained within a common network for representing isochronic auditory events. During self-paced movements cycle-by-cycle dynamics of induced neural activity was measured and consistent neuro-modulation in the form of event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization (ERS) was observed at all rates investigated (0.25 - 1.75Hz). ERD and ERS modulations exhibited dynamic scaling properties on a cycle-by-cycle basis that depended on the period of movement. Activity in the beta- and mu-bands also exhibited patterns of phase locking between sensorimotor locations. Phase locking patterns exhibited abrupt decreases with increases in movement rate. / During sensorimotor coordination tasks, the effect of temporal positioning of the auditory stimulus was apparent within sensorimotor cortical sites. This finding offers direct source level support for previous sensor level analysis revealing a differentiation of functional specificity for mu- and beta-band activity (Chen, Ding, Kelso, 2003; Jantzen, Fuchs, Mayville et al., 2001; Mayville, Fuchs, Ding et al., 2001), and may be reflective of specific coupling mechanisms between auditory and sensorimotor networks. The beamformer analysis applied within this dissertation successfully characterized large-scale neural networks during a variety of rhythmic perceptual, motor, and sensorimotor tasks resulting in the general message that information processes across disparate parts of the brain from different sensory, motor, and cognitive modalities appear to have the ability for widespread integration. / by Paul Ferrari. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

It has been argued that the perception of apparent motion is based on the detection of counterchange (oppositely signed changes in luminance contrast at pairs of spatial locations) rather than motion energy (spatiotemporal changes in luminance). A constraint in furthering this distinction is that both counterchange and motion energy are present for most motion stimuli. Three experiments used illusory-contour and luminance-based stimuli to segregate (experiments 1 and 2) and combine (experiment 3) counterchange and motion energy information. Motion specified by counterchange was perceived for translating illusory squares over a wide range of frame durations, and preferentially for short motion paths. Motion specified by motion energy was diminished by relatively long frame durations, but was not affected by the length of the motion path. Results for the combined stimulus were consistent with counterchange as the basis for apparent motion perception, despite the presence of motion energy. / by Matthew Seifert. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The perception of visual motion is an integral aspect of many organisms' engagement with the world. In this dissertation, a theory for the perception of visual object-motion is developed. Object-motion perception is distinguished from objectless-motion perception both experimentally and theoretically. A continuoustime dynamical neural model is developed in order to generalize the ndings and provide a theoretical framework for continued re nement of a theory for object-motion perception. Theoretical implications as well as testable predictions of the model are discussed. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Yue Xiaomin. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-55). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1 --- Neuronal Synchronization --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- Synchronization and attention --- p.4 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- METHODOLOGY OF EEG SIGNAL ANALYSIS / Chapter 1 --- A time series and a stochastic process --- p.8 / Chapter 2 --- Methods to capture neuronal synchronization --- p.10 / Chapter 3 --- Disadvantage of traditional method to calculate coherent --- p.11 / Chapter 4 --- Multivariate AutoRegressive model (MVAR) --- p.12 / Chapter 5 --- Estimation algorithm of MVAR model --- p.15 / Chapter 6 --- Validation of the algorithm by simulation --- p.17 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- EXPERIMENTS AND RESULTS / Chapter 1 --- Experiment --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Participants and experimental procedures --- p.21 / Chapter 1.2 --- EEG recording and processing --- p.22 / Chapter 1.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.23 / Chapter 2 --- Experiment / Chapter 2.1 --- Participants and experimental procedures --- p.32 / Chapter 2.2 --- EEG recording and processing --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.33 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION / Chapter 1 --- Functional connection between different cortical areas --- p.42 / Chapter 2 --- Relationship of coherence to motor behavior --- p.45 / Chapter 3 --- Automatic synchronization --- p.46 / Reference --- p.48

Thesis (M.S.)--Baylor University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-107).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: James C. Galloway, Dept. of Physical Therapy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-144).

Thesis (M.A.(Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 1998. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves. Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ39249.