This protocol was developed for research supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (grant RGPIN 401963).

下面的协议在荷兰Bloorview儿童康复医院是经研究伦理委员会。 1.电机校准<ol><li>单片机电路板连接到使用USB端口的计算机。 </li><li>使用原装单片机软件，上传自定义脚本，"Motor_and_AccelerometerTest.ino"使用通过点击"上传"图标，在盘旋右箭头表示USB连接的电路板。 <ol><li>确保该振动电平被设置为零，以把使用"analogWrite"命令，在关闭位置的马达。该代码应改为"analogWrite（vibe1,0）;"。 </li><li>在微控制器的代码，指定脉冲宽度调制（PWM）输出引脚相应于通过初始化"vibe1"可变兴趣电机。 注意:PWM信号生成从由微控制器产生的数字信号近似模拟输出。该引脚labeleÐ数字上的物理单片机电路板。例如，如果电机被连接到PWM输出引脚"3"，则确保了"INT vibe1 = 3;"在代码被指定。 </li></ol></li><li>三轴加速计的z轴输出连接到微控制器板的模拟输入端口之一，以及连接正极和分别地从加速度计到5V和接地（GND）端口的微控制器板的引线。 </li><li>安装加速度计到振动电机，确保其z轴是垂直于马达的平表面， 如图2中 ，并放置在电机上的硬表面。 </li><li>打开在数据采集软件的"Motor_Calibration.vi"文件，并通过USB端口连接微控制器的计算机。 </li><li>使用提供的字段中，指定用于微控制器输入串行端口，使用下拉菜单，以及采样率，和num样品的误码率，收集。注意:500赫兹的采样速率是标准为这些实验，以防止加速度数据的走样，和1000的样品通常记录。 </li><li>使用"Motor_and_Accelerometer.ino"代码，指定供应到振动马达的PWM脉冲的所需占空比，再次使用"analogWrite"命令，并且该程序重新下载到微控制器板控制电机（参见步骤1.1 ）。例如，要设置脉冲100的数目，代码应为"analogWrite（vibe1,100）;"。 表1列出了在PWM值及其对应的占空比。 </li><li>了"MotorCalibration.vi"接口上使用快速傅立叶变换（FFT）显示，查明的最大峰并记录对应的振动频率的值（从横轴）。 </li><li>重复步骤1.7-1.8，调整PWM水平，直到达到所希望的频率，记录每个PWM频率PAI河例如，如果指定一个100赫兹的频率，执行步骤1.7-1.8直到发生在横轴上的100赫兹标记的最大峰。 注:有关本协议中使用的振动电机，振动的目标应在于在60-400赫兹范围在文献中描述5,10,13皮肤更好地匹配机械性的响应频率。 </li><li>重复步骤每个电机1.2.2到1.8，手动记录与电子表格或铅笔和纸每个电机的PWM频率的关系。 </li><li>打开"Experiment_1.vi"文件。对于每一个电机，下拉菜单频率右击并选择"属性"。在"编辑项目"选项卡中，使用表格，进入1.8-1.9的步骤来确定所需的频率和相应的PWM水平。选择"确定"退出。 </li><li>为系统设计软件的每个虚拟接口（VI）的文件重复步骤1.11的测试过程中使用（ 例如，"Experiment_2.vi"，"Experiment_3.vi" 等 ）。 </li></ol><img alt="图2" src="/files/ftp_upload/54223/54223fig2.jpg" /> 图2. 加速度安装到电机该三轴加速计（绿色）被安装到其z轴正交的马达用于校准的平坦表面的硬币电机。每个电机采用不同占空比激活，相应的振动频率是由加速度记录。 <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54223/54223fig2large.jpg" target="_blank">请点击此处查看该图的放大版本。</a> 2.放置汽车<ol><li>一旦所有电机都被校准（第2节），将它们安装到大腿。 <ol><li>为了实现本手稿描述的结果，将一台电机上的每个前侧，后侧，内侧，和大腿的侧表面的，大约中途是吐温大粗隆和股骨外侧髁（或肢体的膝上截肢患者的远端）。 注意:每个电机的具体位置可以变化，这取决于所感兴趣的研究问题和地区，并且可以通过解剖和生理因素，如在皮肤机械性的类型和空间分布的影响。 </li></ol></li><li>直接连接马达用双面胶带在皮肤上。 注:刮围绕每个马达的区域是没有必要的，但可提高其对皮肤的粘附（ 图3）。对于其中的衣物，假体衬套，或对用户感知一些其它材料的影响感兴趣的应用程序，将在所述材料的顶部的电机，而不是抵靠皮肤。 </li></ol><img alt="图3" src="/files/ftp_upload/54223/54223fig3.jpg" /> 图3.测试平台的实验。自定义测试平台的建立是为了房子Ť他单片机电路板和按钮。汽车可以直接贴在皮肤上（如图所示），或与电机和皮肤之间的假体衬垫。 <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54223/54223fig3large.jpg" target="_blank">请点击此处查看该图的放大版本。</a> 3.实验1:应用刺激和记录反应时间<ol><li>重新刷新微控制器板固件，以便通过与控制器的附带的软件包，打开"LVIFA_Base.pde"的文件，并重复步骤1.1数据采集软件董事会的控制权，取代"Motor_and_Accelerometer_Test.ino"与" LVIFA_Base.pde"脚本。 </li><li>直接连接的按钮来使用串行到USB连接电脑的USB端口中的一个。确保所有需要的驱动程序。 </li><li>打开"Experiment_1.vi"界面。 </li><li>指定串行端口，用于单片机电路板连接到电机，和按钮从标有"电机输入"和"绿色按钮"，分别下拉菜单选择相应的串行端口标识号。确定使用计算机的操作系统设备管理器实用程序的串行端口标识号。 </li><li>选择该文件以记录结果并启动程序。 </li><li>选择电机和频率通过从下拉菜单中的"Experiment_1.vi"接口每个马达选择被激活。有参与者按下按钮以在其上感觉到的振动时被施加反馈的腿。该按钮被按下后，确认通过注意到时钟已经停止计数在数据采集软件界面的响应，并通过从下拉菜单中选择一组新的频率重置为下一个试验的电机。 </li><li>一旦实验结束后，使用DRopdown菜单，所有机动频率恢复到零位，然后选择"停止程序"按钮以​​终止于电机控制板上的连接。 </li></ol> 4.实验2:刺激之间区分注意:这个实验可以完全独立于实验1.单个或多台电机可以用来进行。马达的具体位置可以根据不同的应用和研究问题而有所不同。 <ol><li>使用串行USB接口第二按钮连接到另一个USB端口。 </li><li>打开"Experiment_2.vi"的数据采集接口。 </li><li>将电机在具体的研究应用程序所需的位置和配置。例如，将单个马达上大腿，大转子和股骨外侧髁（或肢体被截肢者的前端）之间的中间，在每个前，后，外侧的，和大腿内侧表面到电子xamine在每个腿10,11的这些部分的频率灵敏度。 </li><li>指定用于微控制器板，并使用相同的方法步骤3.4既个按键的串行端口。一定要注意哪些按钮被分配到每一个端口。 </li><li>选择要激活的特定的电机和通过点击在软件接口"电机"的图标的频率的所需序列。例如，假设三个频率正在测试，如140赫兹，180赫兹，220赫兹。一系列测试可能是（1）180赫兹后跟140赫兹，（2）220赫兹后跟140赫兹，及（3）180赫兹后跟220赫兹。 </li><li>输入延迟开始时间和持续时间的刺激。 1.5秒是典型的两延迟和刺激次。 </li><li>启动该程序。 注:后在步骤4.6中指定的延迟，程序将激活与步骤4.5选择成对频率的序列电机（多个）。例如，如果180赫兹与220赫兹是本身在步骤4.5 lected，相应的马达将首先在180赫兹的指定的持续时间切换到220赫兹之前振动。 </li><li>有参与者按一项所述的两个按钮来选择第二感知频率是否比第更高或更低。响应将自动被程序记录下来。 </li></ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

该协议的目的是提供一种用于在振动触觉的ASF应用评估刺激参数提供框架。具体地讲，它检查振动的频率，振幅，位置和序列的用户感觉运动响应的影响。这个框架可以在建立和扩展，其中包含另外的或可选择的类型可能更临床相关，如弯曲的联合，或从一条腿移重量到另一个用户应答。这些类型的变化将需要稍微不同的硬件配置，即置换设备的按钮的如惯性测量单元（IMU产品）或压力传感器，?...

人工感觉反馈（ASF）可以被定义为提供实时生物信息对个人，往往补偿受损本体或其他感官机构的做法。 ASF已经受伤或残疾人康复领域长期被用来帮助身体机能和运动1方面恢复- 3，允许个人控制曾经是自主神经系统4的无意识反应的物理过程。 ASF，生物力学生物反馈的子类，用外部传感器来测量与平衡或步态运动学参数，并通过某种应用的刺激传达这一信息到个人。一种日益流行的方法的生物力学反馈采用小振动马达，或病理因素，放置在身体的不同部位，以提供空间以及时间上的反馈。以前的文献已经呈现promising结果支持的应用程序与下肢截肢，前庭障碍的人使用振动触觉反馈，和老化有关的平衡5的损失- 9。 控制一个人的感知和响应特定的刺激机制的深入理解是必要的通知有效实施针对不同的应用ASF系统。为振动触觉的反馈，这些机制之间主要是本体和感觉运动响应，特别是对施加振动用户的灵敏度和执行所需的反应所需的时间。通过振动刺激传达任何感觉信息必须被编码为振动频率的特定组合，幅度，位置和序列。因此，震动触觉ASF系统的设计应该选择的参数组合，以最大限度地刺激用户的感知和解释，如还有的及时性和所得到的马达响应的准确性。该协议的目的是提供一种从其中计算的响应时间和响应精度的各种振动刺激通知ASF系统设计为具有不同的感官受损人群使用的平台。 此处所描述的方法建立在以前的研究探索的触觉和震动触觉反馈3,5,6-人类感知，并用于沿两个以前的研究-10,11-用途被开发。后两种研究采用该协议来检查在下肢截肢的准确性和用户响应及时振动频率和位置的影响，显示出这两个参数显著影响结果的措施，而且有高度的响应精度的可实现。这些结果可以被用于通知病理因素的理想放置在今后的研究和振动触觉的ASF系统的临床应用。其他最近的工作由Crea 等人的12检查用户灵敏度行走期间施加到大腿中的振动模式的变化，使用口头响应来表示感知的改变振动模式，而不是电动机的响应。虽然这些口头响应可以被用于测量检测精度，他们不考虑错误和延迟可能存在在电动机控制过程。 用于以下实验的主要设置包括许多个连接到脉冲宽度调制的微控制器板的输出管脚振动马达中的。该板，反过来，通过通用串行总线（USB）连接到一台计算机上运行市售系统设计软件控制。电机需要额外的放大电路，以确保足够的电压和电流在很宽范围的振动频率的供给。一个例子放大器电路示于图1。的双极型结型晶体管（BJR）在图中可以用小的金属氧化物半导体场效应晶体管（MOSFET）为更有效的操作和更小的尺寸来代替。类似地，整个放大电路可以由一个关闭的，现成的触觉电机驱动器被替换，以提供额外的控制和减小的尺寸。每个电机都需要自己的电路，和使用本文中列出的设备，最多十个马达可以由单个微板来控制。 <img alt="图1" src="/files/ftp_upload/54223/54223fig1.jpg" /> 图1.电机配线。（A）中的放大电路，用于单个振动电机被示出。各电动机需要一个单独的电路和必须连接到微控制器上的一个独特的PWM输出端口。与V DD这里表示由微控制器板提供的3.3伏电源，并且当零电压是应用R2用作下拉电阻，以确保该晶体管开关的电阻保持打开撒了谎。 （B）的两个电机的物理线路的一个例子。尽管示出了八个单独放大电路，只有两个被连接到振动电机。在这个协议中，R1 = 4.7kΩ和R2 = 100kΩ的。 <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54223/54223fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">请点击此处查看该图的放大版本。</a>

<table><tbody><tr><td>Vibrating Pager Motors</td><td>Precision Microdrives</td><td>Model 310-101</td><td>Coin eccentric rotating mass motors.&amp;nbsp; As many as necessary to test all locations and interactions of interest</td></tr><tr><td>Tri-axis Accelerometer</td><td>Dimension Engineering</td><td>ADXL 335</td><td>Advanced analog accelerometer. 500&amp;nbsp;Hz bandwidth, 3.5-15&amp;nbsp;V input. Designed for motion, tilt, and slope measurement, as well as vibration and shock sensing.</td></tr><tr><td>Arduino Uno</td><td>Arduino</td><td>DEV-11021</td><td>Microcontroller board for communicating with the tri-axis accelerometer</td></tr><tr><td>Arduion Mega 2560</td><td>Arduino</td><td>DEV-11061</td><td>Microcontroller board for interfacing with the vibration motors.&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>LabVIEW</td><td>National Instruments</td><td></td><td>Data acquisition software used to control motors and display accelerometer signals</td></tr><tr><td>Arduino IDE Software</td><td>Arduino</td><td>v. 1.6.5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Push-Button</td><td>Bridges</td><td>Buddy Button</td><td>Wired switch featuring a 2.5&amp;nbsp;in/6.35&amp;nbsp;cm activation surface that provides an auditory click and tactile feedback.</td></tr><tr><td>Optional:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dedicated haptic motor driver</td><td>Texas Instruments</td><td>DRV2605L</td><td>Can be used to replace the entire amplification circuit described in Step 1.</td></tr><tr><td>Flexible wearable goniometer</td><td>Biometrics Ltd.</td><td>SG110</td><td>Twin axis flexible goniometers to measure angles in up to two planes of movement that can be used in lieu of the push button to measure joint movement in response to stimuli.&lt;br/&gt; www.biometricsltd.com/gonio.htm</td></tr></tbody></table>

a method for evaluating timeliness and accuracy of volitional motor responses to vibrotactile stimuli

Artificial sensory feedback (ASF) systems can be used to compensate for lost proprioception in individuals with lower-limb impairments. Effective design of these ASF systems requires an in-depth understanding of how the parameters of specific feedback mechanism affect user perception and reaction to stimuli. This article presents a method for applying vibrotactile stimuli to human participants and measuring their response. Rotating mass vibratory motors are placed at pre-defined locations on the participant's thigh, and controlled through custom hardware and software. The speed and accuracy of participants' volitional responses to vibrotactile stimuli are measured for researcher-specified combinations of motor placement and vibration frequency. While the protocol described here uses push-buttons to collect a simple binary response to the vibrotactile stimuli, the technique can be extended to other response mechanisms using inertial measurement units or pressure sensors to measure joint angle and weight bearing ratios, respectively. Similarly, the application of vibrotactile stimuli can be explored for body segments other than the thigh.

图4示出的校准曲线识别为单个马达的180赫兹的振动频率的PWM值。以50％的占空比开始时，PWM值被重复，直到主频率尖峰发生在180赫兹。成功校准，试验应显示在主振动频率明显的尖峰。加速度计到电机，或者电机的支撑表面的差固定，可能会导致不明确的尖峰更弥漫的FFT。在这种情况下，支架已经调整后，以确保更好的连接的校准试验应该重复。 图5A</stro...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Method for Evaluating Timeliness and Accuracy of Volitional Motor Responses to Vibrotactile Stimuli at JoVE.com

A Method for Evaluating Timeliness and Accuracy of Volitional Motor Responses to Vibrotactile Stimuli

本文介绍用于施加振动触觉刺激对人参与者的大腿，并测量参与者的用于刺激的位置和频率的不同组合意志响应的精度和反应时间的技术。

一种意志的运动反应的及时性和准确性，以振动触觉刺激评价方法

Artificial sensory feedback (ASF) systems can be used to compensate for lost proprioception in individuals with lower-limb impairments.  Effective design ...

a-method-for-evaluating-timeliness-accuracy-volitional-motor

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

7.2K 次观看.  Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. 本文介绍用于施加振动触觉刺激对人参与者的大腿，并测量参与者的用于刺激的位置和频率的不同组合意志响应的精度和反应时间的技术。 

视频: A Method for Evaluating Timeliness and Accuracy of Volitional Motor Responses to Vibrotactile Stimuli

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating disorder, which produces profound deficits in volitional motor control. Following medical stabilization, recovery from SCI typically involves long term rehabilitation. While recovery of walking ability is a primary goal in many patients early after injury, those with a motor incomplete SCI, indicating partial preservation of volitional control, may have the sufficient residual descending pathways necessary to attain this goal. However, despite physical interventions, motor impairments including weakness, and the manifestation of abnormal involuntary reflex activity, called spasticity or spasms, are thought to contribute to reduced walking recovery. Doctrinaire thought suggests that remediation of this abnormal motor reflexes associated with SCI will produce functional benefits to the patient. For example, physicians and therapists will provide specific pharmacological or physical interventions directed towards reducing spasticity or spasms, although there continues to be little empirical data suggesting that these strategies improve walking ability.
In the past few decades, accumulating data has suggested that specific neuromodulatory agents, including agents which mimic or facilitate the actions of the monoamines, including serotonin (5HT) and norepinephrine (NE), can initiate or augment walking behaviors in animal models of SCI. Interestingly, many of these agents, particularly 5HTergic agonists, can markedly increase spinal excitability, which in turn also increases reflex activity in these animals. Counterintuitive to traditional theories of recovery following human SCI, the empirical evidence from basic science experiments suggest that this reflex hyper excitability and generation of locomotor behaviors are driven in parallel by neuromodulatory inputs (5HT) and may be necessary for functional recovery following SCI. 
The application of this novel concept derived from basic scientific studies to promote recovery following human SCI would appear to be seamless, although the direct translation of the findings can be extremely challenging. Specifically, in the animal models, an implanted catheter facilitates delivery of very specific 5HT agonist compounds directly onto the spinal circuitry. The translation of this technique to humans is hindered by the lack of specific surgical techniques or available pharmacological agents directed towards 5HT receptor subtypes that are safe and effective for human clinical trials. However, oral administration of commonly available 5HTergic agents, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may be a viable option to increase central 5HT concentrations in order to facilitate walking recovery in humans. Systematic quantification of how these SSRIs modulate human motor behaviors following SCI, with a specific focus on strength, reflexes, and the recovery of walking ability, are missing.
This video demonstration is a progressive attempt to systematically and quantitatively assess the modulation of reflex activity, volitional strength and ambulation following the acute oral administration of an SSRI in human SCI. Agents are applied on single days to assess the immediate effects on motor function in this patient population, with long-term studies involving repeated drug administration combined with intensive physical interventions.

This video demonstrates modulation of reflex activity, volitional strength and ambulation through clinical and quantitative assessments in individuals with motor incomplete SCI as a result of acute oral administration of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

量化人类不完全脊髓损伤运动功能的药理学诱导改建的方法

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating disorder, which produces profound deficits in volitional motor control. Following medical stabilization, ...

科研

医学

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects

Tests that allow the precise determination of psychophysical thresholds for vibration and grating orientation provide valuable information about mechanosensory function that are relevant for clinical diagnosis as well as for basic research. Here, we describe two psychophysical tests designed to determine the vibration detection threshold (automated system) and tactile spatial acuity (handheld device). Both procedures implement a two-interval forced-choice and a transformed-rule up and down experimental paradigm. These tests have been used to obtain mechanosensory profiles for individuals from distinct human cohorts such as twins or people with sensorineural deafness.

Here, we present protocols to determine vibration detection thresholds and tactile acuity using psychophysical methods in man.

振动检测阈值和触觉敏锐的空间在人类受试者的测量

Tests that allow the precise determination of psychophysical thresholds for vibration and grating orientation provide valuable information about ...

行为学

Testing Tactile Masking between the Forearms

Masking, in which one stimulus affects the detection of another, is a classic technique that has been used in visual, auditory, and tactile research, usually using stimuli that are close together to reveal local interactions. Masking effects have also been demonstrated in which a tactile stimulus alters the perception of a touch at a distant location. Such effects can provide insight into how components of the body's representations in the brain may be linked. Occasional reports have indicated that touches on one hand or forearm can affect tactile sensitivity at corresponding contralateral locations. To explore the matching of corresponding points across the body, we can measure the spatial tuning and effect of posture on contralateral masking. Careful controls are required to rule out direct effects of the remote stimulus, for example by mechanical transmission, and also attention effects in which thresholds may be altered by the participant's attention being drawn away from the stimulus of interest. The use of this technique is beneficial as a behavioural measure for exploring which parts of the body are functionally connected and whether the two sides of the body interact in a somatotopic representation. This manuscript describes a behavioural protocol that can be used for studying contralateral tactile masking.

Here we explore contralateral tactile masking between the forearms in which tactile detection thresholds are modulated by vibration applied to a remote site. The details of which remote sites have an effect can tell us about how the body is represented in the brain.

前臂之间的测试触觉掩蔽

Masking, in which one stimulus affects the detection of another, is a classic technique that has been used in visual, auditory, and tactile research, ...

A Simple Non-invasive Method for Temporary Knockdown of Upper Limb Proprioception

Proprioception may be the least well measured of all contributors to the neural control of movement. New precise, reliable measures of proprioception are needed for clinical diagnosis of impairment, and to measure outcomes of proprioceptive training. The purpose of this simple, non-invasive method is to temporarily knockdown upper limb proprioception in healthy adults, to an extent that would be useful in the development and testing of upper limb proprioception measures. Knockdown models have two main advantages over studying humans with impaired proprioception: participant availability and the ability to control the extent of impairment across participants. Current published methods of temporary proprioception knockdown of the upper limb, such as ischemic nerve blocks and cryotherapy, are invasive, impractical, or uncomfortable for the participant. Here, vibration over the ulnar groove was used to reduce upper limb proprioception. High frequency vibration may reduce proprioceptive acuity by inhibiting pacinian corpuscle-induced input. The effect of vibration used in this protocol was confirmed using two quantitative measures. This method was simple to administer, comfortable for participants, and practical.

The goal of this protocol is to demonstrate a practical method to temporarily interfere with proprioception in the upper limb of healthy humans.

一种简单无创的上肢本体临时击倒方法

Proprioception may be the least well measured of all contributors to the neural control of movement. New precise, reliable measures of proprioception are ...

Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses

This work describes a methodological framework that can be used to explicitly and implicitly characterize the sense of agency developed over the neural-machine interface (NMI) control of sensate virtual or robotic prosthetic hands. The formation of agency is fundamental in distinguishing the actions that we perform with our limbs as being our own. By striving to incorporate advanced upper-limb prostheses into these same perceptual mechanisms, we can begin to integrate an artificial limb more closely into the user&#39;s existing cognitive framework for limb control. This has important implications in promoting user acceptance, use, and effective control of advanced upper-limb prostheses. In this protocol, participants control a virtual prosthetic hand and receive kinesthetic sensory feedback through their preexisting NMIs. A series of virtual grasping tasks are performed and perturbations are systematically introduced to the kinesthetic feedback and virtual hand movements. Two separate measures of agency are employed: established psychophysical questionnaires (to capture the explicit experience of agency) and a time interval estimate task to capture the implicit sense of agency (intentional binding). Results of this protocol (questionnaire scores and time interval estimates) can be analyzed to quantify the extent of agency formation.

Here we present a protocol which characterizes the sense of agency developed over the control of sensate virtual or robotic prosthetic hands. Psychophysical questionnaires are employed to capture the explicit experience of agency, and time interval estimates (intentional binding) are employed to implicitly measure the sense of agency.

神经机台面假体作用的代理感特征

This work describes a methodological framework that can be used to explicitly and implicitly characterize the sense of agency developed over the ...

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

The application of incongruent sensory signals that involves disrupted tactile feedback is rarely explored, specifically with the presence of vibrotactile feedback (VTF). This protocol aims to test the effect of VTF on the response to incongruent visual-tactile stimuli. The tactile feedback is acquired by grasping a block and moving it across a partition. The visual feedback is a real-time virtual presentation of the moving block, acquired using a motion capture system. The congruent feedback is the reliable presentation of the movement of the block, so that the subject feels that the block is grasped and see it move along with the path of the hand. The incongruent feedback appears as the movement of the block diverts from the actual movement path, so that it seems to drop from the hand when it is actually still held by the subject, thereby contradicting the tactile feedback. Twenty subjects (age 30.2 &#177; 16.3) repeated 16 block transfers, while their hand was hidden. These were repeated with VTF and without VTF (total of 32 block transfers). Incongruent stimuli were presented randomly twice within the 16 repetitions in each condition (with and without VTF). Each subject was asked to rate the difficulty level of performing the task with and without the VTF. There were no statistically significant differences in the length of the hand paths and durations between transfers recorded with congruent and incongruent visual-tactile signals &#8211; with and without the VTF. The perceived difficulty level of performing the task with the VTF significantly correlated with the normalized path length of the block with VTF (r = 0.675, p = 0.002). This setup is used to quantify the additive or reductive value of VTF during motor function that involves incongruent visual-tactile stimuli. Possible applications are prosthetics design, smart sport-wear, or any other garments that incorporate VTF.

We present a protocol to apply incongruent visual-tactile stimuli during an object transfer task. Specifically, during block transfers, performed while the hand is hidden, a virtual presentation of the block shows random occurrences of false block drops. The protocol also describes adding vibrotactile feedback while performing the motor task.

在振动触觉反馈的对象传递过程中应用不一致的视觉触觉刺激

The application of incongruent sensory signals that involves disrupted tactile feedback is rarely explored, specifically with the presence of vibrotactile ...

Using the Race Model Inequality to Quantify Behavioral Multisensory Integration Effects

Multisensory integration research investigates how the brain processes simultaneous sensory information. Research on animals (mainly cats and primates) and humans reveal that intact multisensory integration is crucial for functioning in the real world, including both cognitive and physical activities. Much of the research conducted over the past several decades documents multisensory integration effects using diverse psychophysical, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging techniques. While its presence has been reported, the methods used to determine the magnitude of multisensory integration effects varies and typically faces much criticism. In what follows, limitations of previous behavioral studies are outlined and a step-by-step tutorial for calculating the magnitude of multisensory integration effects using robust probability models is provided.

The current study aims to provide a step-by-step tutorial for calculating the magnitude of multisensory integration effects in an effort to facilitate the production of translational research studies across diverse clinical populations.

使用种族模型不平等来量化行为多感官整合效应

Multisensory integration research investigates how the brain processes simultaneous sensory information. Research on animals (mainly cats and primates) ...

A Modified Lean and Release Technique to Emphasize Response Inhibition and Action Selection in Reactive Balance

Assessment of reactive balance traditionally imposes some type of perturbation to upright stance or gait followed by measurement of the resultant corrective behavior. These measures include muscle responses, limb movements, ground reaction forces, and even direct neurophysiological measures such as electroencephalography. Using this approach, researchers and clinicians can infer some basic principles regarding how the nervous system controls balance to avoid a fall. One limitation with the way in which these assessments are currently used is that they heavily emphasize reflexive actions without any need to revise automatic postural reactions. Such an exclusive focus on these highly stereotypical reactions would fail to adequately address how we can modify these reactions should the need arise (e.g., avoiding an obstacle with a recovery step). This would appear to be a glaring omission when one considers the enormous complexity of the environments we face daily. Overall, the status quo when evaluating the neural control of balance fails to truly expose how higher brain resources contribute to preventing falls in complex settings. The present protocol offers a way to require suppression of automatic, but inappropriate corrective balance reactions, and force a selection among alternative action choices to successfully recover balance following postural perturbation.

Here we offer a protocol that allows the user to selectively change affordances and/or constraints on movements that are relevant for recovering balance after postural perturbation.

改进的精益和释放技术，强调反应抑制和反应平衡中的动作选择

Assessment of reactive balance traditionally imposes some type of perturbation to upright stance or gait followed by measurement of the resultant ...

Tactile Vibrating Toolkit and Driving Simulation Platform for Driving-Related Research

Collision warning system plays a key role in the prevention of driving distractions and drowsy driving. Previous studies have proven the advantages of tactile warnings in reducing driver&#8217;s brake response time. At the same time, tactile warnings have been proved effective in take-over request (TOR) for partially autonomous vehicles.
How the performance of tactile warnings can be optimized is an ongoing hot research topic in this field. Thus, the presented low-cost driving simulation software and methods are introduced to attract more researchers to take part in the investigation. The presented protocol has been divided into five sections: 1) participants, 2) driving simulation software configuration, 3) driving simulator preparation, 4) vibrating toolkit configuration and preparation, and 5) conducting the experiment.
In the exemplar study, participants wore the tactile vibrating toolkit and performed an established car-following task using the customized driving simulation software. The front vehicle braked intermittently, and vibrating warnings were delivered whenever the front vehicle was braking. Participants were instructed to respond as quickly as possible to the sudden brakes of the front vehicle. Driving dynamics, such as the brake response time and brake response rate, were recorded by the simulation software for data analysis.
The presented protocol offers insight into the exploration of the effectiveness of tactile warnings on different body locations. In addition to the car-following task that is demonstrated in the exemplar experiment, this protocol also provides options&#160;to apply other paradigms to the driving simulation studies by making simple software configuration without any code development. However, it is important to note that due to its affordable price, the driving simulation software and hardware introduced here may not be able to fully compete with other high-fidelity commercial driving simulators. Nevertheless, this protocol can act as an affordable and user-friendly alternative to the general high-fidelity commercial driving simulators.

This protocol describes a driving simulation platform and a tactile vibrating toolkit for the investigation of driving-related research. An exemplar experiment exploring the effectiveness of tactile warnings is also presented.&#160;

触觉振动工具包和驾驶模拟平台，用于驾驶相关研究

Collision warning system plays a key role in the prevention of driving distractions and drowsy driving. Previous studies have proven the advantages of ...

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness

In this experiment, we demonstrate a suite of hybrid Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)-based paradigms that are designed for two applications: assessing the level of consciousness of people unable to provide motor response and, in a second stage, establishing a communication channel for these people that enables them to answer questions with either &#39;yes&#39; or &#39;no&#39;. The suite of paradigms is designed to test basic responses in the first step and to continue to more comprehensive tasks if the first tests are successful. The latter tasks require more cognitive functions, but they could provide communication, which is not possible with the basic tests. All assessment tests produce accuracy plots that show whether the algorithms were able to detect the patient&#39;s brain&#39;s response to the given tasks. If the accuracy level is beyond the significance level, we assume that the subject understood the task and was able to follow the sequence of commands presented via earphones to the subject. The tasks require users to concentrate on certain stimuli or to imagine moving either the left or right hand. All tasks are designed around the assumption that the user is unable to use the visual modality, and thus, all stimuli presented to the user (including instructions, cues, and feedback) are auditory or tactile.

With this experiment, one might be able to detect consciousness in people with disorders of consciousness. Furthermore, the approach can create a simple communication channel that enables people to give simple YES/NO answers to questions.

有意识障碍者的评估与沟通

In this experiment, we demonstrate a suite of hybrid Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)-based paradigms that are designed for two applications: assessing the ...