The role of the right temporoparietal junction in perceptual conflict: detection or resolution?

The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) is a polysensory cortical area that plays a key role in perception and awareness. Neuroimaging evidence shows activation of rTPJ in intersensory and sensorimotor conflict situations, but it remains unclear whether this activity reflects detection or resolution of such conflicts. To address this question, we manipulated the relationship between touch and vision using the so-called mirror-box illusion. Participants' hands lay on either side of a mirror, which occluded their left hand and reflected their right hand, but created the illusion that they were looking directly at their left hand. The experimenter simultaneously touched either the middle (D3) or the ring finger (D4) of each hand. Participants judged, which finger was touched on their occluded left hand. The visual stimulus corresponding to the touch on the right hand was therefore either congruent (same finger as touch) or incongruent (different finger from touch) with the task-relevant touch on the left hand. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was delivered to the rTPJ immediately after touch. Accuracy in localizing the left touch was worse for D4 than for D3, particularly when visual stimulation was incongruent. However, following TMS, accuracy improved selectively for D4 in incongruent trials, suggesting that the effects of the conflicting visual information were reduced. These findings suggest a role of rTPJ in detecting, rather than resolving, intersensory conflict

Spatial limits of visuotactile interactions in the presence and absence of tactile stimulation

The presence of a light flash near to the body not only increases the ability to detect a weak touch but also increases reports of feeling a weak touch that did not occur. The somatic signal detection task (SSDT) provides a behavioural marker by which to clarify the spatial extent of such visuotactile interactions in peripersonal space. Whilst previous evidence suggests a limit to the spatial extent over which visual input can distort the perception of tactile stimulation during the rubber hand illusion, the spatial boundaries of light-induced tactile sensations are not known. In a repeated measures design, 41 participants completed the SSDT with the light positioned 1 cm (near), 17.5 cm (mid) or 40 cm (far) from the tactile stimulation. In the far condition, the light did not affect hit, or false alarm rates during the SSDT. In the near and mid conditions, the light significantly increased hit rates and led to a more liberal response criterion, that is, participants reported feeling the touch more often regardless of whether or not it actually occurred. Our results demonstrate a spatial boundary over which visual input influences veridical and non-veridical touch perception during the SSDT, and provide further behavioural evidence to show that the boundaries of the receptive fields of visuotactile neurons may be limited to reach space

Developing and validating the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale

OBJECTIVE Developing and validating a scale to assess perioperative thirst discomfort. METHOD A methodological research conducted in 2014 and 2015 at the surgical center of a public hospital in the north of Paraná, Brazil. The scale was developed after literature review, followed by face and content validation, and reliability assessment through its internal consistency and inter-observer equivalence. RESULTS Seven items make up the scale: dry mouth; dry lips; thick tongue; thick saliva; dry throat, bad taste and desire to drink water. The content validity index for attributes and items was 0.98, and the reliability index was 1 for the scale attributes and items. Internal consistency assessed by Cronbach's alpha was 0.91 and inter-rater equivalence was 1, as measured by weighted kappa coefficient. CONCLUSION ThePerioperative Thirst Discomfort Scaleshowed high content and reliability indexes.OBJETIVO Elaborar y validar una escala para evaluación de la incomodidad de la sed perioperatoria. MÉTODO Investigación metodológica realizada en 2014 y 2015, en el quirófano de un hospital público del norte de Paraná. La escala fue elaborada tras revisión bibliográfica, seguida de validación aparente y de contenido y evaluación de la credibilidad mediante su consistencia interna y la equivalencia entre los observadores. RESULTADOS Siete puntos compusieron la escala: boca seca; labios resecos; lengua gruesa; saliva gruesa; garganta seca; gusto malo y deseo de beber agua. El índice de validez de contenido para atributos indicadores fue de 0,98 y el índice de credibilidad fue de 1 para los atributos y puntos de la escala. La consistencia interna evaluada por el alfa de Cronbach fue de 0,91 y la equivalencia entre observadores fue de 1, medida por el coeficiente de kappa ponderado. CONCLUSIÓN La escala de incomodidad de la sed perioperatoria demostró altos índices de validez de contenido y credibilidad.OBJETIVO Elaborar e validar uma escala para avaliação do desconforto da sede perioperatória. MÉTODO Pesquisa metodológica realizada em 2014 e 2015, no centro cirúrgico de um hospital público do norte do Paraná. A escala foi elaborada após revisão bibliográfica, seguida de validação aparente e de conteúdo e avaliação da fidedignidade através de sua consistência interna e da equivalência inter observadores. RESULTADOS Sete itens compuseram a escala: boca seca; lábios ressecados; língua grossa; saliva grossa; garganta seca; gosto ruim e vontade de beber água. O índice de validade de conteúdo para atributos e itens foi de 0,98, e o índice de fidedignidade foi de 1 para os atributos e itens da escala. A consistência interna avaliada pelo alfa de Cronbach foi de 0,91, e a equivalência interobservadores foi de 1, medida pelo coeficiente de kappa ponderado. CONCLUSÃO A escala de desconforto da sede perioperatóriademonstrou altos índices de validade de conteúdo e fidedignidade

Eye-movements intervening between two successive sounds disrupt comparisons of auditory location

Many studies have investigated how saccades may affect the internal representation of visual locations across eye-movements. Here, we studied, instead, whether eye-movements can affect auditory spatial cognition. In two experiments, participants judged the relative azimuth (same/different) of two successive sounds presented from a horizontal array of loudspeakers, separated by a 2.5-s delay. Eye-position was either held constant throughout the trial (being directed in a fixed manner to the far left or right of the loudspeaker array) or had to be shifted to the opposite side of the array during the retention delay between the two sounds, after the first sound but before the second. Loudspeakers were either visible (Experiment 1) or occluded from sight (Experiment 2). In both cases, shifting eye-position during the silent delay-period affected auditory performance in thn the successive auditory comparison task, even though the auditory inputs to be judged were equivalent. Sensitivity (d') for the auditory discrimination was disrupted, specifically when the second sound shifted in the opposite direction to the intervening eye-movement with respect to the first sound. These results indicate that eye-movements affect internal representation of auditory location

The oculomotor salience of flicker, apparent motion and continuous motion in saccade trajectories

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of dynamic distractors on the time-course of oculomotor selection using saccade trajectory deviations. Participants were instructed to make a speeded eye movement (pro-saccade) to a target presented above or below the fixation point while an irrelevant distractor was presented. Four types of distractors were varied within participants: (1) static, (2) flicker, (3) rotating apparent motion and (4) continuous motion. The eccentricity of the distractor was varied between participants. The results showed that saccadic trajectories curved towards distractors presented near the vertical midline; no reliable deviation was found for distractors presented further away from the vertical midline. Differences between the flickering and rotating distractor were found when distractor eccentricity was small and these specific effects developed over time such that there was a clear differentiation between saccadic deviation based on apparent motion for long-latency saccades, but not short-latency saccades. The present results suggest that the influence on performance of apparent motion stimuli is relatively delayed and acts in a more sustained manner compared to the influence of salient static, flickering and continuous moving stimuli.</p