Learning new sensorimotor contingencies:Effects of long-term use of sensory augmentation on the brain and conscious perception

Theories of embodied cognition propose that perception is shaped by sensory stimuli and by the actions of the organism. Following sensorimotor contingency theory, the mastery of lawful relations between own behavior and resulting changes in sensory signals, called sensorimotor contingencies, is constitutive of conscious perception. Sensorimotor contingency theory predicts that, after training, knowledge relating to new sensorimotor contingencies develops, leading to changes in the activation of sensorimotor systems, and concomitant changes in perception. In the present study, we spell out this hypothesis in detail and investigate whether it is possible to learn new sensorimotor contingencies by sensory augmentation. Specifically, we designed an fMRI compatible sensory augmentation device, the feelSpace belt, which gives orientation information about the direction of magnetic north via vibrotactile stimulation on the waist of participants. In a longitudinal study, participants trained with this belt for seven weeks in natural environment. Our EEG results indicate that training with the belt leads to changes in sleep architecture early in the training phase, compatible with the consolidation of procedural learning as well as increased sensorimotor processing and motor programming. The fMRI results suggest that training entails activity in sensory as well as higher motor centers and brain areas known to be involved in navigation. These neural changes are accompanied with changes in how space and the belt signal are perceived, as well as with increased trust in navigational ability. Thus, our data on physiological processes and subjective experiences are compatible with the hypothesis that new sensorimotor contingencies can be acquired using sensory augmentation

Publications on the topic of action observation in the last 3 decades.

<p>The ncbi/PubMed database has been searched for the phrases “action observation” OR “action understanding” in the indicated time-intervals. The resulting number of records has been normalized by the total number of publications indexed in PubMed in the corresponding time-interval. The result has been multiplied by 10^Λ6 for plotting convenience.</p

Schematized setup of the “semantic reference” experiment.

<p>The arrow indicates the direction of chickpeas displacement.</p

Set of stimuli used in the present experiment.

<p>The ambiguous contact point used for analysis is labeled as “0”.</p

Results of the “semantic reference” experiment.

<p>The solid lines represent individual data and the gray bars represent the group averaged values.</p

Timeline of the experimental protocol.

<p>Timeline of the experimental protocol.</p

Schematized setup of the “spatial compatibility” experiment.

<p>The arrow indicates the direction of chickpeas displacement.</p

Results of the “spatial compatibility” experiment.

<p>The solid lines represent individual data and the gray bars represent the group averaged values.</p

Table of defined ROIS and overview of activations.

<p>Table of defined ROIS and overview of activations.</p