Cognitive map formation through tactile map navigation in visually impaired and sighted persons

The human brain can form cognitive maps of a spatial environment, which can support wayfinding. In this study, we investigated cognitive map formation of an environment presented in the tactile modality, in visually impaired and sighted persons. In addition, we assessed the acquisition of route and survey knowledge. Ten persons with a visual impairment (PVIs) and ten sighted control participants learned a tactile map of a city-like environment. The map included five marked locations associated with different items. Participants subsequently estimated distances between item pairs, performed a direction pointing task, reproduced routes between items and recalled item locations. In addition, we conducted questionnaires to assess general navigational abilities and the use of route or survey strategies. Overall, participants in both groups performed well on the spatial tasks. Our results did not show differences in performance between PVIs and sighted persons, indicating that both groups formed an equally accurate cognitive map. Furthermore, we found that the groups generally used similar navigational strategies, which correlated with performance on some of the tasks, and acquired similar and accurate route and survey knowledge. We therefore suggest that PVIs are able to employ a route as well as survey strategy if they have the opportunity to access route-like as well as map-like information such as on a tactile map

Cognitive map formation supported by auditory, haptic, and multimodal information in persons with blindness

For efficient navigation, the brain needs to adequately represent the environment in a cognitive map. In this review, we sought to give an overview of literature about cognitive map formation based on non-visual modalities in persons with blindness (PWBs) and sighted persons. The review is focused on the auditory and haptic modalities, including research that combines multiple modalities and real-world navigation. Furthermore, we addressed implications of route and survey representations. Taking together, PWBs as well as sighted persons can build up cognitive maps based on non-visual modalities, although the accuracy sometime somewhat differs between PWBs and sighted persons. We provide some speculations on how to deploy information from different modalities to support cognitive map formation. Furthermore, PWBs and sighted persons seem to be able to construct route as well as survey representations. PWBs can experience difficulties building up a survey representation, but this is not always the case, and research suggests that they can acquire this ability with sufficient spatial information or training. We discuss possible explanations of these inconsistencies

Drought, mutualism breakdown, and landscape-scale degradation of seagrass beds

Contains fulltext : 166345.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access

Evaluation of pulse wave velocity for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events in post-infarcted patients: comparison of oscillometric and MRI methods

Increased aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been proved as a strong predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). Due to the various technical approaches the level of high PWV values show significant differences. We evaluated the cut-off PWV values for MACE prediction using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and oscillometric methods for validating the prognostic value of high PWV in post-infarcted patients. Phase contrast imaging (PCI) and oscillometric based Arteriograph (AG) were compared in this 6 years fol lowup study, including 75 consecutive patients of whom 49 suffered previous ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEM I). Patients received follow-up for MACE comprising all-cause death, non-fatal MI, ischemic stroke, hospitalization for heart failure and coronary revascularization. An acceptable agreement and significant correlation (rho: 0.332, p 6.47 m/s, AG: >9.625 m/s, p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression revealed PWV as a predictor of MACE (PWV CMR hazard ratio (HR):1.31 (CI: 1.1-1.7) PWV AG HR:1.24 (CI:1.0-1.5), p < 0.05, respectively). Increased PWV derived by AG and CMR methods are feasible for MACE prediction in post-infarcted patients. However, adjusted cut-off values of PWV are recommended for different techniques to improve individual risk stratification.Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog