Human manual control precision depends on vestibular sensory precision and gravitational magnitude

Rosenberg, M. J. F.; Galvan-Garza, Raquel; Clark, Torin K.; Sherwood, David P.; Young, Laurence R.; Karmali, Faisal

doi:10.1152/jn.00565.2018

Cited by 23 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 78 publications

(111 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, to parallel the G-excess illusion in hypergravity, we reiterate the proposal of the "Gshortage" illusion (Clark and Young 2017) to refer to the underestimation of roll tilt in hypogravity. The reduced tilt perception cue in hypogravity impairs performance on a manual control task (Rosenberg et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human perception of whole body roll-tilt orientation in a hypogravity analog: underestimation and adaptation

Galvan-Garza

Clark

Sherwood

et al. 2018

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Overestimation of roll tilt in hypergravity (“G-excess” illusion) has been demonstrated, but corresponding sustained hypogravic conditions are impossible to create in ground laboratories. In this article we describe the first systematic experimental evidence that in a hypogravity analog, humans underestimate roll tilt. We studied perception of self-roll tilt in nine subjects, who were supine while spun on a centrifuge to create a hypogravity analog. By varying the centrifuge rotation rate, we modulated the centripetal acceleration (GC) at the subject’s head location (0.5 or 1 GC) along the body axis. We measured orientation perception using a subjective visual vertical task in which subjects aligned an illuminated bar with their perceived centripetal acceleration direction during tilts (±11.5–28.5°). As hypothesized, based on the reduced utricular otolith shearing, subjects initially underestimated roll tilts in the 0.5 GC condition compared with the 1 GC condition (mean perceptual gain change = −0.27, P = 0.01). When visual feedback was given after each trial in 0.5 GC, subjects’ perceptual gain increased in approximately exponential fashion over time (time constant = 16 tilts or 13 min), and after 45 min, the perceptual gain was not significantly different from the 1 GC baseline (mean gain difference between 1 GC initial and 0.5 GC final = 0.16, P = 0.3). Thus humans modified their interpretation of sensory cues to more correctly report orientation during this hypogravity analog. Quantifying the acute orientation perceptual learning in such an altered gravity environment may have implications for human space exploration on the moon or Mars. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Humans systematically overestimate roll tilt in hypergravity. However, human perception of orientation in hypogravity has not been quantified across a range of tilt angles. Using a centrifuge to create a hypogravity centripetal acceleration environment, we found initial underestimation of roll tilt. Providing static visual feedback, perceptual learning reduced underestimation during the hypogravity analog. These altered gravity orientation perceptual errors and adaptation may have implications for astronauts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human perception of whole body roll-tilt orientation in a hypogravity analog: underestimation and adaptation

Galvan-Garza

Clark

Sherwood

et al. 2018

Journal of Neurophysiology

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“…Failure to complete mission tasks could have catastrophic consequences, resulting in loss of life, vehicle, or other property. Much of the research investigating manual control in altered-gravity has focused on unimanual performance (e.g., controlling joystick with dominant limb) (e.g., Clark et al, 2015;Clément et al, 2018;Rosenberg et al, 2018). However, many of the activities associated with spaceflight require individuals to use both limbs simultaneously (e.g., controlling a rover, landing a spacecraft).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Altered-Gravity on Bimanual Coordination: Retention and Transfer

et al. 2022

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Many of the activities associated with spaceflight require individuals to coordinate actions between the limbs (e.g., controlling a rover, landing a spacecraft). However, research investigating the influence of gravity on bimanual coordination has been limited. The current experiment was designed to determine an individual’s ability to adapt to altered-gravity when performing a complex bimanual force coordination task, and to identify constraints that influence coordination dynamics in altered-gravity. A tilt table was used to simulate gravity on Earth [90° head-up tilt (HUT)] and microgravity [6° head-down tilt (HDT)]. Right limb dominant participants (N = 12) were required to produce 1:1 in-phase and 1:2 multi-frequency force patterns. Lissajous information was provided to guide performance. Participants performed 14, 20 s trials at 90° HUT (Earth). Following a 30-min rest period, participants performed, for each coordination pattern, two retention trials (Earth) followed by two transfer trials in simulated microgravity (6° HDT). Results indicated that participants were able to transfer their training performance during the Earth condition to the microgravity condition with no additional training. No differences between gravity conditions for measures associated with timing (interpeak interval ratio, phase angle slope ratio) were observed. However, despite the effective timing of the force pulses, there were differences in measures associated with force production (peak force, STD of peak force mean force). The results of this study suggest that Lissajous displays may help counteract manual control decrements observed during microgravity. Future work should continue to explore constraints that can facilitate or interfere with bimanual control performance in altered-gravity environments.

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“…Interestingly, individuals with visual impairments were found to have improved vestibular thresholds, suggesting sensory compensation (Hartmann et al 2014). Finally, an individual's roll tilt threshold correlates with his/her ability to actively null their chair roll tilt using a joystick in response to a random disturbance (Rosenberg et al 2018). This may be relevant for aircraft pilots, who despite being taught to use their instruments, still are prone to spatial disorientation accidents from vestibular illusions (Pennings et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human vestibular perceptual thresholds for pitch tilt are slightly worse than for roll tilt across a range of frequencies

Suri

Clark

2020

Exp Brain Res

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Vestibular perceptual thresholds measure vestibular sensory and perceptual noise by quantifying how small of a passive self-motion an individual is able to reliably perceive. Vestibular thresholds have clinical and operational relevance, as they are elevated in vestibular migraine patients, and even healthy individuals with higher (i.e., worse) thresholds have degraded balance. Vestibular thresholds have been quantified across a range of frequencies (motion durations) for rotations and translations, with differences identified for different motion directions (e.g., up/down thresholds are higher than those for left/right motions). While roll tilt thresholds have been well quantified, pitch tilt thresholds have not. Here we aim to quantify pitch tilt thresholds across a range of frequencies and test whether they are higher than in those for roll tilt. In ten normal subjects, we found pitch tilt thresholds at 0.15, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 Hz averaged 1.66, 1.61, 0.99, 0.51 degrees, respectively. Using a general linear model, we found subjects' pitch tilt thresholds were slightly, but significantly, higher than their roll tilt thresholds across all frequencies tested. These differences were approximately 10% at 0.15, 0.2, and 1 Hz and 3% at 0.5 Hz. Pitch tilt thresholds exhibited a similar frequency response as in roll tilt (decreasing a higher frequencies). They also had substantial inter-individual variability, which correlated across pitch tilt frequencies and between pitch and roll tilt thresholds. We discuss why pitch tilt thresholds might be higher, including the pitched-up orientation of the utricular plane of the otoliths, compare to previous studies, and discuss functional implications.

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Human manual control precision depends on vestibular sensory precision and gravitational magnitude

Cited by 23 publications

References 78 publications

Human perception of whole body roll-tilt orientation in a hypogravity analog: underestimation and adaptation

Human perception of whole body roll-tilt orientation in a hypogravity analog: underestimation and adaptation

The Influence of Altered-Gravity on Bimanual Coordination: Retention and Transfer

Human vestibular perceptual thresholds for pitch tilt are slightly worse than for roll tilt across a range of frequencies

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