Stochastic resonance improves visuomotor temporal integration in healthy young adults

Abstract

Mechanical and electrical noise stimulation to the body is known to improve the sensorimotor system. This improvement is related to stochastic resonance (SR), a phenomenon described as a “noise benefit” to various sensory and motor systems. The current study investigated the influence of SR on visuomotor temporal integration and hand motor function under delayed visual feedback in healthy young adults. The purpose of this study was to measure the usefulness of SR as a neurorehabilitation device for disorders of visuomotor temporal integration. Thirty healthy volunteers underwent detection tasks and hand motor function tests under delayed visual feedback, with or without SR. Of the 30 participants, 15 carried out the tasks under delayed visual feedback in the order of SR on-condition, off-condition, off-condition, and on-condition. The remaining 15 participants conducted the experimental tasks in the order of SR off-condition, on-condition, on-condition, and off-condition. Comparisons of the delay detection threshold (DDT), steepness of the delay detection probability curves, box and block test (BBT) scores, and nine-hole peg test (NHPT) scores between the SR on- and off-conditions were performed. The DDT under the SR on-condition was significantly shortened compared with the SR off-condition. There was no significant difference between the SR on- and off-conditions for the steepness of the delay detection probability curves, BBT scores, and NHPT scores. SR improved visuomotor temporal integration in healthy young adults, and may therefore improve movement disorders in patients with impaired visuomotor temporal integration. However, because the current results showed that SR did not improve hand motor function under delayed visual feedback, it may not improve motor function when a large distortion of visuomotor temporal integration is present. Further studies are required considering several limitations of the current study, and future clinical trials are necessary to verify the effects of motor training using SR for the treatment of visuomotor temporal integration disorders.

Stochastic Resonance Reduces Sway and Gait Variability in Individuals With Unilateral Transtibial Amputation: A Pilot Study

“…For example, the addition of noise reduces reaction times compared to baseline when applied as transcranial electrical stimulation of the motor cortex (Jooss et al, 2019) and also enhances actionobservation task performance and improves three-dimensional perception (Ditzinger et al, 2000;Sasaki et al, 2006). The application of stochastic noise to the wrist increases detection rates of delayed visual stimuli (Nobusako et al, 2018).…”

Influence of Stochastic Resonance on Manual Dexterity in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Double-Blind Interventional Study

“…Consistent with previous studies (7,8,10,11,14,16,17), we attached the device to the wrist to minimize manual interruption while affecting the tactile sensation of the fingers. The intensity of the vibrotactile noise was set to 60% of the vibrotactile threshold at the beginning of the test-a level shown to be optimum to elicit SR in sensory systems (7,8,10,11,14,16,17). The sensory thresholds for vibrotactile noise were measured immediately before each of the four measurement blocks, irrespective of whether it was an SR-on or SR-off condition.…”

“…The resonance frequency of the device was 170 ± 10 Hz (average ± SD). Low-pass filters at 500 Hz were used as per previous studies ( 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 14 , 16 , 17 ). A digital amplifier (FX Audio D802; North Flat Japan, Osaka, Japan) was used to output the white noise signals needed to elicit SR through the vibrotactile actuators.…”

Modification of Eye–Head Coordination With High Frequency Random Noise Stimulation

“…In our study, one potential effect of a decreased time lag between eye and head movements by HF-nVS may be the stochastic resonance phenomenon. Stochastic resonance is a phenomenon in which the response of a system to an input signal benefits from the presence of noise (Gammaitoni et al, 1989;Collins et al, 1995;Gammaitoni, 1995;Gluckman et al, 1996;Moss et al, 2004;McDonnell and Abbott, 2009;Nobusako et al, 2018). Previous studies have noted that random noise stimulation could enhance the detection of weak stimuli or enhance the sensitivity of neurons to a weak stimulus related to the stochastic resonance phenomenon (Moss et al, 2004;Pavan et al, 2019).…”

“…Previous studies have noted that random noise stimulation could enhance the detection of weak stimuli or enhance the sensitivity of neurons to a weak stimulus related to the stochastic resonance phenomenon (Moss et al, 2004;Pavan et al, 2019). Because the effect of stochastic resonance is due to the improvement of signal detection in the presence of noise, stochastic resonance can provide noise benefits to some sensory and motor systems (Moss et al, 2004;McDonnell and Abbott, 2009;Nobusako et al, 2018). The effects of HF-nVS used in our study can be explained within the stochastic resonance framework, that is, the neural noise induced by HF-nVS could increase VOR function and improve eye-head coordination.…”