Prism adaptation power on spatial cognition: Adaptation to different optical deviations in healthy individuals

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 590; pp. 145 - 149
• Main Authors: Michel, Carine, Cruz, Remy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 17.03.2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Cognition; Female; Healthy subjects; Humans; Life Sciences; Line bisection; Male; Neglect simulation; Neurons and Cognition; Photic Stimulation; Prism adaptation; Psychomotor Performance; Sensorimotor plasticity; Space Perception; Spatial cognition; Visual Fields; Young Adult; Prism adaptation; Healthy subjects; Line bisection; Spatial cognition; Sensorimotor plasticity; Neglect simulation; wedge prisms; unilateral neglect; judgments; brain; space; straight; rehabilitation; exposure; bias
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.02.001

•After-effects of prism adaptation for different optical deviations were studied.•Adaptation to an 8° optical deviation produced no cognitive after-effect.•Adaptation to a 10° optical deviation produced a bias in manual line bisection.•Adaptation to a 15° optical deviation produced a bias in manual/perceptual bisection.•Sensorimotor and cognitive after-effects were correlated to the optical deviation. The main objective of the present study was to determine the minimal optical deviation responsible for cognitive after-effects in healthy individuals and to explore whether there was a relationship between the degree of optical deviation and cognitive after-effects. Therefore different leftward optical deviations (8°, 10° and 15°) were used in three different groups of healthy participants. Sensorimotor after-effects (evaluating the visuo-manual realignment) were assessed using an open-loop pointing task and cognitive after-effects (evaluating changes in spatial representation) were assessed using manual and perceptual (landmark) line bisection tasks. Results revealed that exposure to 8°, 10° and 15° optical shifts produced sensorimotor after-effects. In contrast, the occurrence of cognitive after-effects depended on the optical deviation. Adaptation to an 8° leftward optical deviation did not produce cognitive after-effects. Adaptation to a 10° leftward optical deviation was responsible for after-effects in the manual line bisection task only. Adaptation to a 15° leftward optical deviation produced after-effects in both the manual and perceptual line bisection tasks. All cognitive after-effects were rightward and were similar to mild, neglect-like manifestations. Both sensorimotor and cognitive after-effects were correlated with the degree of optical deviation. Our results are of methodological and theoretical interest to those interested in sensorimotor plasticity and spatial cognition.