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Our eyes never stop moving, even during attempted gaze fixation. Fixational eye movements, which include tremor, drift, and microsaccades, are necessary to prevent retinal image adaptation, but may also result in unstable vision. Fortunately, the nervous system can suppress the retinal displacements induced by fixational eye movements and consequently kee

Our eyes never stop moving, even during attempted gaze fixation. Fixational eye movements, which include tremor, drift, and microsaccades, are necessary to prevent retinal image adaptation, but may also result in unstable vision. Fortunately, the nervous system can suppress the retinal displacements induced by fixational eye movements and consequently keep our vision stable. The neural correlates of perceptual suppression during fixational eye movements are controversial. Also, the contribution of retinal versus extraretinal inputs to microsaccade-induced neuronal responses in the primary visual cortex (i.e. area V1) remain unclear. Here I show that V1 neuronal responses to microsaccades are different from those to stimulus motions simulating microsaccades. Responses to microsaccades consist of an initial excitatory component followed by an inhibitory component, which may be attributed to retinal and extraretinal signals, respectively. I also discuss the effects of the fixation target's size and luminance on microsaccade properties. Fixation targets are frequently used in psychophysical and electrophysiological research, and may have uncontrolled influences on experimental results. I found that microsaccade rates and magnitudes change linearly with fixation target size, but not with fixation target luminance. Finally, I present ion a novel variation of the Ouchi-Spillmann illusion, in which fixational eye movements may play a role.
ContributorsNajafian Jazi, Ali (Author) / Buneo, Christopher (Thesis advisor) / Martinez-Conde, Susana (Thesis advisor) / Macknik, Stephen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description

Neuromodulation is an emerging field of research that has a proven therapeutic benefit on a number of neurological disorders, including epilepsy and stroke. It is characterized by using exogenous stimulation to modify neural activity. Prior studies have shown the positive effect of non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) on motor learning.

Neuromodulation is an emerging field of research that has a proven therapeutic benefit on a number of neurological disorders, including epilepsy and stroke. It is characterized by using exogenous stimulation to modify neural activity. Prior studies have shown the positive effect of non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) on motor learning. However, few studies have explored the effect of this specific neuromodulatory method on the underlying physiological processes, including heart rate variability (HRV), facial skin temperatures, skin conductance level, and respiratory rate. Here we present preliminary results of the effects of 3kHz supraorbital TNS on HRV using non-linear (Poincaré plot descriptors) and time-domain (SDNN) measures of analysis. Twenty-one (21) healthy adult subjects were randomly assigned to 2 groups: 3kHz Active stimulation (n=11) and Sham (n=10). Participants’ physiological markers were monitored continuously across three blocks: one ten-minute baseline block, one twenty-minute treatment block, and one ten-minute recovery block. TNS targeting the ophthalmic branches of the trigeminal nerve was delivered during the treatment block for twenty minutes in 30 sec. ON/OFF cycles. The active stimulation group exhibited larger values of all Poincaré descriptors and SDNN during blocks two and three, signifying increased HRV and autonomic nervous system activity.

ContributorsParmar, Romir (Author) / Buneo, Christopher (Thesis director) / Helms Tillery, Stephen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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Description
Previously accomplished research examined sensory integration between upper limb proprioception and tactile sensation. The active proprioceptive-tactile relationship points towards an opportunity to examine neuromodulation effects on sensory integration with respect to proprioceptive error magnitude and direction. Efforts to improve focus and attention during upper limb proprioceptive tasks results in a

Previously accomplished research examined sensory integration between upper limb proprioception and tactile sensation. The active proprioceptive-tactile relationship points towards an opportunity to examine neuromodulation effects on sensory integration with respect to proprioceptive error magnitude and direction. Efforts to improve focus and attention during upper limb proprioceptive tasks results in a decrease of proprioceptive error magnitudes and greater endpoint accuracy. Increased focus and attention can also be correlated to neurophysiological activity in the Locus Coeruleus (LC) during a variety of mental tasks. Through non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation, it may be possible to affect the activity of the LC and induce improvements in arousal and attention that would assist in proprioceptive estimation. The trigeminal nerve projects to the LC through the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal complex, providing a pathway similar to the effects seen from vagus nerve stimulation. In this experiment, the effect of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) on proprioceptive ability is evaluated by the proprioceptive estimation error magnitude and direction, while LC activation via autonomic pathways is indirectly measured using pupil diameter, pupil recovery time, and pupil velocity. TNS decreases proprioceptive error magnitude in 59% of subjects, while having no measurable impact on proprioceptive strategy. Autonomic nervous system changes were observed in 88% of subjects, with mostly parasympathetic activation and a mixed sympathetic effect.
ContributorsOrthlieb, Gerrit Chi Luk (Author) / Helms-Tillery, Stephen (Thesis advisor) / Tanner, Justin (Committee member) / Buneo, Christopher (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019