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A TOUCH SIGHT: NEURAL BASIS OF OBSERVED AND ACTUAL TOUCH
Touch is a complex, multisensory perceptual process (de Haan and Dijkerman, 2020; de Lafuente and Romo, 2006; Graziano and Gross, 1993). In non-human primates (NHPs), multisensory input (e.g., visual, tactile) converges upon neurons in higher-order brain regions such as the posterior pari- etal cortex (PPC) where they are integrated into coherent representations (Graziano and Gross, 1993; Avillac et al., 2007; Graziano, 1999; Graziano, 2001; Graziano et al., 2000; Holmes and Spence, 2004; Hwang et al., 2014; Seelke et al., 2012; Sereno and Huang, 2014). Recent human neuroimaging studies suggest that the PPC is also recruited during touch cognition in the absence of actual tactile input (e.g., seen touch or imagined touch), supporting a notion that both higher- level touch processing and tactile cognition share a neural substrate (Chan and Baker, 2015; Lucas et al., 2015). To date, however, such a link has not been established at the single neuron level.
Neural Representation of Actual and Observed Touch in Somatosensory Cortex (BA1). Vicarious activation: Activation of a brain region that is normally involved in processing the observer’s own actions and sensations, but that is now activated by seeing similar actions or sensations in another person.
In a unique opportunity, we investigate touch processing in a SCI human subject at the level of single neurons recorded from an electrode array implanted in the left S1 for an ongoing brain machine interface (BMI) clinical trial. We have data collected in multiple sessions. We recorded single- and multi-unit neural activity during the presentation of actual touch and during observed touch to sensate dermatomes below the level of the participant’s injury.
Neural Representation of Actual and Observed Touch in Somatosensory Cortex (BA1). Vicarious activation: Activation of a brain region that is normally involved in processing the observer’s own actions and sensations, but that is now activated by seeing similar actions or sensations in another person. In a unique opportunity, we investigate touch processing in a SCI human subject at the level of single neurons recorded from an electrode array implanted in the left S1 for an ongoing brain machine interface (BMI) clinical trial. We have data collected in multiple sessions. We recorded single- and multi-unit neural activity during the presentation of actual touch and during observed touch to sensate dermatomes below the level of the participant’s injury.
Do SI also contain mirror neurons that are active during both the observation and the execution of actions?
Here, we test whether a Broadman’s Area1 neuronal population is similarly engaged in the actual and observed somatosensory domain. The candidate will dig into the cortical neural data to unveil neural mechanisms related to touch.
The major goals (mandatory) for the student will be:
1) Is S1 activated when observing someone else hand being touched? Is this activation higher w.r.t. touching objects?
2) Is the somatotopy preserved in vicarious touch?
3) Are the same neurons?
4) Is modality specific (touch-proprio)?
5) Is the activity modulated with observed stimulus properties? Can we decode the stimulus characteristics from the observed touch activity?
6) Could the manipulation of activity in S1 with ICMS change people’s perception of others? (Sensory perturbations)
Recommendable skills: Signal processing, MATLAB, central nervous system neurophysiology and anatomy.
Extra skills: Computational neuroscience.
Time effort required: Master project full time.
Do SI also contain mirror neurons that are active during both the observation and the execution of actions? Here, we test whether a Broadman’s Area1 neuronal population is similarly engaged in the actual and observed somatosensory domain. The candidate will dig into the cortical neural data to unveil neural mechanisms related to touch. The major goals (mandatory) for the student will be: 1) Is S1 activated when observing someone else hand being touched? Is this activation higher w.r.t. touching objects? 2) Is the somatotopy preserved in vicarious touch? 3) Are the same neurons? 4) Is modality specific (touch-proprio)? 5) Is the activity modulated with observed stimulus properties? Can we decode the stimulus characteristics from the observed touch activity? 6) Could the manipulation of activity in S1 with ICMS change people’s perception of others? (Sensory perturbations) Recommendable skills: Signal processing, MATLAB, central nervous system neurophysiology and anatomy. Extra skills: Computational neuroscience.
Time effort required: Master project full time.
Dr. Giacomo Valle, Assistant Professor, Head of Neural Bionics laboratory, Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Life Bionics Goteborg Sweden
Email: valleg@chalmers.se
Dr. Giacomo Valle, Assistant Professor, Head of Neural Bionics laboratory, Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Life Bionics Goteborg Sweden