Influence of action video gaming on spatial representation in the haptic modality.

Spatial representation in the haptic domain has been shown to be prone to systematic errors. When participants are asked to make two bars haptically parallel, their performance deviates from what would be veridically parallel. This is hypothesized to be caused by the bias of the egocentric reference frame.

Combining visual and haptic practice significantly reduced deviations in haptic parallelity matching.

Numerous studies have shown that making two bars parallel to each other in the haptic domain results in (often) large and systematic errors. This is most likely due to the biasing influence of the egocentric reference frame. Even presenting participants with either haptic or visual information about parallelity or direct error feedback did not result in veridical performance.

Changing the influence of the egocentric reference frame impacts deviations in haptic parallelity matching.

The large systematic deviations in haptic parallelity matching are most likely due to the biasing influence of the hand-centered egocentric reference frame. Previous results showed that eliminating or reducing this bias resulted in smaller deviations, with significantly larger effects observed in female participants. The current study investigated the effect of reducing the egocentric bias in a pure haptic condition.

Gender Differences Regarding the Impact of Math Anxiety on Arithmetic Performance in Second and Fourth Graders.

The development of math skills is crucial for adequate functioning in academic and professional settings as well as in daily life. A factor that has been shown to negatively influence performance and acquisition of math skills is math anxiety. With the high prevalence of math anxiety in society and the long lasting effects on math performance, it is important to study the relation between math anxiety and math performance in young children.

The Contribution of Numerical Magnitude Comparison and Phonological Processing to Individual Differences in Fourth Graders' Multiplication Fact Ability.

Although numerical magnitude processing has been related to individual differences in arithmetic, its role in children's multiplication performance remains largely unknown. On the other hand, studies have indicated that phonological awareness is an important correlate of individual differences in children's multiplication performance, but the involvement of phonological memory, another important phonological processing skill, has not been studied in much detail. Furthermore, knowledge about the relative contribution of above mentioned processes to the specific arithmetic operation of multiplication in children is lacking.

Reducing the motor response in haptic parallel matching eliminates the typically observed gender difference.

When making two bars haptically parallel to each other, large deviations have been observed, most likely caused by the bias of a hand-centered egocentric reference frame. A consistent finding is that women show significantly larger deviations than men when performing this task. It has been suggested that this difference might be due to the fact that women are more egocentrically oriented than men or are less efficient in overcoming the egocentric bias of the hand.

Effects of visual information regarding allocentric processing in haptic parallelity matching.

Research has revealed that haptic perception of parallelity deviates from physical reality. Large and systematic deviations have been found in haptic parallelity matching most likely due to the influence of the hand-centered egocentric reference frame. Providing information that increases the influence of allocentric processing has been shown to improve performance on haptic matching.

Continuous motor sequence learning: cortical efficiency gains accompanied by striatal functional reorganization.

The acquisition and generation of action sequences constitute essential elements of purposeful human behavior. However, there is still considerable debate on how experience-driven changes related to skill learning are expressed at the neural systems level. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study focused on changes in the neural representation of continuous movement sequences as learning evolved.

The effect of visuo-haptic congruency on haptic spatial matching.

Eye-hand coordination is crucial for everyday visuo-haptic object-manipulation. Noninformative vision has been reported to improve haptic spatial tasks relying on world-based reference frames. The current study investigated whether the degree of visuo-haptic congruity systematically affects haptic task performance.

Nonvisual motor learning influences abstract action observation.

Neuroimaging studies have recently provided support for the existence of a human equivalent of the "mirror-neuron" system as first described in monkeys [1], involved in both the execution of movements as well as the observation and imitation of actions performed by others (e.g., [2-6]).

Haptic spatial matching in near peripersonal space.

Research has shown that haptic spatial matching at intermanual distances over 60 cm is prone to large systematic errors. The error pattern has been explained by the use of reference frames intermediate between egocentric and allocentric coding. This study investigated haptic performance in near peripersonal space, i.

Intermanual transfer effects in sequential tactuomotor learning: evidence for effector independent coding.

Results from our earlier brain imaging studies regarding motor learning have shown different areas activated during naive and practiced performance. When right handed participants moved a pen either with the dominant or non-dominant hand continuously through a cut-out maze as quickly and accurately as possible, practice resulted in decreased brain activity in right premotor and parietal areas as well as left cerebellum, while increased activity was found in the supplementary motor area (SMA). These lateralized practiced-related changes in brain activation suggest effector-independent abstract coding of information.

Functional changes in brain activity during acquisition and practice of movement sequences.

In the present study, brain activations were measured using positron emission tomography (PET) over the course of practice. Fourteen right-handed participants were scanned during six 1-min periods of practice tracing a cut-out maze design with their eyes closed. Practice-related decreases were found in the right premotor and posterior parietal cortex and left cerebellum, increases in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and primary motor cortex.

Role of the cerebellum in motor cognition.

Cerebellar data from five experiments using different groups of subjects performing the same motor learning task are presented. Positron emission tomography (PET) as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study changes in cerebellar activations as an effect of learning. Cerebellar brain activations obtained during the performance of a new motor task were compared to activations during the performance of the same task after as well as during practice.