Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Spatial Behavior”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,567 records · Page 87Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Epidemiology of child pedestrian casualty rates: can we assume spatial independence?

Child pedestrian injuries are often investigated by means of ecological studies, yet are clearly part of a complex spatial phenomena. Spatial dependence within such ecological analyses have rarely been assessed, yet the validity of basic statistical techniques rely on a number of independence assumptions. Recent work from Canada has highlighted the potential for modelling spatial dependence within data that was aggregated in terms of the number of road casualties who were resident in a given geographical area. Other jurisdictions aggregate data in terms of the number of casualties in the geographical area in which the collision took place. This paper contrasts child pedestrian casualty data from Devon County UK, which has been aggregated by both methods. A simple ecological model, with minimally useful covaraties relating to measures of child deprivation, provides evidence that data aggregated in terms of the casualty's home location cannot be assumed to be spatially independent and that for analysis of these data to be valid there must be some accounting for spatial auto-correlation within the model structure. Conversely, data aggregated in terms of the collision location (as is usual in the UK) was found to be spatially independent. Whilst the spatial model is clearly more complex it provided a superior fit to that seen with either collision aggregated or non-spatial models. Of more importance, the ecological level association between deprivation and casualty rate is much lower once the spatial structure is accounted for, highlighting the importance using appropriately structured models.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of the gravitational vertical on geometric visual illusions.

The occurrence of geometric orientation illusions and the perception of ambiguous figures were analyzed in 24 subjects during static body tilt relative to gravity on Earth. Results showed that illusions such as the Rock's diamond/square, the Ponzo illusion, and orientation contrast illusions occurred less frequently, and that depth reversal of ambiguous figures took more time when subjects were lying on their side or supine compared to upright, thus suggesting that the gravitational reference plays a significant role in these "visual" illusions. The structure of images, our representation of the environment, and orientation relative to gravity are all integral parts in interpreting visual images. In a weightless environment where no gravitational reference can be used, it is expected that similar alterations in visual perception will occur.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of the configuration and the interior design of a virtual weightless space station on human spatial orientation.

In a virtual weightless environment, subjects' orientation skills were studied to examine what kind of cognitive errors people make when they moved through the interior space of virtual space stations and what kind of visual information effectively decreases those errors. Subjects wearing a head-mounted display moved from one end to the other end in space station-like routes constructed of rectangular and cubical modules, and did Pointing and Modeling tasks. In Experiment 1, configurations of the routes were changed with such variables as the number of bends, the number of embedding planes, and the number of planes with respect to the body posture. The results indicated that spatial orientation ability was relevant to the variables and that orientational errors were explained by two causes. One of these was that the place, the direction, and the sequence of turns were incorrect. The other was that subjects did not recognize the rotation of the frame of reference, especially when they turned in pitch direction rather than in yaw. In Experiment 2, the effect of the interior design was examined by testing three design settings. Wall colors that showed the allocentric frame of reference and the different interior design of vertical and horizontal modules were effective; however, there was a limit to the effectiveness in complicated configurations.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Influence of different modes of real time visual information on single aimed movements.

This study shows that the difference in appearance between two types of computer generated real time visual information namely, cursor and trace feedback, becomes visible in the execution of aimed stylus movements. Movement execution was scrutinized by division into four relevant subsequent constituents on the basis of key kinematic events. As expected, the final section of a movement took more time and showed a larger number of adjustments in the cursor condition. Instead, the influence of trace feedback on movement execution became discernible in earlier sections of movement execution. When a combination of feedback types was employed, trace feedback seemed to dominate the impact on execution. Discussion focuses on the contribution of the present study to understanding the impact of specific features inherent to types of real time visual feedback, and the relevance of the present study's result to future research.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Prolonged in utero meconium exposure impairs spatial learning in the adult rat. Central Prize Award.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of prolonged in utero meconium exposure on adult learning and memory, as measured by the Morris water maze. STUDY DESIGN: Timed pregnant Long-Evans rats were studied. On gestational day 20 (term, 21 days of gestation), laparotomy was performed, and each maternal animal received an injection of clear amniotic fluid or meconium-stained amniotic fluid into each gestational sac. The laparotomy incision was closed, and the animals received postoperative monitoring through delivery. On postnatal days 145 to 148, the offspring underwent Morris water maze testing. The mean (+/-SEM) for the latency time was reported for each day's trial and compared between groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences between meconium-stained amniotic fluid group and clear amniotic fluid group in the mean time to platform on day 1 (82.7 +/- 1.8 seconds vs 75.9 +/- 3.0 seconds; P=.04), day 2 (60.5 +/- 3.5 seconds vs 47. 8 +/- 4.6 seconds; P=.03), and day 3 (56.5 +/- 4.5 seconds vs 34.7 +/- 4.4 seconds; P=.001). However, there were no differences on days 4 and 5. There were also no differences between recall and response learning trials that were done after a 12-day retention period. CONCLUSION: In the absence of hypoxia or infection, prolonged in utero meconium exposure is associated with a delay of spatial learning in the adult rat.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Acute ethanol administration selectively impairs spatial memory in C57BL/6J mice.

It has been shown in rats that acute ethanol administration, via a single intraperitoneal injection, selectively impairs the memory of certain spatial tasks. It is unknown whether these same results can be produced in the C57BL/6J mouse strain. Male C57BL/6J mice were trained in a spatial task in the Morris water maze. After training, an ethanol test was administered in which each mouse was given an injection of one of four randomly assigned doses: ethanol, at a dose of 1.25, 1.75, or 2.25 g/kg, or a saline control dose that remained constant at 1.75 g/kg. Thirty minutes after injection, the mice were given the spatial task. Next, the same mice were given training for a nonspatial task in the Morris water maze. After training, another ethanol test was administered. Again, the mice were randomly assigned one of the aforementioned doses. Thirty minutes after injections, the mice were given the nonspatial task. Results from Study 1, by using latency, showed that acute ethanol administration selectively impaired spatial memory (P<.05) at 1.75 and 2.25 g/kg doses, yet it failed to significantly impair nonspatial memory except at the 2.25 g/kg dose. Results from Study 2, by using path lengths, showed similar effects, in that acute ethanol administration selectively impaired spatial memory (P<.05) at the 2.25 g/kg dose, yet it failed to impair nonspatial memory at any dose. These findings demonstrate that acute ethanol administration selectively impairs spatial memory in C57BL/6J mice.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Self-produced locomotion and spatial cognition: a new light from spinal muscular atrophy].

Various studies have shown that occurrence of locomotion in infancy is correlated with the development of visuospatial cognitive competencies, suggesting that locomotor experience might play a central role in spatial development, especially in the realm of manual search for hidden objects. However, recent studies indicate that young children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a hereditary neuromuscular disease which results in severe motor impairments, excel in some spatial cognitive skills. Indeed, striking cognitive performances are exhibited by young SMA children in some areas such as the ability to search successfully for hidden objects and the acquisition of the spatial vocabulary. The performances of SMA children suggest that, despite their total deprivation of locomotor experience, they have the capacity to acquire and use rich spatial representations. As a result, locomotor impairment does not appear to be a key risk factor for dramatic slowing down or deviation in the development of spatial search skills.

Child↗
PubMed2004

Active versus passive proprioceptive straight-ahead pointing in normal subjects.

Eighty blindfolded healthy female subjects participated in an active and a passive straight-ahead pointing task to study the estimation of the subjective sagittal middle in the presence or absence of an active haptic exploration. Subjects were to point straight-ahead with their left or right index finger starting from different right- or left-sided locations, while performing either an active movement or with the hand being passively moved by the examiner. Results showed: (i) a significant effect of the hand used only on the active straight-ahead pointing task performance; (ii) a significant effect of the starting position both on the active and passive pointing performance; (iii) a significant correlation between the two protocols only in terms of spatial bias (algebraic error) but not in terms of precision (absolute errors). These results are discussed with regards to normal and neuropsychological studies of the egocentric frame of reference.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Spatial coupling affects both homologous and non-homologous limbs.

The present study examined the interaction between limb movements in space. The amount of interaction was measured by how much moving one limb affected the movement of another limb. Participants were 24 right-handed university students (19 female, mean age=19 years). The task was to draw lines with the right hand while moving another limb in lines or circles of different sizes. Significant coupling effects were found between both homologous and non-homologous limbs. Movement of the right hand was most strongly affected by the left hand, less by the right foot, and least by the left foot, consistent with the functional cerebral distance model. This effect of limb was observed only in the major dimension along which movement was not restrained. Both the limb and dimension effects were reduced when the trajectory of motion decreased in size.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The effect of hemispatial neglect on the perception of centre.

Highly variable bisection performance in neglect patients has been attributed to an increased 'zone of indifference'. The indifference zone indicates the discrepancy between two line lengths which are judged as equal in length. Following this argumentation, the central area of a line should be expanded in neglect patients. The present two experiments investigated for the first time the expansion of the central area using a modified version of the Landmark Task. The location of a central or asymmetrical bisection mark on a horizontal line had to be judged (centre/left/right). In both experiments neglect patients, unlike healthy and patient controls, showed clear deficits in judging the location of the mark correctly and tended to judge asymmetrical marks of up to 4 cm as centrally positioned. The results are in agreement with and provide the first clear evidence of an enlarged perceptual zone of indifference in patients with hemispatial visual neglect.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

A positive emotional bias in confabulatory false beliefs about place.

Some neurological patients with medial frontal lesions exhibit striking confabulations. Most accounts of the cause of confabulations are cognitive, though the literature has produced anecdotal suggestions that confabulations may not be emotionally neutral, having a ('wish-fulfilment') bias that shapes the patient's perception of reality in a more affectively positive direction. The present study reviewed every case (N = 16) of false beliefs about place reported in the neuroscientific literature from 1980 to 2000, with blind raters evaluating the 'pleasantness' of the patient's actual and confabulated locations. In each case the confabulated location was evaluated as more pleasant. This striking finding supports the claim that there may be a systematic affective bias in the false beliefs held by neurological patients with confabulation.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Manual asymmetries in bimanual reaching: the influence of spatial compatibility and visuospatial attention.

The goal of the present investigation was to explore the possible expression of hemispheric-specific processing during the planning and execution of a bimanual reaching task. Participants (N = 9) completed 80 bimanual reaching movements (requiring simultaneous, bilateral production of arm movements) to peripherally presented targets while selectively attending to either their left or right hand. Further, targets were presented in spatially compatible (ipsilateral to the aiming limb) and incompatible (contralateral to the aiming limb) response contexts. It was found that the left hand exhibited temporal superiority over the right hand in the response planning phase of bimanual reaching, indicating a left hand/right hemisphere advantage in the preparation of a bimanual response. During response execution, and consistent with the view that interhemispheric processing time (Barthelemy & Boulinguez, 2002) or biomechanical constraints (Carey, Hargreaves, & Goodale, 1996) generate temporal delays, longer movement times were observed in response to spatially incompatible target positions. However, no hemisphere-specific benefit was demonstrated for response execution. Based on these findings, we propose lateralized processing is present at the time of response planning (i.e., left hand/right hemisphere processing advantage); however, lateralized specialization appears to be annulled during dynamic execution of a bimanual reaching task.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Sex differences in spatial ability: a lateralization of function approach.

The current study was designed to examine whether the extent of the male advantage in performance on a spatial task was determined by the extent to which the task was right-hemisphere dependent. Participants included 108 right-handed men and women who completed the mental rotation, waterlevel, and paperfolding tasks, all of which were presented bilaterally. The results partially supported the hypothesis. On the mental rotation task, men showed a right-hemisphere advantage, whereas women showed no hemispheric differences; however, no overall sex differences were observed. On the waterlevel task, men outperformed women, and both men and women showed a right-hemisphere advantage. On the paperfolding task, no sex or hemispheric differences were observed. Although the findings of the current study were mixed, the study provides a framework for examining sex differences across different types of spatial ability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Sex differences in a human analogue of the Radial Arm Maze: the "17-Box Maze Test".

This study investigated sex differences in spatial memory using a human analogue of the Radial Arm Maze: a revision on the Nine Box Maze originally developed by called the 17-Box Maze Test herein. The task encourages allocentric spatial processing, dissociates object from spatial memory, and incorporates a within-participants design to provide measures of location and object, working and reference memory. Healthy adult males and females (26 per group) were administered the 17-Box Maze Test, as well as mental rotation and a verbal IQ test. Females made significantly fewer errors on this task than males. However, post hoc analysis revealed that the significant sex difference was specific to object, rather than location, memory measures. These were medium to large effect sizes. The findings raise the issue of task- and component-specific sexual dimorphism in cognitive mapping.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The effects of focal and global attentional systems on spatial biases.

The background page on which a stimulus is presented can influence the allocation of attention to that stimulus. The purpose of this study was to learn if there are hemispheric asymmetries in how background distraction affects attentional processing. Asymmetries were investigated by having right eye dominant subjects perform line bisections and manipulating the side of background distraction (right versus left), the eye of regard (right versus left), and the type of attention allocated (focal versus global). Overall subjects bisected lines to the left of center (pseudoneglect) and when viewing with the right eye (versus left) deviated more to the left. Subjects had more background distraction when viewing symbol than solid lines. Although overall, bias did not differ with the side of background distraction or the line being on one side or the other, when subjects viewed symbol, but not solid lines, this leftward bias was increased when the line was displaced to the right, thereby increasing the size of the left sided background. These findings suggest that when engaging the left hemisphere by using focused attention and placing the line on the right side, there is more distraction than when the right hemisphere is engaged.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Gender differences in object location memory in a real three-dimensional environment.

In this preliminary study we investigate gender differences in object location memory. Our purpose is to extend the results about object location memory obtained in laboratory settings to a real 3-D environment and to further distinguish the specific components involved in this kind of memory by considering the strategies adopted to perform the task. To do this, we join the three-level model of spatial representations (landmark, route, and survey) proposed by Siegel and White (1975) with the three subcomponents of spatial memory (what, where, and what + where) identified by Postma and De Haan (1996). We adopted the object relocation task devised by Postma and De Haan (1996), adapted to a real environment. Seven common objects were placed on the floor of a cylindrical room. Sixty-four males and 64 females were asked to memorize the spatial layout. Next, the experimenter moved the objects to a different position along with seven new objects and the participants had to relocate the original objects to their initial positions. In line with Postma, Izendoorn, and De Haan (1998), we found no gender difference in object recognition, and in recalling absolute distance and categorical spatial relations; however males were better than females in recalling the distance between objects and the size of the layout. Overall, the data show a male advantage in some components of spatial cognition closely linked to the encoding of the metric structure of the spatial relationships at both route and survey level.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Effect of the histamine H3-antagonist clobenpropit on spatial memory deficits induced by MK-801 as evaluated by radial maze in Sprague-Dawley rats.

This study was performed to investigate whether or not the histamine H3-antagonist clobenpropit can ameliorate spatial memory deficits induced by MK-801 (0.3 microg per site) as evaluated by an eight-arm radial maze task of rats. A bilateral intrahippocampal (i.h.) injection of clobenpropit (5, 10 microg per site, dose-dependent) markedly improved the working and reference memory deficits induced by MK-801. Its ameliorating effect was potentiated by histidine, but completely antagonized by immepip (2.5 microg per site), a selective H3-agonist. alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine (FMH, 25 microg per site), a selective histidine decarboxylase inhibitor prevented the ameliorating effect of clobenpropit on the working memory deficits induced by MK-801. In addition, the H(1-antagonist pyrilamine, but not the H2-antagonist cimetidine, also inhibited the procognitive effects of clobenpropit. Both FMH and pyrilamine did not significantly modulate the effect of clobenpropit on reference memory. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the procognitive effects of clobenpropit in MK-801-induced working memory deficits is mediated by increasing endogenous histamine release. In addition, the ameliorating effect of clobenpropit on reference memory might be due to the increased release of neurotransmitters other than histamine.

Analysis of Variance↗