This article investigates whether auditory feedback affects natural locomotion patterns. Individu... more This article investigates whether auditory feedback affects natural locomotion patterns. Individuals were provided with footstep sounds simulating different surface materials. The sounds were interactively generated using shoes with pressure sensors. Results showed that subjects' walking speed changed as a function of the type of simulated ground material. This effect may arise due to the presence of conflicting information between the auditory and foot-haptic modality, or because of an adjustment of locomotion to the physical properties evoked by the sounds simulating the ground materials. The results reported in this study suggest that auditory feedback may be more important in the regulation of walking in natural environments than has been acknowledged. Furthermore, auditory feedback could be used to develop novel approaches to the design of therapeutic and rehabilitation procedures for locomotion.
Sounds offer a rich source of information about events taking place in our physical and social en... more Sounds offer a rich source of information about events taking place in our physical and social environment. However, outside the domains of speech and music, little is known about whether humans can recognize and act upon the intentions of another agent’s actions detected through auditory informa- tion alone. In this study we assessed whether intention can be inferred from the sound an action makes, and in turn, whether this information can be used to prospectively guide movement. In 2 experiments experienced and novice basketball players had to virtually intercept an attacker by listening to audio recordings of that player’s movements. In the first experiment participants had to move a slider, while in the second one their body, to block the perceived passage of the attacker as they would in a real basketball game. Combinations of deceptive and nondeceptive movements were used to see if novice and/or experienced listeners could perceive the attacker’s intentions through sound alone. We showed that basketball players were able to more accurately predict final running direction compared to nonplayers, particularly in the second experiment when the interceptive action was more basketball specific. We suggest that athletes present better action anticipation by being able to pick up and use the relevant kinematic features of deceptive movement from event-related sounds alone. This result suggests that action intention can be perceived through the sound a movement makes and that the ability to determine another person’s action intention from the information conveyed through sound is honed through practice.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 03610730500206840, Feb 23, 2007
In this study the author compared the perception-action capability of young and old adults (respe... more In this study the author compared the perception-action capability of young and old adults (respectively, mean age 22 and 62 years old) when descending stairs and examined the relevant task constraints that guide the action. It was found that old adults selected and descended stairs that were significantly lower than young adults and showed less hip joint flexibility. However, the performance parameter, defined as the ratio between the height of the stair and the distance taken by the stepping foot to the top edge of the stair, was invariant for both groups. Thus, despite different ability levels, young and old adults are constrained by the same perception-action invariant for guiding the act of stair descent.
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2015
The aim of this study was to compare movement kinematics, cocontraction times, and metabolic data... more The aim of this study was to compare movement kinematics, cocontraction times, and metabolic data in expert and nonexpert Tai Chi practitioners. Significant differences were observed for all kinematic parameters: experts moved smoothly (lower jerk) and with a lower frequency. No differences in metabolic and electromyography data were observed but for the breathing pattern (experts breathed slowly and deeply). Movement frequency and breathing pattern are thus the main features that distinguish expert and nonexpert practitioners.
The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invar... more The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invariant for the transition of human grip configurations; (b) whether the same invariant can be scaled considering also the force applied during the grasp phase; and (c) how the temporal duration of the grasp and displacement phases of prehension are scaled to the object properties of size and mass. Adult subjects performed a series of trials in reaching, grasping, and displacing spheres that varied in size and mass. The grip transitions were described by the body scaled relation: [formula: see text] where L(s) and M(s) are, respectively, the diameter and the mass of the spheres grasped and L(h) and M(h) are the length and the mass of the hand. The impulse during the grasp phase was linearly related with the mass of the spheres within each density. The temporal durations of the grasp and displacement components were scaled coherently to the object properties. These findings provide support t...
Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined... more Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined coordinative movements such as in sport playing. Lately the concept of the existence of a unique internal clock for evaluating time in different scales has been challenged by recent neurophysiology studies. Here we provide evidence that individuals evaluate time durations below and above a second based on two different internal clocks for sub-and suprasecond time ranges: a faster clock for the subsecond range and a slower one for suprasecond time. Interestingly, the level of precision presented by these two clocks can be finely tuned through long-term sport training: Elite athletes, independently from their sport domains, generate better time estimates than nonathletes by showing higher accuracy and lower variability, particularly for subsecond time. We interpret this better time estimation in the short durations as being due to their extraordinary perceptual and motor ability in fast actions.
Smeets and Brenner provide a very clear and useful statement of the work that has been stimulated... more Smeets and Brenner provide a very clear and useful statement of the work that has been stimulated by Jeannerod's 1984 paper but seem more concerned about the viability of model fitting than model assumptions. The theoretical and practical limitations of viewing "grasping as nothing more than pointing" are noted. We reemphasize the importance in prehension of the union of the hand with the object in the act of realizing a task goal.
The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invar... more The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invariant for the transition of human grip configurations; (b) whether the same invariant can be scaled considering also the force applied during the grasp phase; and (c) how the temporal duration of the grasp and displacement phases of prehension are scaled to the object properties of size and mass. Adult subjects performed a series of trials in reaching, grasping, and displacing spheres that varied in size and mass. The grip transitions were described by the body scaled relation: [formula: see text] where L(s) and M(s) are, respectively, the diameter and the mass of the spheres grasped and L(h) and M(h) are the length and the mass of the hand. The impulse during the grasp phase was linearly related with the mass of the spheres within each density. The temporal durations of the grasp and displacement components were scaled coherently to the object properties. These findings provide support t...
The aim of the present work was to test the effects of an innovative teaching method in improving... more The aim of the present work was to test the effects of an innovative teaching method in improving motor skills. We evaluated the effectiveness of an error-based instruction method (Method of Amplification of Error, MAE) in increasing the performance of 13-yr-old school students in the standing long jump. We compared MAE with direct verbal instruction (DI) and no instruction (Control group). The rationale for the MAE method is that giving a subject the opportunity to experience directly his/her own main movement error will trigger a positive searching strategy that will in turn help him/her to improve performance. The effectiveness of MAE is due to the type of feedback provided, namely the same motor-perceptive language used by the subject. Results showed that for the MAE and DI groups the length of jump increased from pre- to post-instruction, but post-instruction performance of the MAE group was significantly that of both of the other groups. It appears that MAE is an easy-to-use m...
This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). ... more This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). These data were collected for assessing people’s ability in evaluating short intervals of time. Chen & Cesari (2015) showed evidence of the existence of two independent internal clocks for evaluating time intervals below and above the second. We re-examine here, the same question by performing a complete statistical Bayesian analysis of the data. The Bayesian approach can be used to analyze these data thanks to the specific trial design. Data were obtained from evaluation of time ranges from two groups of individuals. More specifically, information gathered from a non-trained group (considered as baseline) allowed us to build a prior distribution for the parameter(s) of interest, and data from the trained group determined the likelihood function. This paper’s main goals are (i) showing how the Bayesian inferential method can be used in statistical analyses and (ii) showing that the Bayes...
Abstract—Studies on sound perception show a tendency to
overestimate the distance of an approach... more Abstract—Studies on sound perception show a tendency to
overestimate the distance of an approaching sound source,
leading to a faster reaction time compared to a receding
sound source. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether motor
preparation and execution change according to the perceived
sound direction and distance, particularly when the
sound falls inside the individual’s peripersonal space. In
this study we developed several auditory stimuli by means
of two speakers, generating sounds moving toward the perceiver
but stopping at different distances from her/him.
Participants were asked to raise their arms as soon as the
sound stopped, and their premotor and motor movement
components were recorded by means of electromyography
(EMG). Error in locating the perceived sound distance was
also measured by asking participants to walk to the point
in space where they believed the sound had stopped.
Results showed that action initiation was anticipated as a
function of sound distance: the closer the sound, the
earlier the movement onset, when the sound entered the
subject’s peripersonal space. Less error for distance estimation
was present when the sound was inside the peripersonal
space with a modulation in the order of a few
centimeters. Overall, our results reveal a link between perceptual
bias in sound distance evaluation and peripersonal
space, suggesting the presence of motor plan specificity.
This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). ... more This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). These data were collected for assessing people's ability in evaluating short intervals of time. Chen & Cesari (2015) showed evidence of the existence of two independent internal clocks for evaluating time intervals below and above the second. We re-examine here, the same question by performing a complete statistical Bayesian analysis of the data. The Bayesian approach can be used to analyze these data thanks to the specific trial design. Data were obtained from evaluation of time ranges from two groups of individuals. More specifically, information gathered from a non-trained group (considered as baseline) allowed us to build a prior distribution for the parameter(s) of interest, and data from the trained group determined the likelihood function. This paper's main goals are (i) showing how the Bayesian inferential method can be used in statistical analyses and (ii) showing that t...
The aim of this study was to compare experts to naïve practitioners in rating the beauty and the ... more The aim of this study was to compare experts to naïve practitioners in rating the beauty and the technical quality of a Tai Chi sequence observed in video-clips (of high and middle level performances). Our hypothesis are: i) movement evaluation will correlate with the level of skill expressed in the kinematics of the observed action but ii) only experts will be able to unravel the technical component from the aesthetic component of the observed action. The judgments delivered indicate that both expert and non-expert observers are able to discern a good from a mediocre performance; however, as expected, only experts discriminate the technical from the aesthetic component of the action evaluated and do this independently of the level of skill shown by the model (high or middle level performances). Furthermore, the judgments delivered were strongly related to the kinematic variables measured in the observed model, indicating that observers rely on specific movement kinematics (e.g. movement amplitude, jerk and duration) for action evaluation. These results provide evidence of the complementary functional role of visual and motor action representation in movement evaluation and underline the role of expertise in judging the aesthetic quality of movements.
Neuroimaging studies of chronic smokers report altered activity of several neural regions involve... more Neuroimaging studies of chronic smokers report altered activity of several neural regions involved in the processing of rewarding outcomes. Neuroanatomical evidence suggests that these regions are directly connected to the tongue muscle through the corticobulbar pathways. Accordingly, we examined whether corticobulbar excitability might be considered a somatic marker for nicotine craving. We compared motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes recorded from the tongue and the extensor carpi radialis (control muscle) of chronic smokers under drug withdrawal and intake conditions as well as a nonsmoker group. All participants were tested during passive exposure to pictures showing a smoking cue or a meaningless stimulus. In the intake condition, chronic smokers were asked to smoke a real cigarette (CSn: group 1) or a placebo (CSp: group 2). Results show that MEP amplitudes recorded from the tongues of participants in the CSn and CSp groups under the withdrawal condition were selectively e...
Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined... more Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined coordinative movements such as in sport playing. Lately the concept of the existence of a unique internal clock for evaluating time in different scales has been challenged by recent neurophysiology studies. Here we provide evidence that individuals evaluate time durations below and above a second based on two different internal clocks for sub- and suprasecond time ranges: a faster clock for the subsecond range and a slower one for suprasecond time. Interestingly, the level of precision presented by these two clocks can be finely tuned through long-term sport training: Elite athletes, independently from their sport domains, generate better time estimates than nonathletes by showing higher accuracy and lower variability, particularly for subsecond time. We interpret this better time estimation in the short durations as being due to their extraordinary perceptual and motor ability in fast ...
The influence of carbohydrate utilisation on the growth of three strains of Tuber borchii Vittad.... more The influence of carbohydrate utilisation on the growth of three strains of Tuber borchii Vittad. mycelium (1BO, 17BO and 10RA) in culture was assessed using culture media containing glucose (control), mannose or mannitol. Mannose was the best substrate for growth of the strains and this was particularly evident for strain 17BO. Mannitol instead was metabolized only by 10RA and 1BO. In order to explain the different growth trends, analyses of enzyme levels, kinetic parameters, protein patterns and the morphology of the three strains were carried out. Our results show that these strains of T. borchii mycelium were affected by the substrates used in the media. The aim of the present work was to optimise the in vitro production of T. borchii mycelium for use in experiments which require the fungus in precise and reproducible conditions, such as mycorrhizal synthesis or protein and nucleic acid extractions.
While the origins of consonance and dissonance in terms of acoustics, psychoacoustics and physiol... more While the origins of consonance and dissonance in terms of acoustics, psychoacoustics and physiology have been debated for centuries, their plausible effects on movement synchronization have largely been ignored. The present study aimed to address this by investigating whether, and if so how, consonant/dissonant pitch intervals affect the spatiotemporal properties of regular reciprocal aiming movements. We compared movements synchronized either to consonant or to dissonant sounds and showed that they were differentially influenced by the degree of consonance of the sound presented. Interestingly, the difference was present after the sound stimulus was removed. In this case, the performance measured after consonant sound exposure was found to be more stable and accurate, with a higher percentage of information/movement coupling (tau coupling) and a higher degree of movement circularity when compared to performance measured after the exposure to dissonant sounds. We infer that the neu...
We combined psychophysical and transcranial magnetic stimulation studies to investigate the dynam... more We combined psychophysical and transcranial magnetic stimulation studies to investigate the dynamics of action anticipation and its underlying neural correlates in professional basketball players. Athletes predicted the success of free shots at a basket earlier and more accurately than did individuals with comparable visual experience (coaches or sports journalists) and novices. Moreover, performance between athletes and the other groups differed before the ball was seen to leave the model's hands, suggesting that athletes predicted the basket shot's fate by reading the body kinematics. Both visuo-motor and visual experts showed a selective increase of motor-evoked potentials during observation of basket shots. However, only athletes showed a time-specific motor activation during observation of erroneous basket throws. Results suggest that achieving excellence in sports may be related to the fine-tuning of specific anticipatory 'resonance' mechanisms that endow elite athletes' brains with the ability to predict others' actions ahead of their realization.
This article investigates whether auditory feedback affects natural locomotion patterns. Individu... more This article investigates whether auditory feedback affects natural locomotion patterns. Individuals were provided with footstep sounds simulating different surface materials. The sounds were interactively generated using shoes with pressure sensors. Results showed that subjects' walking speed changed as a function of the type of simulated ground material. This effect may arise due to the presence of conflicting information between the auditory and foot-haptic modality, or because of an adjustment of locomotion to the physical properties evoked by the sounds simulating the ground materials. The results reported in this study suggest that auditory feedback may be more important in the regulation of walking in natural environments than has been acknowledged. Furthermore, auditory feedback could be used to develop novel approaches to the design of therapeutic and rehabilitation procedures for locomotion.
Sounds offer a rich source of information about events taking place in our physical and social en... more Sounds offer a rich source of information about events taking place in our physical and social environment. However, outside the domains of speech and music, little is known about whether humans can recognize and act upon the intentions of another agent’s actions detected through auditory informa- tion alone. In this study we assessed whether intention can be inferred from the sound an action makes, and in turn, whether this information can be used to prospectively guide movement. In 2 experiments experienced and novice basketball players had to virtually intercept an attacker by listening to audio recordings of that player’s movements. In the first experiment participants had to move a slider, while in the second one their body, to block the perceived passage of the attacker as they would in a real basketball game. Combinations of deceptive and nondeceptive movements were used to see if novice and/or experienced listeners could perceive the attacker’s intentions through sound alone. We showed that basketball players were able to more accurately predict final running direction compared to nonplayers, particularly in the second experiment when the interceptive action was more basketball specific. We suggest that athletes present better action anticipation by being able to pick up and use the relevant kinematic features of deceptive movement from event-related sounds alone. This result suggests that action intention can be perceived through the sound a movement makes and that the ability to determine another person’s action intention from the information conveyed through sound is honed through practice.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 03610730500206840, Feb 23, 2007
In this study the author compared the perception-action capability of young and old adults (respe... more In this study the author compared the perception-action capability of young and old adults (respectively, mean age 22 and 62 years old) when descending stairs and examined the relevant task constraints that guide the action. It was found that old adults selected and descended stairs that were significantly lower than young adults and showed less hip joint flexibility. However, the performance parameter, defined as the ratio between the height of the stair and the distance taken by the stepping foot to the top edge of the stair, was invariant for both groups. Thus, despite different ability levels, young and old adults are constrained by the same perception-action invariant for guiding the act of stair descent.
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2015
The aim of this study was to compare movement kinematics, cocontraction times, and metabolic data... more The aim of this study was to compare movement kinematics, cocontraction times, and metabolic data in expert and nonexpert Tai Chi practitioners. Significant differences were observed for all kinematic parameters: experts moved smoothly (lower jerk) and with a lower frequency. No differences in metabolic and electromyography data were observed but for the breathing pattern (experts breathed slowly and deeply). Movement frequency and breathing pattern are thus the main features that distinguish expert and nonexpert practitioners.
The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invar... more The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invariant for the transition of human grip configurations; (b) whether the same invariant can be scaled considering also the force applied during the grasp phase; and (c) how the temporal duration of the grasp and displacement phases of prehension are scaled to the object properties of size and mass. Adult subjects performed a series of trials in reaching, grasping, and displacing spheres that varied in size and mass. The grip transitions were described by the body scaled relation: [formula: see text] where L(s) and M(s) are, respectively, the diameter and the mass of the spheres grasped and L(h) and M(h) are the length and the mass of the hand. The impulse during the grasp phase was linearly related with the mass of the spheres within each density. The temporal durations of the grasp and displacement components were scaled coherently to the object properties. These findings provide support t...
Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined... more Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined coordinative movements such as in sport playing. Lately the concept of the existence of a unique internal clock for evaluating time in different scales has been challenged by recent neurophysiology studies. Here we provide evidence that individuals evaluate time durations below and above a second based on two different internal clocks for sub-and suprasecond time ranges: a faster clock for the subsecond range and a slower one for suprasecond time. Interestingly, the level of precision presented by these two clocks can be finely tuned through long-term sport training: Elite athletes, independently from their sport domains, generate better time estimates than nonathletes by showing higher accuracy and lower variability, particularly for subsecond time. We interpret this better time estimation in the short durations as being due to their extraordinary perceptual and motor ability in fast actions.
Smeets and Brenner provide a very clear and useful statement of the work that has been stimulated... more Smeets and Brenner provide a very clear and useful statement of the work that has been stimulated by Jeannerod's 1984 paper but seem more concerned about the viability of model fitting than model assumptions. The theoretical and practical limitations of viewing "grasping as nothing more than pointing" are noted. We reemphasize the importance in prehension of the union of the hand with the object in the act of realizing a task goal.
The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invar... more The experiment reported examined: (a) the role of the geometrical body scaled informational invariant for the transition of human grip configurations; (b) whether the same invariant can be scaled considering also the force applied during the grasp phase; and (c) how the temporal duration of the grasp and displacement phases of prehension are scaled to the object properties of size and mass. Adult subjects performed a series of trials in reaching, grasping, and displacing spheres that varied in size and mass. The grip transitions were described by the body scaled relation: [formula: see text] where L(s) and M(s) are, respectively, the diameter and the mass of the spheres grasped and L(h) and M(h) are the length and the mass of the hand. The impulse during the grasp phase was linearly related with the mass of the spheres within each density. The temporal durations of the grasp and displacement components were scaled coherently to the object properties. These findings provide support t...
The aim of the present work was to test the effects of an innovative teaching method in improving... more The aim of the present work was to test the effects of an innovative teaching method in improving motor skills. We evaluated the effectiveness of an error-based instruction method (Method of Amplification of Error, MAE) in increasing the performance of 13-yr-old school students in the standing long jump. We compared MAE with direct verbal instruction (DI) and no instruction (Control group). The rationale for the MAE method is that giving a subject the opportunity to experience directly his/her own main movement error will trigger a positive searching strategy that will in turn help him/her to improve performance. The effectiveness of MAE is due to the type of feedback provided, namely the same motor-perceptive language used by the subject. Results showed that for the MAE and DI groups the length of jump increased from pre- to post-instruction, but post-instruction performance of the MAE group was significantly that of both of the other groups. It appears that MAE is an easy-to-use m...
This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). ... more This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). These data were collected for assessing people’s ability in evaluating short intervals of time. Chen & Cesari (2015) showed evidence of the existence of two independent internal clocks for evaluating time intervals below and above the second. We re-examine here, the same question by performing a complete statistical Bayesian analysis of the data. The Bayesian approach can be used to analyze these data thanks to the specific trial design. Data were obtained from evaluation of time ranges from two groups of individuals. More specifically, information gathered from a non-trained group (considered as baseline) allowed us to build a prior distribution for the parameter(s) of interest, and data from the trained group determined the likelihood function. This paper’s main goals are (i) showing how the Bayesian inferential method can be used in statistical analyses and (ii) showing that the Bayes...
Abstract—Studies on sound perception show a tendency to
overestimate the distance of an approach... more Abstract—Studies on sound perception show a tendency to
overestimate the distance of an approaching sound source,
leading to a faster reaction time compared to a receding
sound source. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether motor
preparation and execution change according to the perceived
sound direction and distance, particularly when the
sound falls inside the individual’s peripersonal space. In
this study we developed several auditory stimuli by means
of two speakers, generating sounds moving toward the perceiver
but stopping at different distances from her/him.
Participants were asked to raise their arms as soon as the
sound stopped, and their premotor and motor movement
components were recorded by means of electromyography
(EMG). Error in locating the perceived sound distance was
also measured by asking participants to walk to the point
in space where they believed the sound had stopped.
Results showed that action initiation was anticipated as a
function of sound distance: the closer the sound, the
earlier the movement onset, when the sound entered the
subject’s peripersonal space. Less error for distance estimation
was present when the sound was inside the peripersonal
space with a modulation in the order of a few
centimeters. Overall, our results reveal a link between perceptual
bias in sound distance evaluation and peripersonal
space, suggesting the presence of motor plan specificity.
This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). ... more This paper carries out a full Bayesian analysis for a data set examined in Chen & Cesari (2015). These data were collected for assessing people's ability in evaluating short intervals of time. Chen & Cesari (2015) showed evidence of the existence of two independent internal clocks for evaluating time intervals below and above the second. We re-examine here, the same question by performing a complete statistical Bayesian analysis of the data. The Bayesian approach can be used to analyze these data thanks to the specific trial design. Data were obtained from evaluation of time ranges from two groups of individuals. More specifically, information gathered from a non-trained group (considered as baseline) allowed us to build a prior distribution for the parameter(s) of interest, and data from the trained group determined the likelihood function. This paper's main goals are (i) showing how the Bayesian inferential method can be used in statistical analyses and (ii) showing that t...
The aim of this study was to compare experts to naïve practitioners in rating the beauty and the ... more The aim of this study was to compare experts to naïve practitioners in rating the beauty and the technical quality of a Tai Chi sequence observed in video-clips (of high and middle level performances). Our hypothesis are: i) movement evaluation will correlate with the level of skill expressed in the kinematics of the observed action but ii) only experts will be able to unravel the technical component from the aesthetic component of the observed action. The judgments delivered indicate that both expert and non-expert observers are able to discern a good from a mediocre performance; however, as expected, only experts discriminate the technical from the aesthetic component of the action evaluated and do this independently of the level of skill shown by the model (high or middle level performances). Furthermore, the judgments delivered were strongly related to the kinematic variables measured in the observed model, indicating that observers rely on specific movement kinematics (e.g. movement amplitude, jerk and duration) for action evaluation. These results provide evidence of the complementary functional role of visual and motor action representation in movement evaluation and underline the role of expertise in judging the aesthetic quality of movements.
Neuroimaging studies of chronic smokers report altered activity of several neural regions involve... more Neuroimaging studies of chronic smokers report altered activity of several neural regions involved in the processing of rewarding outcomes. Neuroanatomical evidence suggests that these regions are directly connected to the tongue muscle through the corticobulbar pathways. Accordingly, we examined whether corticobulbar excitability might be considered a somatic marker for nicotine craving. We compared motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes recorded from the tongue and the extensor carpi radialis (control muscle) of chronic smokers under drug withdrawal and intake conditions as well as a nonsmoker group. All participants were tested during passive exposure to pictures showing a smoking cue or a meaningless stimulus. In the intake condition, chronic smokers were asked to smoke a real cigarette (CSn: group 1) or a placebo (CSp: group 2). Results show that MEP amplitudes recorded from the tongues of participants in the CSn and CSp groups under the withdrawal condition were selectively e...
Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined... more Evaluating time properly is crucial for everyday activities from fundamental behaviors to refined coordinative movements such as in sport playing. Lately the concept of the existence of a unique internal clock for evaluating time in different scales has been challenged by recent neurophysiology studies. Here we provide evidence that individuals evaluate time durations below and above a second based on two different internal clocks for sub- and suprasecond time ranges: a faster clock for the subsecond range and a slower one for suprasecond time. Interestingly, the level of precision presented by these two clocks can be finely tuned through long-term sport training: Elite athletes, independently from their sport domains, generate better time estimates than nonathletes by showing higher accuracy and lower variability, particularly for subsecond time. We interpret this better time estimation in the short durations as being due to their extraordinary perceptual and motor ability in fast ...
The influence of carbohydrate utilisation on the growth of three strains of Tuber borchii Vittad.... more The influence of carbohydrate utilisation on the growth of three strains of Tuber borchii Vittad. mycelium (1BO, 17BO and 10RA) in culture was assessed using culture media containing glucose (control), mannose or mannitol. Mannose was the best substrate for growth of the strains and this was particularly evident for strain 17BO. Mannitol instead was metabolized only by 10RA and 1BO. In order to explain the different growth trends, analyses of enzyme levels, kinetic parameters, protein patterns and the morphology of the three strains were carried out. Our results show that these strains of T. borchii mycelium were affected by the substrates used in the media. The aim of the present work was to optimise the in vitro production of T. borchii mycelium for use in experiments which require the fungus in precise and reproducible conditions, such as mycorrhizal synthesis or protein and nucleic acid extractions.
While the origins of consonance and dissonance in terms of acoustics, psychoacoustics and physiol... more While the origins of consonance and dissonance in terms of acoustics, psychoacoustics and physiology have been debated for centuries, their plausible effects on movement synchronization have largely been ignored. The present study aimed to address this by investigating whether, and if so how, consonant/dissonant pitch intervals affect the spatiotemporal properties of regular reciprocal aiming movements. We compared movements synchronized either to consonant or to dissonant sounds and showed that they were differentially influenced by the degree of consonance of the sound presented. Interestingly, the difference was present after the sound stimulus was removed. In this case, the performance measured after consonant sound exposure was found to be more stable and accurate, with a higher percentage of information/movement coupling (tau coupling) and a higher degree of movement circularity when compared to performance measured after the exposure to dissonant sounds. We infer that the neu...
We combined psychophysical and transcranial magnetic stimulation studies to investigate the dynam... more We combined psychophysical and transcranial magnetic stimulation studies to investigate the dynamics of action anticipation and its underlying neural correlates in professional basketball players. Athletes predicted the success of free shots at a basket earlier and more accurately than did individuals with comparable visual experience (coaches or sports journalists) and novices. Moreover, performance between athletes and the other groups differed before the ball was seen to leave the model's hands, suggesting that athletes predicted the basket shot's fate by reading the body kinematics. Both visuo-motor and visual experts showed a selective increase of motor-evoked potentials during observation of basket shots. However, only athletes showed a time-specific motor activation during observation of erroneous basket throws. Results suggest that achieving excellence in sports may be related to the fine-tuning of specific anticipatory 'resonance' mechanisms that endow elite athletes' brains with the ability to predict others' actions ahead of their realization.
Uploads
Papers by Paola Cesari
overestimate the distance of an approaching sound source,
leading to a faster reaction time compared to a receding
sound source. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether motor
preparation and execution change according to the perceived
sound direction and distance, particularly when the
sound falls inside the individual’s peripersonal space. In
this study we developed several auditory stimuli by means
of two speakers, generating sounds moving toward the perceiver
but stopping at different distances from her/him.
Participants were asked to raise their arms as soon as the
sound stopped, and their premotor and motor movement
components were recorded by means of electromyography
(EMG). Error in locating the perceived sound distance was
also measured by asking participants to walk to the point
in space where they believed the sound had stopped.
Results showed that action initiation was anticipated as a
function of sound distance: the closer the sound, the
earlier the movement onset, when the sound entered the
subject’s peripersonal space. Less error for distance estimation
was present when the sound was inside the peripersonal
space with a modulation in the order of a few
centimeters. Overall, our results reveal a link between perceptual
bias in sound distance evaluation and peripersonal
space, suggesting the presence of motor plan specificity.
overestimate the distance of an approaching sound source,
leading to a faster reaction time compared to a receding
sound source. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether motor
preparation and execution change according to the perceived
sound direction and distance, particularly when the
sound falls inside the individual’s peripersonal space. In
this study we developed several auditory stimuli by means
of two speakers, generating sounds moving toward the perceiver
but stopping at different distances from her/him.
Participants were asked to raise their arms as soon as the
sound stopped, and their premotor and motor movement
components were recorded by means of electromyography
(EMG). Error in locating the perceived sound distance was
also measured by asking participants to walk to the point
in space where they believed the sound had stopped.
Results showed that action initiation was anticipated as a
function of sound distance: the closer the sound, the
earlier the movement onset, when the sound entered the
subject’s peripersonal space. Less error for distance estimation
was present when the sound was inside the peripersonal
space with a modulation in the order of a few
centimeters. Overall, our results reveal a link between perceptual
bias in sound distance evaluation and peripersonal
space, suggesting the presence of motor plan specificity.