Many human behaviours performed on a daily basis are supported by an interrupted flow of visual information. Although these typically go unnoticed, the human brain's ability to fill in the gaps in missing visual information is not infallible. For example, while we have shown that neurotypical young adults use predictive processes to control ocular pursuit of transiently occluded trajectories, these same processes can be impaired in those with acquired brain disorders, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Here, we will combine behavioural and neurophysiological protocols to investigate key areas of the cortical network that underlie complex oculo-manual behaviour of young and elderly neurotypical adults, with the overall aim to advance knowledge of normal human function in a task that requires sensorimotor processes common to those of everyday activities. We have developed an innovative experimental protocol (i.e., dual-task remembered pursuit) that requires a momentary shift of eye gaze, and thereby overt attention, between a moving and stationary object. This places greater demand on attentional and representation process in order keep track of the primary object as it moves in an eccentric location. The task will be performed with eyes alone or eyes and upper limb (active or passive movement), and will enable us to investigate with TMS and NIRS the contribution from motor and pre-frontal cortical network (M1, DLPC) in the presence of motor afference and/or efference. Insights from our work with neurotypical young and elderly adults will inform future research with neuroatypical populations who have impaired predictive sensorimotor processing.
Objective 1 and 2: Investigate ocular behaviour, and functioning of the pre-frontal (DLPFC) and motor cortex, during dual-task remembered pursuit protocol; Investigate the contribution from motor efference and/or movement-elicited afference during dual-task remembered pursuit.
Hypotheses: i) Ability to relocate the eyes on the pursuit object will be improved when there is concurrent wrist motion; ii) Measures of ocular pursuit will be influenced by the demands of a secondary task, but less so during oculo-manual pursuit; iii) ΔHbO and ΔHbR in M1 will differ between conditions of ocular and oculo-manual pursuit, and will be increase in DLPFC while completing dual-task pursuit compared to control conditions.
Objective 3 and 4: Investigate factors that influence the functional state of the extensor carpi radialis representation in M1 during dual-task pursuit; Investigate the consequence of a temporary central perturbation to the ECR representation in M1 or DLPFC on the ocular response.
Hypotheses: i) Increase in excitability of M1 while completing the secondary task; ii) Excitability of the motor system related temporally to completion of the secondary task; iii) Contribution of movement-elicited afference and motor efference related to the functional state of M1.
Applicants must apply using the online form on the University Alliance website at https://unialliance.ac.uk/dta/cofund/how-to-apply/. Full details of the programme, eligibility details and a list of available research projects can be seen at https://unialliance.ac.uk/dta/cofund/
The final deadline for application is Monday 8 October 2018. There will be another opportunity to apply for DTA3 projects in the spring of 2019. The list of available projects is likely to change for the second intake.
DTA3/COFUND participants will be employed for 36 months with a minimum salary of (approximately) £20,989 per annum. Tuition fees will waived for DTA3/COFUND participants who will also be able to access an annual DTA elective bursary to enable attendance at DTA training events and interact with colleagues across the Doctoral Training Alliance(s).
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie grant agreement No 801604.
