Intramanual and intermanual transfer of the curvature aftereffect.
The existence and transfer of a haptic curvature aftereffect was investigated to obtain a greater insight into neural representation of shape. The haptic curvature aftereffect is the phenomenon whereby a flat surface is judged concave if the preceding touched stimulus was convex and vice versa. Single fingers were used to touch the subsequently presented stimuli. A substantial aftereffect was found when the adaptation surface and the test surface were touched by the same finger. Furthermore, a partial, but significant transfer of the aftereffect was demonstrated between fingers of the same hand and between fingers of both the hands. These results provide evidence that curvature information is not only represented at a level that is directly connected to the mechanoreceptors of individual fingers but is also represented at a stage in the somatosensory cortex shared by the fingers of both the hands.
van der Horst
Bernard J
BJ
Department of Physics of Man, Helmholtz Instituut, Universiteit Utrecht, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC, Utrecht, The Netherlands. b.j.vanderhorst@uu.nl
Duijndam
Maarten J A
MJ
Ketels
Myrna F M
MF
Wilbers
Martine T J M
MT
Zwijsen
Sandra A
SA
Kappers
Astrid M L
AM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005366:Figural Aftereffect; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013236:Stereognosis; D014163:Transfer, Psychology