Funding
Young Independent Teams project (Tinere Echipe 32/2020), code PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1699, funded by UEFISCDI
How is sensorimotor integration for tactile perception achieved in the context of naturalistic meaningful action?
Acronym: TOUCH_FOR_ACTION
Project director: Dr. Georgiana Juravle
Project duration: 27 months; project started on September 1st 2020
Total budget: 431.689 RON.
Abstract: Tactile perception is typically deteriorated during action – i.e., tactile suppression. Although significant advances towards its understanding have been made, its exact neural mechanism and functional relevance, are still under intense scientific debate. Given the pervasive action-related deterioration of tactual function, this project aims to comprehensively investigate tactile processing for naturalistic action (e.g., reach-to-grasp actions, haptic search). This goal will be studied for both external tactile stimuli touching our skin, and for those intrinsic action-related tactile consequences. Further, this project will use interoceptive breathing with the goal to improve, for the first time, what is felt when we move. Therefore, this is the first attempt to characterizethe integration of tactile information during naturalistic goal-directed action, across three experimental questions: 1) How is tactile information processed during action? 2) Which are the cognitively-driven tactile priorities for the execution of a meaningful action? and 3) Can we teach our body to improve our actions? The ambitious goal is to demonstrate that mastering non-action/action (through breathing training) contributes to reverse the traditionally-observed deterioration for movement-related tactile information. Sensorimotor integration will be investigated by using state-of-the-art techniques including behaviour (e.g., signal detection, sensory priors, and unexpected sensory events), advanced movement kinematics, electroencephalography (EEG), augmented virtual reality (VR), and breathing training. The results will enhance our understanding of disease from sensorimotor abnormalities and will provide significant insights into tactile function for applied health. This work has outstanding potential for the development of innovative technological devices for neuroprosthetics-based rehabilitation and of reliable bodily-aware tools and solutions for well-being (e.g., wearable technology).
Keywords: tactile perception; motor control; breathing training; haptics; cognitive quantity estimation.
Publications
Articles in extenso in international journals
Diaconașu, D.E., Stoleriu, I., Câmpanu, I.A., Andrei, A.-M., Boncu, Ș, Honceriu, C., Mocanu, V., & Juravle, G. (2024) Predictors of sustained physical activity: Behaviour, bodily health, and the living environment. Frontiers in Physiology, 14: 1213075. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1213075
Juravle, G., Olari, E. L., Spence, C. (2022). A taste for beauty: On the expected taste, hardness, texture, and temperature of geometric shapes. i-Perception, 13(5), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695221120948.
Articles in extenso in international conference volumes
Axinte, C. T., Stamate, C., Lupu, R. G., Bârleanu, A., & Juravle, G. (2022). A scalable haptic circuit for multi-digit grasps. In Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications: 13th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2022, Hamburg, Germany, May 22–25, 2022, Proceedings (p. 343-346). Springer Nature, e-ISSN 1611-3349.
Popa, N. L., Clim, O. A., Boaca, A., Axinte, C.-T., Lupu, R.-G., & Juravle, G. (2022). Vocabulary enrichment in mother language after preschoolers’ interaction with a social robot. To appear in Lecture Notes in Educational Technology: Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality, TEEM 2022, University of Salamanca (Spain), October 19–21, 2022, Proceedings. Springer Nature.
Published abstracts in international conference proceedings
Campanu, I. A., Diaconasu, D. E., & Juravle, G. (2022, May). Body anthropometric contributions to learning a new motor skill. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 44, S32-S33. ISSN 0895-2779. WOS:000800426800108
Campanu, I. A., Chelar, A. G., Neagu, G., Gradinaru, D. I., & Juravle, G. (2021). Meaningful links from the nutritional value of the food on the plate to ongoing cardiac activity. Psychophysiology, 58, S69-S69, https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13928.
Juravle, G., Campanu, I. A., Condratiuc, C., Neagu, G., Antohe, R., & Diaconasu, D. E. (2022, May). Assessing the environmental context of a daily walk for health and well-being. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 44, S41-S41. ISSN 0895-2779. WOS:000800426800137
Neagu, G., Chelar, A. G., Campanu, I. A., & Juravle, G. (2021). Indices of heart rate variability scale with musical input during a virtual reality game. Psychophysiology, 58, S69-S69, https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13928.