Design and evaluation of an innovative MRI-compatible Braille stimulator with high spatial and temporal resolution

[Display omitted] ► Experimental evaluation of the MRI-compatible tactile stimulator. ► Same-different discrimination task on Braille characters. ► Validity of using spatially and temporally precise tactile stimuli. Neural correlates of Braille reading have been widely studied with different neuroim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neuroscience methods 2013-02, Vol.213 (1), p.32-38
Main Authors: Debowska, Weronika, Wolak, Tomasz, Soluch, Pawel, Orzechowski, Mateusz, Kossut, Malgorzata
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Blind
Braille
Brain - physiology
Computer Simulation
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology
Event-related fMRI
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Phantoms, Imaging
Physical Stimulation
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reading
Sensory Aids
Somatosensory Cortex - physiology
Tactile stimulation
Touch - physiology
Visually impaired
Young Adult
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Summary:[Display omitted] ► Experimental evaluation of the MRI-compatible tactile stimulator. ► Same-different discrimination task on Braille characters. ► Validity of using spatially and temporally precise tactile stimuli. Neural correlates of Braille reading have been widely studied with different neuroimaging techniques. Nevertheless, the exact brain processes underlying this unique activity are still unknown, due to suboptimal accuracy of imaging and/or stimuli delivery methods. To study somatosensory perception effectively, the stimulation must reflect parameters of the natural stimulus and must be applied with precise timing. In functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) providing these characteristics requires technologically advanced solutions and there have been several successful direct tactile stimulation devices designed that allow investigation of somatotopic organization of brain sensory areas. They may, however, be of limited applicability in studying brain mechanisms related to such distinctive tactile activity as Braille reading. In this paper we describe the design and experimental evaluation of an innovative MRI-compatible Braille Character Stimulator (BCS) enabling precise and stable delivery of standardized Braille characters with high temporal resolution. Our device is fully programmable, flexible in stimuli delivery and can be easily implemented in any research unit. The Braille Character Stimulator was tested with a same-different discrimination task on Braille characters during an event-related fMRI experiment in eleven right-handed sighted adult subjects. The results show significant activations in several cortical areas, including bilateral primary (SI) and secondary somatosensory (SII) cortices, bilateral premotor and supplementary motor areas, inferior frontal gyri, inferior temporal gyri and precuneus, as well as contralateral (to the stimulated hand) thalamus. The results validate the use of the BCS as a method of effective stimuli application in fMRI studies, in both sighted and visually impaired subjects.
ISSN:0165-0270
1872-678X
DOI:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2012.12.002