Abstract
We report two experiments in which non-informative vision of the finger enhanced tactile acuity on the fingertip. The right index finger was passively lifted to contact a grating. Twelve participants judged orientations of tactile gratings while viewing either the fingertip, or a neutral object presented via a mirror at the fingertip's location. In Expt. 1, tactile orientation discrimination for near-threshold gratings was improved when viewing the fingertip, compared to viewing the neutral object. Experiment 2 examined the temporal persistence of this effect, and found significant visual–tactile enhancement when a dark interval of up to 10 s intervened between viewing the finger and tactile stimulation. These results suggest that viewing the body modulates the neural circuitry of primary somatosensory cortex, outlasting visual inputs.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have