Stochastic resonance improves visuomotor temporal integration in healthy young adults

Satoshi Nobusako; Michihiro Osumi; Atsushi Matsuo; Takahiro Fukuchi; Akio Nakai; Takuro Zama; Sotaro Shimada; Shu Morioka

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209382

Stochastic resonance improves visuomotor temporal integration in healthy young adults

PLoS One. 2018 Dec 14;13(12):e0209382. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209382. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Satoshi Nobusako^{1

2}, Michihiro Osumi^{1

2}, Atsushi Matsuo^{1

2

3}, Takahiro Fukuchi², Akio Nakai⁴, Takuro Zama⁵, Sotaro Shimada⁶, Shu Morioka^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
² Graduate School of Health Science, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
³ Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
⁴ Graduate School of Clinical Education & The Center for the Study of Child Development, Institute for Education, Mukogawa Women's University, Hyogo, Japan.
⁵ Rhythm-Based Brain Information Processing Unit, RIKEN CBS-TOYOTA Collaboration Center, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan.
⁶ Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan.

Abstract

Mechanical and electrical noise stimulation to the body is known to improve the sensorimotor system. This improvement is related to stochastic resonance (SR), a phenomenon described as a "noise benefit" to various sensory and motor systems. The current study investigated the influence of SR on visuomotor temporal integration and hand motor function under delayed visual feedback in healthy young adults. The purpose of this study was to measure the usefulness of SR as a neurorehabilitation device for disorders of visuomotor temporal integration. Thirty healthy volunteers underwent detection tasks and hand motor function tests under delayed visual feedback, with or without SR. Of the 30 participants, 15 carried out the tasks under delayed visual feedback in the order of SR on-condition, off-condition, off-condition, and on-condition. The remaining 15 participants conducted the experimental tasks in the order of SR off-condition, on-condition, on-condition, and off-condition. Comparisons of the delay detection threshold (DDT), steepness of the delay detection probability curves, box and block test (BBT) scores, and nine-hole peg test (NHPT) scores between the SR on- and off-conditions were performed. The DDT under the SR on-condition was significantly shortened compared with the SR off-condition. There was no significant difference between the SR on- and off-conditions for the steepness of the delay detection probability curves, BBT scores, and NHPT scores. SR improved visuomotor temporal integration in healthy young adults, and may therefore improve movement disorders in patients with impaired visuomotor temporal integration. However, because the current results showed that SR did not improve hand motor function under delayed visual feedback, it may not improve motor function when a large distortion of visuomotor temporal integration is present. Further studies are required considering several limitations of the current study, and future clinical trials are necessary to verify the effects of motor training using SR for the treatment of visuomotor temporal integration disorders.

Publication types

Evaluation Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Feedback, Sensory / physiology*
Female
Hand / physiology*
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Male
Movement Disorders / physiopathology
Movement Disorders / rehabilitation*
Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
Stochastic Processes
Vibration*
Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (Received author, SN; Grant Numbers 16K16453 and 18K17700); and the JSPS KAKENHI, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, “Understanding brain plasticity on body representations to promote their adaptive functions,” (Received author, SM; Grant Number 17H05915). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.