We have developed a novel method to diagnose spatial hemifield neglect. This neurological disorder that follows a stroke incident inhibits patients to explore the left half of their visual field. Previous methods involved pencil-and-paper tests which can be conducted quickly but lacked precision. We have created an integrated virtual reality setup that can capture eye-movements while patients are watching an entertaining scene. The method we developed takes about a minute and delivers a complete picture of the neglected visual field. We are currently expanding this method to also include a tool that promotes rehabilitation training. We aim to make full use of the possibilities provided by virtual reality to overcome the limitations of previous rehabilitation attempts. We will test our novel approach in an additional patient study to confirm its efficacy.
In a more basic science direction, we developed a new method to study the influence of action on perception. By alternating action and perception trials we managed to measure serial dependencies between motor errors and visual localization. Previous research mostly used adaptation methods in order to modify action and to observe putative changes in perception. However, our novel approach reveals that every single action we perform has direct measurable consequences for future perception. Thus, we are in a constant mode of learning. Put differently, every motor error is used to recalibrate visual perception. We are currently successfully transferring this method, that we demonstrated with eye movements, to other motor modalities (head movements, reaching movements etc.) in many experiments. This way, we can determine quantitatively how each motor modality contributes to the perception of space. Similar approaches are currently applied to the perception of time. We expect to present a full picture of the contribution of motor maps to the experience of space and time at the end of the project period.
