Human multisensory systems are known to bind inputs from the different sensory modalities into a unified percept, a process that leads to measurable behavioral benefits. This integrative process can be observed through multisensory illusions, including the McGurk effect and the sound-induced flash illusion, both of which demonstrate the ability of one sensory modality to modulate perception in ...

Due to its high sensitivity and conductivity, electrotactile stimulation (ETS) on the tongue has proven to be a useful and technically convenient tool to substitute and/or augment sensory capabilities. However, most of its applications have only provided spatial attributes and little is known about (a) the ability of the tongue's sensory system to process electrical stimuli of varying magnitude...

Animals navigate complex and variable environments, but often use only limited sensory information. Here we present a simulated robot system using a C. elegans inspired sensory model and navigation strategy and demonstrate its ability to successfully identify specific, discretely located cues. We show a range of conditions under which this approach has performance benefits over other search str...

The relationship between sensory sensitivity and reading performance was examined to test the hypothesis that the orthographic and phonological skills engaged in visual word recognition are constrained by the ability to detect dynamic visual and auditory events. A test battery using sensory psychophysics, psychometric tests, and measures of component literacy skills was administered to 32 unsel...

Astronauts experience disturbances in balance and gait function when they return to Earth. The highly plastic human brain enables individuals to modify their behavior to match the prevailing environment. Subjects participating in specially designed variable sensory challenge training programs can enhance their ability to rapidly adapt to novel sensory situations. This is useful in our applicati...

The neurotrophin and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of growth factors have been extensively studied because of their proven ability to regulate development of the peripheral nervous system. The neurotrophin family, which includes nerve growth factor (NGF), NT-3, NT4/5 and BDNF, is also known for its ability to regulate the function of adult sensory neurons. Until rece...

Following peripheral nerve trauma, no technique induces axons to regenerate across a long nerve gaps and restore neurological function. The standard clinical “gold standard” technique for bridging nerve gaps is a graft of pure sensory nerve. However, sensory nerve grafts have many limitations because they only induce good axon regeneration across gaps <2 cm in length, for the nerves repaired <2...

Axonal regeneration can occur within hours of injury, the first step being the formation of a new growth cone. For sensory and retinal axons, regenerative ability in vivo correlates with the potential to form a new growth cone after axotomy in vitro. We show that this ability to regenerate a new growth cone depends on local protein synthesis and degradation within the axon. Axotomy in vitro lea...