Time in action: action time estimation following unilateral brain damage
Poster No:
993
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Valentina Pacella1, Michele Scandola2, Maria Bà2, Maddalena Beccherle2, Nicola Smania2, Daniele Volpe3, Elena Rossato4, Valentina Moro2
Institutions:
1University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS-Pavia), Pavia, Pavia, 2University of Verona, Verona, Verona, 3Casa di Cura Villa Margherita via Costacolonna n 1 Arcugnano, Vicenza, Italy, Vicenza, Vicenza, 4IRCSS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, 37024 Negrar, Verona, Italy, Verona, Verona
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Daniele Volpe
Casa di Cura Villa Margherita via Costacolonna n 1 Arcugnano, Vicenza, Italy
Vicenza, Vicenza
Casa di Cura Villa Margherita via Costacolonna n 1 Arcugnano, Vicenza, Italy
Vicenza, Vicenza
Introduction:
Time perception is a multifaceted concept (1), and the neural mechanisms underlying it are not yet fully understood. Additionally, temporal perception can be influenced by physical attributes of the stimulus (2), such as its intensity or movement, further complicating the matter. While prior research has shown that time perception can be affected following a brain lesion (3,4), the specific roles of the left and right hemispheres are still largely unknown. In order to shed light on this topic, this study conducted two experiments to assess the temporal estimation abilities of 33 patients with unilateral brain lesions in response to multi-second actions and non-biological movements. Additionally, the study explores the potential modulatory effects of induced embodiment processes on temporal estimation.
Methods:
The Action Time Estimation (ATE, Figure 1a) task was used to measure potential differences between left (N = 13), right brain damage (with (AHP, N = 7) and without (RBD, N = 13) anosognosia for hemiplegia) and control (N = 42) groups in estimating the temporal durations (3000, 4500, 6500 ms) of actions presented as a series of videos. These included the use of a tool (by the left or right hand) with actions seen from a first-person perspective. A control task showed a vertical movement of a circle toward a horizontal line (Movement-Time Estimation MTE, Figure 1c). Embodiment effects on time estimation were investigated via two additional tasks. In one, embodiment was inhibited by removing the hand from the videos, eliminating the presence of an effector (ATE-No Hand, Figure 1e). In the other the embodiment was artificially forced by the verbal instruction (E-ATE, Figure 1g). An explorative lesion analysis was conducted via linear regression to investigate the lesioned brain structure associated with estimation errors of movement without body.
Results:
In ATE, the pairwise t-test comparison between the left patients (LBD) and controls' estimation errors showed significant underestimation in LBD of the durations of 4500 ms (p = 0.02) and 6500 ms (p < 0.001, Figure 1b). In MTE, the AHP and RBD groups overestimated only the 3000ms durations (p = 0.035, p = 0.015, Figure 1d) when compared to controls. In ATE-No Hand, RBD and AHP overestimated the shortest duration of 3000 ms (p = 0.003, p = 0.004, Figure 1f). LBD underestimated the 6500 ms actions (p = 0.03, Figure 1h). In E-ATE, the AHP and RBD groups significantly underestimate all the durations compared to the ATE task estimations. All findings were Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons.
The lesion analysis revealed the involvement in estimation errors of MTE task the inferior parietal cortex, angular, supramarginal, postcentral and inferior frontal gyri, the rolandic operculum, and the insula (Figure 2).
The lesion analysis revealed the involvement in estimation errors of MTE task the inferior parietal cortex, angular, supramarginal, postcentral and inferior frontal gyri, the rolandic operculum, and the insula (Figure 2).
Conclusions:
The study indicates a joint, complementary contribution of left and right hemispheres in temporal estimations of supra-second actions, referred both to different durations and to the presence of actions or no-biological movements. The two hemispheres respond in a different way for shorter (3000 ms) and longer (4500–6500) durations, with a role that might be prevalent for the right hemisphere in the former and for the left hemisphere for the latter. These differences do not refer exclusively to the duration but also to the presence or absence of actions. In fact, RBDs fail when there is a moving geometrical shape. Embodiment modulates temporal estimation of action only in right damaged patients who even accelerate (underestimation) the duration when they imagine the body part as their own.
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Space, Time and Number Coding 1
Higher Cognitive Functions Other
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Univariate Modeling
Motor Behavior:
Motor Behavior Other 2
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Anatomy and Functional Systems
Keywords:
Cognition
Hemispheric Specialization
Motor
Other - Time, Action, Embodiment, Lesion Analysis
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
Nather FC, Bueno JLO. Static images with different induced intensities of human body movements affect subjective time. Percept. Mot. Skills. 2011;113:157–170.
Basso G, Nichelli P, Frassinetti F, Di Pellegrino G. Time perception in a neglected space. NeuroReport. 1996;7:2111–2114.
Teghil A, Di Vita A, Pietranelli V, Matano A, Boccia M. Duration reproduction in regular and irregular contexts after unilateral brain damage: Evidence from voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping and atlas-based hodological analysis. Neuropsychologia. 2020;147:107577.