Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control
Abstract Somatosensory feedback, like touch, is essential for body control and movement. Yet tactile sensations from a body part that is about to move or is moving are often suppressed. Most studies on tactile suppression focus on upper-limb movements, where suppression is typically reduced when tac...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99006-8 |
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| author | Fabian Dominik Wachsmann Katja Fiehler Dimitris Voudouris |
| author_facet | Fabian Dominik Wachsmann Katja Fiehler Dimitris Voudouris |
| author_sort | Fabian Dominik Wachsmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Somatosensory feedback, like touch, is essential for body control and movement. Yet tactile sensations from a body part that is about to move or is moving are often suppressed. Most studies on tactile suppression focus on upper-limb movements, where suppression is typically reduced when tactile signals become important to the task. However, how tactile sensitivity changes at other body parts involved in more complex, whole-body actions is widely unexplored. This study examines the temporal tuning of tactile processing on the lower limb during balance control while varying feedback processing demands. Participants stood in a virtual room, with the front wall moving toward them at a moment of high or low temporal uncertainty challenging their posture. Tactile sensitivity was probed using vibrotactile stimuli at the lower leg at different time points relative to perturbation onset. We found that tactile sensitivity while standing improved around the time of perturbation, irrespective of the temporal uncertainty about perturbation onset. Such dynamic modulation indicates a continuous process of sensory feedback regulation to accomplish the task at hand. This expands previous knowledge about sensory integration on the lower limbs during postural control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-309cc972e01848c598287976cf83470e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-309cc972e01848c598287976cf83470e2025-08-20T03:22:45ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-99006-8Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance controlFabian Dominik Wachsmann0Katja Fiehler1Dimitris Voudouris2Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University GiessenExperimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University GiessenExperimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University GiessenAbstract Somatosensory feedback, like touch, is essential for body control and movement. Yet tactile sensations from a body part that is about to move or is moving are often suppressed. Most studies on tactile suppression focus on upper-limb movements, where suppression is typically reduced when tactile signals become important to the task. However, how tactile sensitivity changes at other body parts involved in more complex, whole-body actions is widely unexplored. This study examines the temporal tuning of tactile processing on the lower limb during balance control while varying feedback processing demands. Participants stood in a virtual room, with the front wall moving toward them at a moment of high or low temporal uncertainty challenging their posture. Tactile sensitivity was probed using vibrotactile stimuli at the lower leg at different time points relative to perturbation onset. We found that tactile sensitivity while standing improved around the time of perturbation, irrespective of the temporal uncertainty about perturbation onset. Such dynamic modulation indicates a continuous process of sensory feedback regulation to accomplish the task at hand. This expands previous knowledge about sensory integration on the lower limbs during postural control.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99006-8Perception & actionPostural adjustmentsTactile modulationVirtual reality |
| spellingShingle | Fabian Dominik Wachsmann Katja Fiehler Dimitris Voudouris Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control Scientific Reports Perception & action Postural adjustments Tactile modulation Virtual reality |
| title | Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control |
| title_full | Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control |
| title_fullStr | Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control |
| title_short | Temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control |
| title_sort | temporal modulation of tactile perception during balance control |
| topic | Perception & action Postural adjustments Tactile modulation Virtual reality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99006-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fabiandominikwachsmann temporalmodulationoftactileperceptionduringbalancecontrol AT katjafiehler temporalmodulationoftactileperceptionduringbalancecontrol AT dimitrisvoudouris temporalmodulationoftactileperceptionduringbalancecontrol |