Alsuradi Haneen, Park Wanjoo, Eid Mohamad
Engineering Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York City, NY, United States.
Front Neurosci. 2022 Oct 18;16:961101. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.961101. eCollection 2022.
Haptic technologies enable users to physically interact with remote or virtual environments by applying force, vibration, or motion haptic interfaces. However, the delivery of timely haptic feedback remains a challenge due to the stringent computation and communication requirements associated with haptic data transfer. Haptic delay disrupts the realism of the user experience and interferes with the quality of interaction. Research efforts have been devoted to studying the neural correlates of delayed sensory stimulation to better understand and thus mitigate the impact of delay. However, little is known about the functional neural networks that process haptic delay. This paper investigates the underlying neural networks associated with processing haptic delay in passive and active haptic interactions. Nineteen participants completed a visuo-haptic task using a computer screen and a haptic device while electroencephalography (EEG) data were being recorded. A combined approach based on phase locking value (PLV) functional connectivity and graph theory was used. To assay the effects of haptic delay on functional connectivity, we evaluate a global connectivity property through the small-worldness index and a local connectivity property through the nodal strength index. Results suggest that the brain exhibits significantly different network characteristics when a haptic delay is introduced. Haptic delay caused an increased manifestation of the small-worldness index in the delta and theta bands as well as an increased nodal strength index in the middle central region. Inter-regional connectivity analysis showed that the middle central region was significantly connected to the parietal and occipital regions as a result of haptic delay. These results are expected to indicate the detection of conflicting visuo-haptic information at the middle central region and their respective resolution and integration at the parietal and occipital regions.
触觉技术通过应用力、振动或运动触觉接口，使用户能够与远程或虚拟环境进行物理交互。然而，由于与触觉数据传输相关的严格计算和通信要求，及时提供触觉反馈仍然是一个挑战。触觉延迟会破坏用户体验的真实感，并干扰交互质量。研究工作致力于研究延迟感觉刺激的神经相关性，以便更好地理解并减轻延迟的影响。然而，对于处理触觉延迟的功能性神经网络却知之甚少。本文研究了在被动和主动触觉交互中与处理触觉延迟相关的潜在神经网络。19名参与者使用电脑屏幕和触觉设备完成了一项视觉触觉任务，同时记录脑电图（EEG）数据。采用了一种基于锁相值（PLV）功能连接性和图论的组合方法。为了分析触觉延迟对功能连接性的影响，我们通过小世界指数评估全局连接性属性，并通过节点强度指数评估局部连接性属性。结果表明，当引入触觉延迟时，大脑表现出显著不同的网络特征。触觉延迟导致δ和θ波段的小世界指数表现增加，以及中央中区的节点强度指数增加。区域间连接性分析表明，由于触觉延迟，中央中区与顶叶和枕叶区域显著相连。这些结果有望表明在中央中区检测到冲突的视觉触觉信息，以及它们在顶叶和枕叶区域各自的解析和整合。
