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Cristiana Cavina-Pratesi, PhD
Research FellowDurham UniversityDepartment of Psychology |
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Durham Campus Science Site South Road, Durham UK DH1 3LE +44 (0)191 3343258 |
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Cristiana Cavina-Pratesi, PhD
Research FellowDurham UniversityDepartment of Psychology |
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|
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Durham Campus Science Site South Road, Durham UK DH1 3LE +44 (0)191 3343258 |
I study how the brain uses visual information to perceive, recognize and act upon objects.
How do we recognize our cup of coffee from others and how do we accommodate our hand-finger posture to reach and grasp it correctly?
Questions I'm trying to answer:
Does our brain build a single representation of the cup or does it extract the shape, size and location of the cup accordingly to our moment-to-moment goals (perceiving, grasping or pointing)? If different representations do exist, which are the differences between them?
On a general basis our experiments measure brain activation using functional MRI while subjects engage in simple visuomotor tasks. Subjects are asked to perform real actions such as reaching, grasping, pointing or avoiding three-dimensional objects.
Interaction between dorsal and ventral streams
I use behavioral and kinematics measures to asses specific pattern of visuomotor transformations in healthy subjects and then I use functional imaging and neuropsychological testing to check how they are mapped onto the brain.
I collect kinematic data using two different motion analysis systems: Optotrack 3020 and Minibird 500.
I collect imaging data in York (YNiC - UK ) and in London Ontario (CA - Robarts Imaging Center) at the University of Western Ontario.
Studying real grasping, reaching and pointing actions in the scanner is a technical challenge given the many constraints of the imaging environment. Nevertheless, in the last few years severals labs have been solving these problems and advancing the field.
Culham, J.C., Gallivan, J., Cavina-Pratesi, C., & Quinlan, D.J., & (2007). fMRI investigations of reaching and ego space in human superior parieto-occipital cortex. In R. L. Klatzky, M. Behrmann, & B. MacWhinney (Eds.), Embodiment, Ego-space and Action . Madwah NJ : Erlbaum.
Króliczak, G., Cavina-Pratesi, C., Large, M.E. Object perception vs. target-directed manual actions. In M. Fafrowicz, T. Marek, W. Karwowski, D. Schmorrow (Eds.), Neuroadaptive Systems: research, theory, and applications. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
Cavina-Pratesi C, Kuhn G, Ietswaart M, Milner AD, (2011) The Magic Grasp: Motor Expertise in Deception. PLoS ONE 6(2): e16568. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016568 (download the paper)
Cavina-Pratesi, C., Monaco, S., Fattori, P., Galletti, C., McAdam, T. D., Quinlan, D. J., Goodale, M. A., & Culham, J. C. (2010). fMRI reveals the neural substrates of arm transport and grip formation in reach-to-grasp actions in humans. Journal of Neuroscience, 30, 10306-10323. (download the paper)
Bracci S, Ietswaart M, Peelen MV, and Cavina-Pratesi C. (2010) Dissociable neural responses to hands and non-hand body parts in human left extrastriate visual cortex. J Neurophysiol. 103(6):3389-97 (download the paper)
Cavina-Pratesi C, Kentridge RW, Heywood CA, & Milner AD. Separate channels for processing form, texture and color: Evidence from fMRI adaptation and visual object agnosia. Accepted, Cerebral Cortex. 20, 2319-2332. (download the paper)
Cavina-Pratesi, C., Ietswaart, M.,.Humphreys, GW,.Lestou, V., and Milner, AD. (2009) 'Impaired grasping in a patient with optic ataxia : primary visuomotor deficit or secondary consequence of misreaching ?', Neuropsychologia. http://dro.dur.ac.uk/6030/
Cavina-Pratesi C, Kentridge RW, Heywood CA, & Milner AD (2009). Separate processing of texture and form in the ventral stream: evidence from fMRI and visual agnosia. Cerebral Cortex.
Gallivan JP, Cavina-Pratesi C, Culham JC. (2009). Is that within reach? fMRI reveals that the human superior parieto-occipital cortex encodes objects reachable by the hand. J Neurosci. 29(14), 4381-91. (download the paper)
De-Witt L. H. & Cavina-Pratesi C . 2008 Transformations in 7a: challenging 'vision for action' or bridging the dorsal and ventral streams? eLetter, Journal of Neuroscience http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/eletters/28/20/5218
Large, M.-E., Cavina-Pratesi, C. , Vilis, T., & Culham, J. C. (2008). The neural correlates of awareness in the face perception network. Neuropsychologia. Available online 7 March 2008 (download paper)
Cavina-Pratesi, C. , Goodale, M.A. and Culham, J. C. (2007) FMRI Reveals a Dissociation between Grasping and Perceiving the Size of Real 3D Objects. PLOS One , 9;2:e424. (download paper)
Valyear, K.F., Cavina-Pratesi, C., Stiglick, A.J., & Culham, J.C. (2007). Tool-related fMRI activity in intraparietal cortex does not reflect the plan to grasp. Neuroimage , In Press. (download paper)
Króliczak, G., Cavina-Pratesi, C., Goodman, D., & Culham, J.C. (2007). What does the brain do when you fake it? An fMRI study of pantomimed and real grasping. Journal of Neurophysiology , p ublished online 17 Jan . (download paper)
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Valyear, K.F., Kholer, S., Obhi, S.S., Marzi , C.A. , and Goodale, M.A. (2006). Dissociating arbitrary stimulus-response mapping from movement planning during preparatory period: Evidence from event-related fMRI.. Journal of Neuroscience , 26: 2704-2713 . (download paper)
Culham, J.C., Cavina Pratesi, C ., Singhal, A. (2006). The role of parietal cortex in visuomotor control: What have we learned from neuroimaging? Neuropsychologia , 44: 2668-2684 . (download paper)
Steeves, J.K., Culham, J.C., Duchaine, B.C., Cavina Pratesi, C. , Valyear, K.F., Schindler, I., Humphrey, G.K., Milner, A.D., Goodale, M.A. (2006). The fusiform face area is not sufficient for face recognition: Evidence from a patient with dense prosopagnosia and no occipital face area. Neuropsychologia, 44: 594–609 . (download paper)
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Bricolo, E., Pellegrini, B. and Marzi, C.A. (2004). At what stage of manual visual reaction time does interhemispheric transmission occur? Experimental Brain Research , 155: 220-230. (download paper)
Cavina Pratesi, C. & Marzi , C.A. (2002). From classic to modern mental chronometry: beyond reaction time. DIPAV , 5. (Published in Italian).
Forster B., Cavina Pratesi C. , Aglioti S.M. and Berlucchi G. (2002). Redundant target effects and intersensory facilitation from visual-tactile interactions in simple reaction time. Experimental Brain Research , 143: 480-487. (download paper)
Cavina-Pratesi C. , Bonato E., Bricolo E., Prior M., Posteraro L., and Marzi C.A. (2001). Hyperattention in neglect patients: perceptual or pre-motor phenomenon? Cortex, 37: 703-705. (download paper)
Cavina-Pratesi C. , Bricolo E., Prior M. and Marzi C.A. (2001). The locus of redundancy gain in simple reaction time: Evidence from the stop-signal paradigm. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance , 27: 932-941. (download paper)
Cavina Pratesi C, Kuhn G, Ietswaart M, and Milner D (October 2009). The magic grasp: insights into the organization of visually guided actions. Paper presented at the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL. (Dowload abstract)
Cavina-Pratesi C, Kentridge RW, Heywood CA & Milner AD (January 2009). Separate processing of form, texture and colour in the ventral stream: evidence from fMRI and visual agnosia. Poster presented at the Twenty-Seventh European workshop on Cognitive Neuropsychology: an interdisciplinary approach, Bressanone, Italy.(Download abstract)
Bracci S, Ietswaart M, Cavina-Pratesi C, Mechsner F, Coventry K (January 2009). Functional dissociation within ventral and dorsal prefrontal cortices for imitation of meaningful and meaningless tool movements: An fMRI study. Poster presented at the Twenty-Seventh European workshop on Cognitive Neuropsychology: an interdisciplinary approach, Bressanone, Italy. (Download abstract)
Gallivan JP, Cavina Pratesi C., Culham JC. Is that within reach? The human superior parieto-occipital cortex (SPOC) shows greater fMRI activation for reachable objects. Society for Neuroscience, 2007, San Diego , CA .
Cavina Pratesi C., Monaco S., Mcadam T, Milner D., Schenk T., Culham JC. Which aspects of hand-preshaping does human AIP compute during visually guided actions? Evidence from event-related fMRI. Society for Neuroscience, 2007, San Diego , CA . (Download abstract)
Cavina Pratesi, C., Ietswaart, M., and Milner, D. (September 2007) I cannot reach, but I can easily grasp”. Poster presented at the CVVC conference. Stockton , September 2007, Durham University , Durham , UK
Large, M.E., Cavina-Pratesi, C. , Vilis, T., and Culham, J.C. (July 2007) The neural correlates of awareness in the face perception network. Experimental Psychology Society, Edinburgh , June 2007. (download poster)
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Ietswaart, M., and Milner, A.D. (January 2007). Proximal and distal distinction in reach to grasp movements. Poster presented at the Twenty-Fifth European workshop on Cognitive Neuropsychology: an interdisciplinary approach, Bressanone , Italy.
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Fattori, P., Galletti, C., Quinlan, D., Goodale, M., & Culham, J. (October 2006). Event-related fMRI reveals a dissociation in the parietal lobe between transport and grip components in reach-to-grasp movements. Paper presented at the Society for Neuroscience, Atlanta , Georgia.
Gallivan, J. P., Cavina-Pratesi, C. , & Culham, J.C. (October 2006). Do objects within reach activate human brain regions involved in hand actions?: an fMRI study. Poster presented at the Society for Neuroscience, Atlanta , Georgia.
Cavina-Pratesi, C. , Culham, J., (July 2006) Neuroimaging of Real Action. Talk presented at the International Society for Behavioral Neuroscience, Bath , UK.
Cavina-Pratesi, C. , Galletti, C., Fattori, P., Quinlan, D., Goodale, M., & Culham, J. (May 2006). Dissociating the neural correlates of the transport and grip components of reach-to-grasp actions: Evidence from event-related fMRI. Poster presented at the Symposium on Cortical Control of Higher Motor Cognition, Lübeck , Germany. (download poster)
Valyear, K. F., Cavina-Pratesi, C. , Stiglick, A. J., & Culham, J. C. (May 2006). Tool-related activity in parietal cortex does not reflect the plan to grasp. Poster presented at the Symposium on Cortical Control of Higher Motor Cognition, Lübeck , Germany .
Króliczak G., Cavina Pratesi C. , & Culham J.C. (2006). Does the brain know when you fake it? Neural basis of pantomimed and real grasping. The 6th Congress of the Federation of European Psychophysiology Societies, Budapest , Hungary .
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Valyear, K.F., Obhi, S.S., Brown, M.R., Marzi, C.A,, and Goodale, M.A, (October 2004). Neural correlates of preparatory set: response selection versus movement planning. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego , California .
Culham, J.C., Cavina Pratesi, C. & Goodale, M.A. (October 2004). Object size matters for grasping but not perception in the human anterior intraparietal area. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego , California .
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Goodale, M.A., & Culham., J.C. (June 2004). Does size matter to a grasprelated brain region when no action is required? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science, St. John's , Newfoundland .
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Bricolo, E., Pellegrini, B. and Marzi , C.A. Interheremisheric tranfer as assessed with the Poffenberger paradigm: what kind of signal is transferred? 3rd Annual Meeting of the Vision Science Society, Sarasota , Florida , 2003
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Bricolo, E., Bonato, E., Posteraro, L., Prior, M.and Marzi , C.A. Does ipsilesional hyperattention in neglect patients affect the perceptual or motor stage of reaction time? Evidence from the stop-signal paradigm and response force. 13th Meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science (BBCS/SCCC), Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , 2003.
Girelli, M., Pavone, E., Cavina Pratesi, C. and Marzi, C.A. Direct behavioral and electrophysiological comparison of two forms of orienting of spatial attention. 35th Annual General Meeting of the EBBS, Barcelona , Spain , 2003.
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Bonato, E., Bricolo, E., Prior, M., Posteraro, L. and Marzi, C.A. Bisecting reaction time in neglect patient. 3rd Forum of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Paris , 2002.
Marzi , C.A. , Cavina Pratesi, C. , Girelli, M. Differential effect of stimulus retinal eccentricity on the p1 and n1 components of the visual ERP response. Society of Neuroscience, 31st Annual Meeting, San Diego , California , 2001.
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Bonato, E., Bricolo, E., Prior, M., Posteraro, L. and Marzi , C.A. Indagine sulla natura controllata e/o ballistica dell'iperattenzione ipsilesionale in pazienti negligenti. Congresso Nazionale della Sezione di Psicologia Sperimentale”, Alghero, 23-25 September 2001.
Marzi, A.C., Cavina Pratesi, C. , Natale, E., Pasetto, A., Pavone, E. and Girelli, M. Electrophysiological correlates of visual attention. Congresso Nazionale della Società Italiana di Neuroscienze, Torino, Italy, 8-11 September 2001.
Cavina Pratesi, C. , Bonato, E., Prior, M., Posteraro, L. and Marzi , C.A. Hyperattention in emineglect patients: perceptual or pre-motor phenomenon? Nineteenth European Workshop on cognitive neuropsychology: An interdisciplinary approach, Bressanone , Italy , 21-26 January 2001.