91泡芙

Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab

Home / Research

Research

Overview

In our research, we are primarily interested in how the brain decides to acquire and use visual information to guide movement. Thus, we ask how the brain decides where, when, and for how long to direct gaze to different locations in the environment (i.e., gaze behaviour). We also ask how the brain decides where and how to move, especially where to step and which path or walking trajectory to take to negotiate different terrain and avoid pedestrians and other obstacles.

Current Research

How people decide where to look and where to walk

Consider hiking through a forest or negotiating a poorly maintained sidewalk. The brain coordinates the eyes and head to shift gaze to acquire visual information relevant to guide walking. Our research in this area poses two inter-related questions: (1) What factors influence the decision of where, when, and for how long to direct gaze for guiding movement? (2) What factors dictate where a person steps or the path they choose to walk?

Select Related Publications:

  1. da Eira Silva V, Marigold DS. The interplay between motor cost and self-efficacy related to walking across terrain in gaze and walkind decisions. Sci Rep 14:31040, 2024.
  2. Dom铆nguez-Zamora FJ, Marigold DS. Motives driving gaze and walking decisions. Curr Biol 31: 1632-1642, 2021.
  3. Dom铆nguez-Zamora FJ, Marigold DS. Motor cost affects the decision of when to shift gaze for guiding movement. J Neurophysiol 122: 378-388, 2019.

 

How people use visual information for walking collision avoidance behaviours

Consider walking through a crowded sidewalk or shopping mall, where there is an increased risk of colliding with pedestrians and other objects. Visual information about the world helps people make good decisions as to where and how to move in these situations. Our research in this area asks: (1) What factors influence collision avoidance behaviours? (2) How is gaze directed to exploit different aspects of the visual field to guide these behaviours?

Select Related Publications:

  1. Nikmanesh M, Cinelli ME, Marigold DS. Constraints matter: virtual pedestrians with mobility constraints affect individuals' avoidance behaviours. Acta Psychol 254: 104863, 2025.
  2. Nikmanesh M, Cinelli ME, Marigold DS. Identifying factors that contribute to collision avoidance behaviours while walking in a natural environment. Sci Rep 15:3530, 2025.

 

Emerging Research

How people make whole-body movement decisions to interact with the environment

Many actions require the coordination of both the legs and arms to perform. In addition, possibilities for action change as movements unfold, given the ever-changing environments in which we live. Our research in this area asks: (1) What drives the planning and execution of whole-body movements when interacting with objects? (2) How does gaze behaviour contribute to whole-body movement decisions?

This research is part of an international collaboration with Drs. Tobias Heed (U. Salzburg) and Dylan Cooke (SFU).

 

Past Research

How the brain adapts to movement errors: visuomotor learning

The ability to adapt to our surroundings and retain what is learned is essential for survival and performing many daily activities. However, aging, injury, disease, and an ever-changing environment can change the normal relationship (or mapping) between sensory input and motor output, thus causing errors in movement. Experience suggests we can learn and retain new mappings. For instance, we can quickly determine how to control a cursor on a screen using a mouse or trackpad. We can also transfer (or generalize) mappings to new situations; this lets us switch between different tablets or cell phones.

Our research in this area is focused on identifying factors that enhance how we learn, retain, and transfer these mappings. This insight may assist in the development of more effective rehabilitation strategies.

Select Related Publications:

  1. Bakkum A, Marigold DS. Learning from the physical consequences of our actions improves motor memory. eNeuro 9: ENEURO.0459-21.2022, 2022.
  2. Bakkum A, Donelan JM, Marigold DS. Challenging balance during sensorimotor adaptation increases generalization. J Neurophysiol 123: 1342-1354, 2020.
  3. Maeda RS, McGee SE, Marigold DS. Long-term retention and reconsolidation of a visuomotor memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 155: 313-321, 2018.
  4. Maeda RS, O'Connor SM, Donelan JM, Marigold DS. Foot placement relies on state estimation during visually guided walking. J Neurophysiol 117: 480-491, 2017.

 

How visual impairment affects gaze and mobility

Decreased quality of vision affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. It makes activities of daily living difficult to perform and increases the risk of colliding with objects, tripping, falling, and the likelihood of injury. Poor vision can change the way people visually scan the environment. Because when and where a person looks is tightly related to limb movement, this can disrupt how vision guides goal-directed actions. For instance, one must direct gaze to a sidewalk curb at the correct time and for sufficient duration to decide when and how high to step.

In our past research, we studied how older adults with glaucoma navigate around obstacles and step precisely onto certain locations on the ground. We have found that when and where these individuals look during these tasks relates to greater object collisions and reduced foot-placement accuracy. This suggests that these individuals are using their remaining visual function ineffectively, which provides an avenue for intervention. Gaze training may improve mobility in these individuals.

Select Related Publications:

  1. Gunn SM, Lajoie K, Zebehazy KT, Strath RA, Neima DR, Marigold DS. Mobility-related gaze training in individuals with glaucoma: a proof-of-concept study. Transl Vis Sci Technol 8(5):23, 2019.
  2. Lajoie K, Miller AB, Strath RA, Neima DR, Marigold DS. Glaucoma-related differences in gaze behavior when negotiating obstacles. Transl Vis Sci Technol 7(4):10, 2018.
  3. Alexander MS, Lajoie K, Neima DR, Strath RA, Robinovitch SN, Marigold DS. Effects of macular degeneration and ambient light on curb negotiation. Optom Vis Sci 91: 975-989, 2014.