Il CD-ROM allegato a questo libro è realizzato con lo scopo di fornire un sussidio virtuale che p... more Il CD-ROM allegato a questo libro è realizzato con lo scopo di fornire un sussidio virtuale che possa fungere, al tempo stesso, sia da gioco stimolante sia da palestra per lo sviluppo delle abilità navigazionali dei bambini per la fascia di età che va dai 5 ai 10 anni.
The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also ... more The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also dependent on how the brain represents the extension of the body space. Recent reports suggest that the dissociation between reaching and navigational space is not limited to perception and action but also involves memory systems. It has been reported that gender differences emerged only in adverse learning conditions that required strong spatial ability. In this study we investigated navigational versus reaching memory in air force pilots and a control group without flight experience. We took into account temporal duration (working memory and long-term memory) and focused on working memory, which is considered critical in the gender differences literature. We found no gender effects or flight hour effects in pilots but observed gender effects in working memory (but not in learning and delayed recall) in the nonpilot population (Women's mean = 5.33; SD= 0.90; Men's mean = 5.54; SD...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to ... more Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to trauma such as physical or sexual assault, injury, combat-related trauma, natural disaster or death. Although an increasing number of neurobiological studies carried out over the past 20 years have allowed clarifying the neural substrate of PTSD, the neural modifications underpinning PTSD are still unclear. Here we used activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis (ALE) to determine whether PTSD has a consistent neural substrate. We also explored the possibility that different traumatic events produce different alterations in the PTSD neural network. In neuroimaging studies of PTSD, we found evidence of a consistent neural network including the bilateral insula and cingulate cortex as well as the parietal, frontal and limbic areas. We also found that specific networks of brain areas underpin PTSD after different traumatic events and that these networks may be related to specific aspects of the traumatic events. We discuss our results in light of the functional segregation of the brain areas involved in PTSD.
American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 2014
The aim of this study was to determine whether an egocentric topographical working memory (WM) de... more The aim of this study was to determine whether an egocentric topographical working memory (WM) deficit is present in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with respect to other forms of visuospatial WM. Further, we would investigate whether this deficit could be present in patients having AD without topographical disorientation (TD) signs in everyday life assessed through an informal interview to caregivers. Seven patients with AD and 20 healthy participants performed the Walking Corsi Test and the Corsi Block-Tapping Test. The former test requires memorizing a sequence of places by following a path and the latter is a well-known visuospatial memory task. Patients with AD also performed a verbal WM test to exclude the presence of general WM impairments. Preliminary results suggest that egocentric topographical WM is selectively impaired, with respect to visuospatial and verbal WM, even without TD suggesting an important role of this memory in the early stages of AD.
The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that can... more The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that cannabis is a widely used substance and, overall, its potential use in therapeutic interventions, it is important to evaluate them. We hypothesize that the discrepancies among studies could be attributed to the specific cognitive function investigated and that skills subserved by the hippocampus, such as the spatial orientation abilities and, specifically, the ability to form and use cognitive maps, should be more compromised than others. Indeed it has been showed that cannabis users have a reduced hippocampus and that the hippocampus is the brain region in which cannabis has the greatest effect since it contains the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors. To test this hypothesis we asked 15 heavy cannabis users and 19 nonusers to perform a virtual navigational test, the CMT, that assesses the ability to form and use cognitive maps. We found that using cannabis has no effect on thes...
Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) causes impaired spatial orientation and navigati... more Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) causes impaired spatial orientation and navigation from early childhood with no evidence of cerebral damage. Using fMRI and a landmark sequencing task, we investigated the hypothesis that Dr Wai's abnormal cerebral activation pattern was related to his peculiar behavioral profile. Although Dr Wai was able to correctly perform landmark sequencing, he showed a lack of activity in regions activated in all control subjects and activity in areas that were not activated in any control subject. These results are discussed in light of cognitive and functional model of navigation, with relevant implications for DTD physiology.
The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that can... more The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that cannabis is a widely used substance and, overall, its potential use in therapeutic interventions, it is important to evaluate them. We hypothesize that the discrepancies among studies could be attributed to the specific cognitive function investigated and that skills subserved by the hippocampus, such as the spatial orientation abilities and, specifically, the ability to form and use cognitive maps, should be more compromised than others. Indeed it has been showed that cannabis users have a reduced hippocampus and that the hippocampus is the brain region in which cannabis has the greatest effect since it contains the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors. To test this hypothesis we asked 15 heavy cannabis users and 19 nonusers to perform a virtual navigational test, the CMT, that assesses the ability to form and use cognitive maps. We found that using cannabis has no effect on these hippocampus-dependent orientation skills. We discuss the implications of our findings and how they relate to evidence reported in the literature that the intervention of functional reorganization mechanisms in cannabis user allows them to cope with the cognitive demands of navigational tasks.
We describe a patient who, after right hemisphere damage, showed severe, persistent, pure represe... more We describe a patient who, after right hemisphere damage, showed severe, persistent, pure representational neglect but no evidence of perceptual neglect and no deficits in spatial working memory when evaluated with a traditional clinical test (Corsi Block Tapping test). This finding provides evidence against a full explanation of representational neglect within the context of visuo-spatial working memory. Indeed, this patient showed a peculiar deficit in navigational tasks requiring re-orientation in a novel environment by means of his mental representation of the environment. Since no representational neglect was observed in tests requiring mental representation of single or multiple objects (i.e., o'clock test) we suggest that in our patient representational neglect is caused by damage to the cognitive system involved in coding and storing environmental information to be used during navigation.
We describe a 69-year-old patient with superior altitudinal hemianopia who contentiously denied h... more We describe a 69-year-old patient with superior altitudinal hemianopia who contentiously denied having any visual impairment after stroke in the lower banks of both calcarine fissures. Although the patient did not produce intentional responses to visual stimuli in the blind fields, he showed reduced reaction times to stimuli presented in the inferior visual fields when they were primed by identical stimuli in the superior blind fields. Furthermore he showed left extinction to the double stimulation and delayed reaction times for left unprimed stimuli in the inferior fields. Based on these findings we discuss the possibility that blindsight and right hemisphere damage might be both necessary conditions for denying bilateral blindness.
Discordant findings have been reported about the change in pregnant women&amp... more Discordant findings have been reported about the change in pregnant women's cognitive test performance. Visuo-spatial abilities, which are crucial in terrestrial/flight navigation, could be influenced by hormonal variations. A 32-yr-old Italian Air Force pilot underwent a 2-D Mental Rotation Task (MRT) and hormonal assessment in the second trimester of pregnancy and 1 yr after delivery. Her performance was compared with that of two nonpregnant groups of women: one with flying experience and the other without. Estradiol and progesterone were significantly higher in pregnancy compared with postpartum, while testosterone was almost unchanged. During pregnancy, we observed a significant difference in the subject's response time compared with pilots (she was slower) and nonpilots (she was faster). One year after delivery, her performance was still better than the nonpilot group and was almost the same as the pilot group. Our data are consistent with an effect of pregnancy on visuo-spatial ability that can last for some time after delivery, even with the early recovery of the hormonal levels. MRT smoothly changed in our subject, supporting previous findings that women who are experts in flight navigation are less sensitive to hormonal fluctuations. In this case, visuospatial ability requiring effortful processing underwent variations during pregnancy and postpartum. Further studies are needed in order to confirm our observations in a wider population.
Mental rotation ability has an important role in human navigation and, together with other cognit... more Mental rotation ability has an important role in human navigation and, together with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory, and attention, is crucial for aircraft navigation. In the human performance literature, mental rotation tasks have consistently yielded reports of gender differences favoring men. The aim of this study was to compare the gender difference measured in a specialized population of aviators vs. a matched population of nonpilots. : Studied were 41 pilots (20 men and 21 women) and 38 nonpilots (20 men and 18 women) matched for age and education. Pilots were stratified for flying hours. Participants performed a mental rotation task (MRT) in which accuracy and response time were recorded, and also completed sense-of-direction (SOD) and spatial cognitive styles self-evaluation scales. Men had significantly smaller response time in the MRT (men 279.6 +/- 147.0 s, women 401.6 +/- 361.3) and greater SOD (men's score 49.1 +/- 8.6, women's score 46.6 +/- 7.8), but these differences were absent among pilots. A positive relationship was also identified between pilots' response times and their flight hours. These data suggest that the effect of gender on the speed of cognitive spatial processing is absent in a population with aviation experience. Gender effects may be associated with a low spatial cognitive style, whereas in groups such as aviators, who are expected to have high spatial cognitive style, other factors such as experience may come into play.
We present the case of F.G., a healthy, normally developed 22-year-old male subject affected by a... more We present the case of F.G., a healthy, normally developed 22-year-old male subject affected by a pervasive disorder in environmental orientation and navigation who presents no history of neurological or psychiatric disease. A neuro-radiological examination showed no evidence of anatomical or structural alterations to the brain. We submitted the subject for a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of the different cognitive processes involved in topographical orientation to evaluate his ability to navigate the spatial environment. The results confirmed a severe developmental topographical disorder and deficits in a number of specific cognitive processes directly or indirectly involved in navigation.The results are discussed with reference to the sole previously described case of developmental topographical disorientation (Pt1; Iaria et al., 2009). F.G. differs from the former case due to the following: the greater severity of his disorder, his complete lack of navigational skills, the failure to develop compensatory strategies, and the presence of a specific deficit in processing the spatial relationships between the parts of a whole.The present case not only confirms the existence of developmental topographical-skill disorders, but also sheds light on the architecture of topographical processes and their development in human beings.
Recently, developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) was described (Bianchini et al., 2010,... more Recently, developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) was described (Bianchini et al., 2010, J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 20, 807–27; Iaria & Barton, 2010, Exp Brain Res, 206, 189–96; Iaria, Bogod, Fox, & Barton, 2009, Neuropsychologia, 47, 30–40) as a navigational deficit in the absence of neurological or psychiatric disorders. Here, we reported the case of a healthy subject who presented this disorder. Dr. WAI was a 29-year-old right-handed man with normal development and no clinical history of neurological or psychiatric diseases who was affected by a very pervasive topographical orientation and navigational disorder. A neuroradiological exam confirmed the absence of structural and anatomical alterations of the brain. Dr. WAI was submitted to an extensive neuropsychological examination and to a battery of tests specifically developed to assess developmental topographical disorder. Using this battery, we analysed Dr. WAI's acquisition of navigational information and re-orientation processes. He showed severe DTD accompanied by deficits of different cognitive processes directly or indirectly involved in navigational skills. Dr. WAI showed a deficit in developing cognitive maps, already found in previous cases, plus difficulties in evaluating distances and computing metric environmental features. He represents a further confirmation of the existence of DTD suggesting dissociations within the disorder related to the level of development of the ability to build cognitive maps and the association of different imagery deficits. Dr. WAI can help in shedding some light on the mechanisms underlying lack of development of navigational skills.
Il CD-ROM allegato a questo libro è realizzato con lo scopo di fornire un sussidio virtuale che p... more Il CD-ROM allegato a questo libro è realizzato con lo scopo di fornire un sussidio virtuale che possa fungere, al tempo stesso, sia da gioco stimolante sia da palestra per lo sviluppo delle abilità navigazionali dei bambini per la fascia di età che va dai 5 ai 10 anni.
The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also ... more The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also dependent on how the brain represents the extension of the body space. Recent reports suggest that the dissociation between reaching and navigational space is not limited to perception and action but also involves memory systems. It has been reported that gender differences emerged only in adverse learning conditions that required strong spatial ability. In this study we investigated navigational versus reaching memory in air force pilots and a control group without flight experience. We took into account temporal duration (working memory and long-term memory) and focused on working memory, which is considered critical in the gender differences literature. We found no gender effects or flight hour effects in pilots but observed gender effects in working memory (but not in learning and delayed recall) in the nonpilot population (Women's mean = 5.33; SD= 0.90; Men's mean = 5.54; SD...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to ... more Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to trauma such as physical or sexual assault, injury, combat-related trauma, natural disaster or death. Although an increasing number of neurobiological studies carried out over the past 20 years have allowed clarifying the neural substrate of PTSD, the neural modifications underpinning PTSD are still unclear. Here we used activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis (ALE) to determine whether PTSD has a consistent neural substrate. We also explored the possibility that different traumatic events produce different alterations in the PTSD neural network. In neuroimaging studies of PTSD, we found evidence of a consistent neural network including the bilateral insula and cingulate cortex as well as the parietal, frontal and limbic areas. We also found that specific networks of brain areas underpin PTSD after different traumatic events and that these networks may be related to specific aspects of the traumatic events. We discuss our results in light of the functional segregation of the brain areas involved in PTSD.
American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 2014
The aim of this study was to determine whether an egocentric topographical working memory (WM) de... more The aim of this study was to determine whether an egocentric topographical working memory (WM) deficit is present in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with respect to other forms of visuospatial WM. Further, we would investigate whether this deficit could be present in patients having AD without topographical disorientation (TD) signs in everyday life assessed through an informal interview to caregivers. Seven patients with AD and 20 healthy participants performed the Walking Corsi Test and the Corsi Block-Tapping Test. The former test requires memorizing a sequence of places by following a path and the latter is a well-known visuospatial memory task. Patients with AD also performed a verbal WM test to exclude the presence of general WM impairments. Preliminary results suggest that egocentric topographical WM is selectively impaired, with respect to visuospatial and verbal WM, even without TD suggesting an important role of this memory in the early stages of AD.
The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that can... more The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that cannabis is a widely used substance and, overall, its potential use in therapeutic interventions, it is important to evaluate them. We hypothesize that the discrepancies among studies could be attributed to the specific cognitive function investigated and that skills subserved by the hippocampus, such as the spatial orientation abilities and, specifically, the ability to form and use cognitive maps, should be more compromised than others. Indeed it has been showed that cannabis users have a reduced hippocampus and that the hippocampus is the brain region in which cannabis has the greatest effect since it contains the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors. To test this hypothesis we asked 15 heavy cannabis users and 19 nonusers to perform a virtual navigational test, the CMT, that assesses the ability to form and use cognitive maps. We found that using cannabis has no effect on thes...
Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) causes impaired spatial orientation and navigati... more Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) causes impaired spatial orientation and navigation from early childhood with no evidence of cerebral damage. Using fMRI and a landmark sequencing task, we investigated the hypothesis that Dr Wai's abnormal cerebral activation pattern was related to his peculiar behavioral profile. Although Dr Wai was able to correctly perform landmark sequencing, he showed a lack of activity in regions activated in all control subjects and activity in areas that were not activated in any control subject. These results are discussed in light of cognitive and functional model of navigation, with relevant implications for DTD physiology.
The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that can... more The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that cannabis is a widely used substance and, overall, its potential use in therapeutic interventions, it is important to evaluate them. We hypothesize that the discrepancies among studies could be attributed to the specific cognitive function investigated and that skills subserved by the hippocampus, such as the spatial orientation abilities and, specifically, the ability to form and use cognitive maps, should be more compromised than others. Indeed it has been showed that cannabis users have a reduced hippocampus and that the hippocampus is the brain region in which cannabis has the greatest effect since it contains the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors. To test this hypothesis we asked 15 heavy cannabis users and 19 nonusers to perform a virtual navigational test, the CMT, that assesses the ability to form and use cognitive maps. We found that using cannabis has no effect on these hippocampus-dependent orientation skills. We discuss the implications of our findings and how they relate to evidence reported in the literature that the intervention of functional reorganization mechanisms in cannabis user allows them to cope with the cognitive demands of navigational tasks.
We describe a patient who, after right hemisphere damage, showed severe, persistent, pure represe... more We describe a patient who, after right hemisphere damage, showed severe, persistent, pure representational neglect but no evidence of perceptual neglect and no deficits in spatial working memory when evaluated with a traditional clinical test (Corsi Block Tapping test). This finding provides evidence against a full explanation of representational neglect within the context of visuo-spatial working memory. Indeed, this patient showed a peculiar deficit in navigational tasks requiring re-orientation in a novel environment by means of his mental representation of the environment. Since no representational neglect was observed in tests requiring mental representation of single or multiple objects (i.e., o'clock test) we suggest that in our patient representational neglect is caused by damage to the cognitive system involved in coding and storing environmental information to be used during navigation.
We describe a 69-year-old patient with superior altitudinal hemianopia who contentiously denied h... more We describe a 69-year-old patient with superior altitudinal hemianopia who contentiously denied having any visual impairment after stroke in the lower banks of both calcarine fissures. Although the patient did not produce intentional responses to visual stimuli in the blind fields, he showed reduced reaction times to stimuli presented in the inferior visual fields when they were primed by identical stimuli in the superior blind fields. Furthermore he showed left extinction to the double stimulation and delayed reaction times for left unprimed stimuli in the inferior fields. Based on these findings we discuss the possibility that blindsight and right hemisphere damage might be both necessary conditions for denying bilateral blindness.
Discordant findings have been reported about the change in pregnant women&amp... more Discordant findings have been reported about the change in pregnant women's cognitive test performance. Visuo-spatial abilities, which are crucial in terrestrial/flight navigation, could be influenced by hormonal variations. A 32-yr-old Italian Air Force pilot underwent a 2-D Mental Rotation Task (MRT) and hormonal assessment in the second trimester of pregnancy and 1 yr after delivery. Her performance was compared with that of two nonpregnant groups of women: one with flying experience and the other without. Estradiol and progesterone were significantly higher in pregnancy compared with postpartum, while testosterone was almost unchanged. During pregnancy, we observed a significant difference in the subject's response time compared with pilots (she was slower) and nonpilots (she was faster). One year after delivery, her performance was still better than the nonpilot group and was almost the same as the pilot group. Our data are consistent with an effect of pregnancy on visuo-spatial ability that can last for some time after delivery, even with the early recovery of the hormonal levels. MRT smoothly changed in our subject, supporting previous findings that women who are experts in flight navigation are less sensitive to hormonal fluctuations. In this case, visuospatial ability requiring effortful processing underwent variations during pregnancy and postpartum. Further studies are needed in order to confirm our observations in a wider population.
Mental rotation ability has an important role in human navigation and, together with other cognit... more Mental rotation ability has an important role in human navigation and, together with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory, and attention, is crucial for aircraft navigation. In the human performance literature, mental rotation tasks have consistently yielded reports of gender differences favoring men. The aim of this study was to compare the gender difference measured in a specialized population of aviators vs. a matched population of nonpilots. : Studied were 41 pilots (20 men and 21 women) and 38 nonpilots (20 men and 18 women) matched for age and education. Pilots were stratified for flying hours. Participants performed a mental rotation task (MRT) in which accuracy and response time were recorded, and also completed sense-of-direction (SOD) and spatial cognitive styles self-evaluation scales. Men had significantly smaller response time in the MRT (men 279.6 +/- 147.0 s, women 401.6 +/- 361.3) and greater SOD (men's score 49.1 +/- 8.6, women's score 46.6 +/- 7.8), but these differences were absent among pilots. A positive relationship was also identified between pilots' response times and their flight hours. These data suggest that the effect of gender on the speed of cognitive spatial processing is absent in a population with aviation experience. Gender effects may be associated with a low spatial cognitive style, whereas in groups such as aviators, who are expected to have high spatial cognitive style, other factors such as experience may come into play.
We present the case of F.G., a healthy, normally developed 22-year-old male subject affected by a... more We present the case of F.G., a healthy, normally developed 22-year-old male subject affected by a pervasive disorder in environmental orientation and navigation who presents no history of neurological or psychiatric disease. A neuro-radiological examination showed no evidence of anatomical or structural alterations to the brain. We submitted the subject for a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of the different cognitive processes involved in topographical orientation to evaluate his ability to navigate the spatial environment. The results confirmed a severe developmental topographical disorder and deficits in a number of specific cognitive processes directly or indirectly involved in navigation.The results are discussed with reference to the sole previously described case of developmental topographical disorientation (Pt1; Iaria et al., 2009). F.G. differs from the former case due to the following: the greater severity of his disorder, his complete lack of navigational skills, the failure to develop compensatory strategies, and the presence of a specific deficit in processing the spatial relationships between the parts of a whole.The present case not only confirms the existence of developmental topographical-skill disorders, but also sheds light on the architecture of topographical processes and their development in human beings.
Recently, developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) was described (Bianchini et al., 2010,... more Recently, developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) was described (Bianchini et al., 2010, J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 20, 807–27; Iaria & Barton, 2010, Exp Brain Res, 206, 189–96; Iaria, Bogod, Fox, & Barton, 2009, Neuropsychologia, 47, 30–40) as a navigational deficit in the absence of neurological or psychiatric disorders. Here, we reported the case of a healthy subject who presented this disorder. Dr. WAI was a 29-year-old right-handed man with normal development and no clinical history of neurological or psychiatric diseases who was affected by a very pervasive topographical orientation and navigational disorder. A neuroradiological exam confirmed the absence of structural and anatomical alterations of the brain. Dr. WAI was submitted to an extensive neuropsychological examination and to a battery of tests specifically developed to assess developmental topographical disorder. Using this battery, we analysed Dr. WAI's acquisition of navigational information and re-orientation processes. He showed severe DTD accompanied by deficits of different cognitive processes directly or indirectly involved in navigational skills. Dr. WAI showed a deficit in developing cognitive maps, already found in previous cases, plus difficulties in evaluating distances and computing metric environmental features. He represents a further confirmation of the existence of DTD suggesting dissociations within the disorder related to the level of development of the ability to build cognitive maps and the association of different imagery deficits. Dr. WAI can help in shedding some light on the mechanisms underlying lack of development of navigational skills.
I numerosi studi condotti sulla memoria visuo-spaziale nell’arco di vita hanno evidenziato che es... more I numerosi studi condotti sulla memoria visuo-spaziale nell’arco di vita hanno evidenziato che esistono diversi meccanismi per codificare e memorizzare i differenti tipi di informazioni spaziali (Rauchs et al., 2008; Janzen, van Turennout, 2004; Janzen, Weststeijn, 2007; Postma et al., 2004; Postma et al., 2008; Kessels et al., 2001; Piccardi et al., 2008; Cestari et al., 2007; Mammarella et al., 2006; Pazzaglia, Cornoldi, 1999; Lecerf, de Ribaupierre, 2005).
L’abilità di navigazione umana include diverse sottocomponenti che contribuiscono indipendentemen... more L’abilità di navigazione umana include diverse sottocomponenti che contribuiscono indipendentemente alla capacità di orientamento.
La rotazione mentale è un aspetto particolare di una capacità cognitiva più complessa: l’imagery ... more La rotazione mentale è un aspetto particolare di una capacità cognitiva più complessa: l’imagery mentale visiva, cioè la capacità di vedere con l’occhio della mente.
La memoria di posizione si riferisce all’abilità di ricordare la collocazione di elementi nell’am... more La memoria di posizione si riferisce all’abilità di ricordare la collocazione di elementi nell’ambiente. Su questa capacità facciamo affidamento, per esempio, ogniqualvolta desideriamo ritrovare un particolare oggetto riposto all’interno di una stanza. A partire dai 13 anni di età, a differenza di altre abilità visuo-spaziali, la capacità di ricordare la posizione di oggetti risulta essere migliore nei soggetti di sesso femminile, perciò una serie di esercizi mirati al potenziamento di tale abilità può essere di aiuto per migliorare anche nei soggetti di sesso maschile un’abilità importante per la propria autonomia.
I bambini hanno una concezione dello spazio simile o diversa dalla concezione geometrica degli ad... more I bambini hanno una concezione dello spazio simile o diversa dalla concezione geometrica degli adulti?
Quando un individuo trova un ostacolo lungo un percorso, o deve trovare una scorciatoia, o nel ca... more Quando un individuo trova un ostacolo lungo un percorso, o deve trovare una scorciatoia, o nel caso in cui debba riprodurre al contrario un tragitto precedentemente effettuato, per orientarsi con successo deve essere in grado di riconoscere i landmark precedentemente incontrati, anche se questi vengono visualizzati secondo una prospettiva differente. La capacità di riconoscere una stessa immagine presentata da punti di vista diversi è quindi fondamentale per il buon esito della navigazione.
Il CD-ROM allegato a questo libro è realizzato con lo scopo di fornire un sussidio virtuale che p... more Il CD-ROM allegato a questo libro è realizzato con lo scopo di fornire un sussidio virtuale che possa fungere, al tempo stesso, sia da gioco stimolante sia da palestra per lo sviluppo delle abilità navigazionali dei bambini per la fascia di età che va dai 5 ai 10 anni.
Questo capitolo include una serie di giochi e di attività finalizzati all’acquisizione di un ling... more Questo capitolo include una serie di giochi e di attività finalizzati all’acquisizione di un linguaggio specifico, che risulti adeguato alla descrizione e alla comprensione dei riferimenti spaziali.
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