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Pointing at targets by children with congenital and transient blindness

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Abstract

The study investigated pointing at memorized targets in reachable space in congenitally blind (CB) and blindfolded sighted (BS) children (6, 8, 10 and 12 years; ten children in each group). The target locations were presented on a sagittal plane by passive positioning of the left index finger. A go signal for matching the target location with the right index finger was provided 0 or 4 s after demonstration. An age effect was found only for absolute distance errors and the surface area of pointing was smaller for the CB children. Results indicate that early visual experience and age are not predictive factors for pointing in children. The delay was an important factor at all ages and for both groups, indicating distinct spatial representations such as egocentric and allocentric frames of reference, for immediate and delayed pointing, respectively. Therefore, the CB like the BS children are able to use both ego- and allocentric frames of reference.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by INSERM NORD-SUD, France and conducted at the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007. We are grateful to Geeta Ramesh for her assistance as a U.G.C. Senior Research Fellow, to Laure Pisella for her helpful comments on the experimental designs, and to Christian Urquizar for his valuable help with the computer software. We acknowledge the cooperation of the Principals, Staff and Students of the Blind and Sighted schools in Delhi. This study was conducted with the informed consent of the subjects, in agreement with the Indian and French (March 2002) laws and the Helsinki declaration relative to patient’s rights.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LIMSI-CNRS, Bat 508, BP 133, 91403, Orsay, France

    Florence Gaunet

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Miriam Ittyerah

  3. Espace et Action, UMR-S 534 INSERM, Université Claude Bernard Hospices, Civils de Lyon, 16 avenue doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France

    Yves Rossetti

  4. Laboratoire Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Florence Gaunet

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  1. Florence Gaunet
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  2. Miriam Ittyerah
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  3. Yves Rossetti
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Correspondence to Florence Gaunet.

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Gaunet, F., Ittyerah, M. & Rossetti, Y. Pointing at targets by children with congenital and transient blindness. Exp Brain Res 178, 167–179 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-006-0720-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-006-0720-3

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