Actively Recruiting
Touching the World With a Cane: Cognitive and Neural Processes
Led by Hospices Civils de Lyon · Updated on 2026-03-24
300
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
336 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The use of tools is ubiquitous in our lives and allows us to expand the sensorimotor capacities of our body. Much research has been done on the subject in sighted people over the past decades. This work has mainly focused on the motor aspect of using the tool, neglecting the sensory aspect. However, any action involving a tool carries sensory information, for example in the use of the white cane by blind people. 26% (\> 200,000) of blind people in France use a white cane to get around. By sweeping the cane on the ground, they use it as a sensorimotor extension of their body to extract information from the environment in order to locate a pedestrian crossing or possible obstacles. While it is well established that the tools increase the user's motor skills, we have only just begun to clarify how they also function as sensory extensions of the user's body and how this phenomenon is potentially dependent on constant use of the tool to compensate for a missing sense, as is the case with blind people using a cane. The aim of this study is to fill this important gap in our knowledge.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Touching the World With a Cane: Cognitive and Neural Processes
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Man or woman, aged 18 to 60 years old
- Provide informed consent by signature
- Registered with the national health security system (Securit�e9 Sociale)
- Able to distinguish right from left
- For non-sighted participants: vision loss occurred at birth or at least between ages 3 and 5
- Non-sighted participants must have a visual acuity of 4/10 or worse
- Non-sighted participants may have a close person to assist with reading and signing consent if needed
You will not qualify if you...
- History of neurological, psychiatric, or language disorders
- Use of psychotropic drugs
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Under legal guardianship
- Receiving care in another medical facility for unrelated reasons
- Under administrative or judicial custody
- Not eligible for MRI due to any of the following:
- Neurological or cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator
- Cardiac or vascular prosthesis
- Intracranial clips or clamps
- Cerebrospinal fluid bypass
- Metallic eye splinters
- Metal prostheses (teeth, knees)
- Infusion pump or system
- Claustrophobia or respiratory problems
- Metal tattoos near the head
- Permanent make-up
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Equipe IMPACT du CRNL, Bâtiment INSERM
Bron, France, 69676
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
A
Alessandro FARNE, Dr
CONTACT
C
Cécile FABIO
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
3
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