Background
I completed a PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of St Andrews (Scotland) exploring how perception, attention and vision affect reach-to-grasp movements. I then completed a post-doctoral research position with Professor Jeff Summers, investigating a new therapeutic treatment to help recover arm and hand function following a stroke. More recently, I completed a post-doctoral research position (with Professor Mike Nicholls, Professor Jason Mattingley and Professor John Bradshaw), exploring the role of attentional mechanisms in the manifestations of free-viewing perceptual asymmetries in healthy adults and those affected by visuospatial neglect.
Research Interests
My research spans a number of different areas including; perception and attention, behavioural neuroscience, vision and human motor control. I am particularly interested in mechanisms of attention and how spatial attention influences reaching actions in humans. Mechanisms of selective attention are crucial to virtually all aspects of everyday behaviour and cognition. To interact effectively with our environment we need to attend to relevant stimuli and exclude irrelevant stimuli. The broad aim of my research is to improve our understanding of how mechanisms of selective attention alter the salience of space and how this in turn affects how we interact with the environment. I address this question through the study of neurologically healthy adults and those affected by stroke.
I have a particular interest in post-stroke hemiparesis and unilateral neglect, and how integrated behavioural-physical therapy techniques may benefit stroke survivors. These neuropsychological investigations are complemented by research into representations of space in healthy humans.
Selected publications
Loftus, A.M., Nicholls, M.E.R., Mattingley, J.B. and Bradshaw, J. L (in press)
Left to right: Representational biases for numbers and the effect of visuomotor adaptation. Cognition.
Nicholls, M., & Loftus, A.M. (2007)
Pseudoneglect and neglect for mental alphabet lines
Brain Research 1152, 130-138
Nicholls, M., Loftus, A.M. & Gevers, W. (in press)
Number magnitude affects spatial attention in the absence of left/right response coding
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
Garry, M., Loftus, A.M., Summers, J. (2005)
Mirror, mirror on the wall: Viewing a mirror reflection of unilateral hand movements facilitates ipsilateral M1 excitability
Experimental Brain Research 163 (1) 118 – 122
Summers, J, Kagerer, F, Garry, M, Hiraga, C & Loftus, A.M. (2007)
Bilateral and Unilateral Movement Training on Upper Limb Function in Chronic Stroke Patients: A TMS Study
Journal of the Neurological Sciences 252(1), 76-86
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