Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Merging the senses into a robust percept.

Marc O Ernst1, Heinrich H Bülthoff

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Kybernetik, Tübingen, Germany. marc.ernst@tuebingen.mpg.de <marc.ernst@tuebingen.mpg.de>

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|March 31, 2004
PubMed
Summary

The brain merges sensory inputs like vision and sound using different strategies. Prior knowledge is crucial for interpreting these combined signals to understand our environment.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dynamic sensor adaptation based on efferent feedback for adaptive bio-inspired sound source localization.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same author

Postural stability and optic flow sensitivity following sight restoration from congenital bilateral cataracts.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025
Same author

Grasping New Material Densities.

Multisensory research·2025
Same author

Biases in the perceived area of different shapes: A comprehensive account and model.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2025
Same author

Multisensory integration operates on correlated input from unimodal transient channels.

eLife·2025
Same author

Multisensory training improves the development of spatial cognition after sight restoration from congenital cataracts.

iScience·2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • The brain integrates multisensory information (vision, touch, audition) for a unified perception.
  • Efficient merging of sensory data is essential for robust environmental awareness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the brain mechanisms underlying multisensory integration.
  • To identify different strategies employed for combining sensory information.
  • To investigate the role of prior knowledge in sensory interpretation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on multisensory integration.
  • Analysis of neural pathways involved in combining sensory inputs.
  • Examination of computational models of sensory fusion.

Main Results:

  • The brain utilizes diverse combination and integration strategies based on information type.
  • Prior knowledge significantly influences the interpretation of combined sensory signals.
  • Neural mechanisms vary depending on the specific senses being integrated.

Conclusions:

  • Multisensory integration is a complex process involving flexible strategies.
  • Prior knowledge acts as a critical modulator in constructing coherent percepts.
  • Understanding these mechanisms offers insights into perception and potential therapeutic targets.

Related Experiment Videos