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Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
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Mechanisms underlying visually induced body sway.

Michel Guerraz1, Adolfo M Bronstein

  • 1Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, CNRS UMR 5105, Université de Savoie, 73376 Le Bourget du lac, France. Michel.guerraz@univ.savoie.fr

Neuroscience Letters
|August 2, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Visually induced postural responses (VEPRs) and vection (perceived self-motion) are not directly caused by each other. However, vection can enhance VEPRs through distinct short and long-latency mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Human Perception

Background:

  • Visually induced postural responses (VEPRs) are automatic adjustments to maintain balance.
  • Vection is the illusory sensation of self-motion induced by visual stimuli.
  • The relationship between VEPRs and vection is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between vection and VEPRs.
  • To determine if vection causally influences VEPRs.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of VEPRs.

Main Methods:

  • Ten healthy subjects stood and fixated on either a head-mounted or earth-fixed display.
  • A horizontally translating visual background was presented.
  • VEPRs and vection were recorded under different visual conditions.

Main Results:

  • VEPRs occurred in the direction of background motion with a head-mounted display but reversed with an earth-fixed display.
  • Vection occurred only in one direction (opposite to background motion) and developed later than VEPRs.
  • Vection increased the magnitude of VEPRs.

Conclusions:

  • VEPRs and vection are not causally linked due to differing time courses and directional incongruencies.
  • VEPRs may involve two mechanisms: a short-latency system for automatic sway and a longer-latency, vection-enhanced system for perceived self-motion.