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Reference frame of the ventriloquism aftereffect
Norbert Kopco1, I-Fan Lin, Barbara G Shinn-Cunningham
1Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA. kopco@bu.edu
Summary
Vision recalibrates sound localization using a hybrid reference frame (RF) in both humans and monkeys. This audiovisual recalibration is spatially specific, influencing how we perceive sound location based on visual cues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Perception
- Vision and Audition
Background:
- The brain processes visual and auditory spatial information using different reference frames (RFs).
- Visual stimuli can influence perceived sound location, a phenomenon known as the ventriloquism effect.
- Understanding the reference frame for audiovisual recalibration is crucial for comprehending multisensory integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reference frame used when vision recalibrates perceived sound locations.
- To determine if audiovisual recalibration of sound localization is spatially specific.
- To compare recalibration mechanisms in humans and non-human primates (monkeys).
Main Methods:
- Induced ventriloquism aftereffects in humans and monkeys using audiovisual stimuli with laterally displaced visual components.
- Utilized interleaved auditory-only probe trials to assess recalibration effects.
- Varied eye position relative to the head during probe trials to differentiate between head-centered and eye-centered reference frames.
Main Results:
- Displaced visual stimuli induced a ventriloquism aftereffect in both humans and monkeys, demonstrating spatially specific audiovisual recalibration.
- The recalibration effect was approximately 50% of the visual displacement in humans and 25% in monkeys.
- Results indicated that both species utilize a mixture of head-centered and eye-centered reference frames for recalibration.
Conclusions:
- Audiovisual recalibration of sound localization is spatially specific and occurs within a hybrid reference frame.
- Neural mechanisms underlying ventriloquism involve brain regions that use a hybrid reference frame for spatial encoding.
- Findings suggest conserved mechanisms for multisensory integration and spatial reference frame processing across species.
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