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Published on: May 10, 2012
Multisensory processing in spatial orientation: an inverse probabilistic approach
Ivar A H Clemens1, Maaike De Vrijer, Luc P J Selen
1Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Summary
The brain integrates sensory information using Bayesian inference, even for complex tasks like spatial orientation. This study shows a shared Bayesian model explains differences in body and head orientation perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Sensory Integration
Background:
- Bayesian inference is a leading theory for optimal sensory integration in the brain.
- Previous studies often used a forward approach, measuring noise in isolated sensory modalities.
- Spatial orientation integrates visual, somatosensory, and vestibular cues, making isolated measurement difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a shared Bayesian sensory integration scheme explains perceptual differences in body-in-space versus head-in-space orientation.
- To apply an inverse probabilistic approach based on optimal observer theory to spatial orientation tasks.
Main Methods:
- A psychometric approach was used with seven human subjects performing subjective body tilt (SBT) and subjective visual vertical (SVV) estimations.
- An inverse probabilistic model was developed to fit the sensory integration data.
- A further experiment assessed head orientation relative to the body in supine subjects.
Main Results:
- Subjective body tilt (SBT) was more accurate than subjective visual vertical (SVV), especially at tilt angles beyond 60°.
- Variability increased with tilt angle for both tasks, but was lower for SVV.
- The sensory integration model accurately fitted both SBT and SVV datasets, and predicted head-on-body noise.
Conclusions:
- Bayesian computations provide a unified framework for understanding spatial orientation judgments.
- The derived noise properties align with known deficits in patients with vestibular and somatosensory impairments.
- This inverse probabilistic approach successfully reconciles perceptual differences across different orientation tasks.
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