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Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2020
The effect of head roll on perceived auditory zenith
Denise C P B M Van Barneveld1, Tom J Van Grootel, Bart Alberts
1Department of Biophysics, Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein 21, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Experimental Brain Research
|June 7, 2011
Summary
Head roll significantly impacts sound localization. The brain accurately perceives sound direction relative to the head, but not the world, when the head is tilted, revealing vestibular system
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Vestibular System Function
- Multisensory Integration
Background:
- Auditory spatial awareness relies on integrating various sensory cues.
- The vestibular system, particularly the otolith organs, detects head motion and orientation.
- Understanding how head position affects sound localization is crucial for spatial cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of static head roll on auditory spatial perception.
- To differentiate sound localization accuracy in head-centered versus world-centered coordinates under head tilt.
- To explore the role of the vestibular-collic system in auditory spatial updating.
Main Methods:
- Participants judged sound source laterality relative to auditory zenith in upright and head-rolled positions (approx. 35°).
- Sound localization was assessed in both head-centered and world-centered reference frames.
- Response accuracy and variability were analyzed to quantify spatial perception.
Main Results:
- Head-centered auditory localization remained accurate despite head roll, indicating stable internal orientation cues.
- World-centered auditory localization showed significant systematic errors (10-15°) and increased variability with head roll, akin to the visual Aubert effect.
- Response variability increased in the midsagittal plane when upright, suggesting challenges in that specific orientation.
Conclusions:
- The vestibular-collic system significantly influences auditory spatial awareness and reference frame selection.
- Sound localization recalibrates effectively to head-centered coordinates during head tilt.
- Deviations in world-centered localization highlight complex multisensory interactions in spatial updating.
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