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Predictive coding and multisensory integration: an attentional account of the multisensory mind
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium.
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience
|April 11, 2015
Summary
Multisensory integration combines sensory inputs with cognitive processes for a unified mental representation. This process involves both external stimuli and internal factors like memory and mental imagery.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sensory Processing
Background:
- Multisensory integration is crucial for perception.
- It involves complex cognitive processes at various processing stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue that multisensory integration relies on both top-down and bottom-up processes.
- To highlight that internal cognitive processes also shape mental representations.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies on multisensory interactions.
- Analysis of research on memory recall and multisensory context.
- Examination of studies on mental imagery and multisensory illusions.
Main Results:
- Multisensory integration is not limited to early sensory stages.
- Internal cognitive processes, including memory and mental imagery, influence multisensory perception.
- Predictive coding framework explains the coordination of sensory and cognitive inputs.
Conclusions:
- A central top-down attentional process coordinates multisensory integration.
- A coherent mental representation results from integrating sensory and cognitive information.
- Understanding multisensory integration requires considering both external stimuli and internal cognitive states.
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