Sensory Evidence Accumulation Using Optic Flow in a Naturalistic Navigation Task.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Behavioral Biology

Background:

• Sensory evidence accumulation is crucial for decision-making in complex environments.
• Traditional studies often use passive stimuli, separating perception from action.
• Real-world behaviors like navigation involve a continuous interplay between perception and action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sensory evidence accumulation in a naturalistic, closed-loop navigation task.
• To determine if humans and monkeys integrate optic flow during self-initiated movements.
• To differentiate reliance on sensory input versus internal models in action-perception tasks.

Main Methods:

• Developed a virtual reality sequential decision task for humans and monkeys.
• Subjects navigated to a target location using optic flow from joystick movements.
• Manipulated optic flow perturbations, joystick gain, and optic flow density to probe evidence integration.

Main Results:

• Both humans and macaques demonstrated significant reliance on optic flow during navigation.
• Results indicate robust sensory evidence accumulation in a closed-loop action-perception paradigm.
• Behavioral responses were consistent with integrating visual sensory information over time.

Conclusions:

• Sensory evidence accumulation plays a critical role in naturalistic, closed-loop navigation tasks.
• The findings challenge traditional paradigms by demonstrating integration in active, continuous behaviors.
• This research highlights the importance of sensorimotor interactions in understanding decision-making.