Congruence-based contextual plausibility modulates cortical activity during vibrotactile perception in virtual...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Virtual Reality (VR) Research
• Human Perception

Background:

• Understanding how congruence cues and expectations influence perception in virtual reality (VR) remains incomplete.
• The concept of plausibility in VR research is linked to congruence-based modulation of sensory experiences.
• Multisensory stimulations are crucial for creating plausible VR scenarios that align with common expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the combined effects of congruence cues and expectations on perception within VR.
• To assess brain responses to manipulated perceptual plausibility using sensory congruence in VR vehicle riding scenarios.
• To test the hypothesis that plausible VR scenarios elicit greater cortical responses.

Main Methods:

• Participants experienced vehicle riding scenarios in VR with manipulated sensory congruence.
• Brain responses were measured using electroencephalography (EEG) during these VR experiences.
• Vibrotactile stimulations were used to manipulate perceptual plausibility based on audio-visual information.

Main Results:

• Expected vibrotactile intensities, congruent with audio-visual cues, increased cortical activity in frontal and sensorimotor regions.
• Weaker plausible stimulations evoked stronger sensorimotor cortex responses compared to stronger but implausible stimulations.
• Frontal cortical activity in plausible scenarios showed a negative correlation with plausibility violation costs in the sensorimotor cortex.

Conclusions:

• Plausible VR scenarios, supported by congruent multisensory information, enhance cortical processing, particularly in sensorimotor and frontal regions.
• Findings suggest a role for frontal brain regions in regulating sensory processing based on congruence and expectations.
• This study extends the understanding of contextual modulation to the tactile sense within VR environments.