Influence of Multisensory Graviceptive Information on the Apparent Zenith

Overview

Journal Exp Brain Res

Specialty Neurology

Date 2010 Dec 9

PMID 21140138

Citations 5

Authors

J Carriot

C Cian

A Paillard

P Denise

J R Lackner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We studied the contribution of vestibular and somatosensory/proprioceptive stimulation to the perception of the apparent zenith (AZ). Experiment 1 involved rotation on a centrifuge and settings of the AZ. Subjects were supine on the centrifuge, and their body position was varied in relation to the rotation axis so that the gravitoinertial resultant force at the otoliths was 1 or 1.2 g with the otolith organs positioned 50 or 100 cm from the axis of rotation. Their legs were also positioned in different configurations, flexed and elevated or extended, to create different distributions of blood and lymph. Experiment 2 involved (a) settings of the AZ for subjects positioned supine with legs fully extended or legs flexed and elevated to create a torsoward shift of blood and (b) settings of the subjective visual vertical for subjects horizontally positioned on their sides with legs extended or bent. Experiment 3 had subjects in the same body configurations as in Experiment 2 indicate when they were horizontal as they were rotated in pitch or roll about an inter-aural or naso-occipital axis. The experimental results for all three experiments demonstrated that both visual localization and apparent body horizontal are jointly determined by multimodal combinations of otolithic and somatosensory/proprioceptive stimulation. No evidence was found for non-overlapping or exclusive mechanisms determining one or the other. The subjective postural horizontal and AZ were affected in similar ways by comparable manipulations.

Citing Articles

Proprioception and the predictive sensing of active self-motion.

Cullen K, Zobeiri O Curr Opin Physiol. 2021; 20:29-38.

PMID: 33954270 PMC: 8095676. DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2020.12.001.

Vestibular processing during natural self-motion: implications for perception and action.

Cullen K Nat Rev Neurosci. 2019; 20(6):346-363.

PMID: 30914780 PMC: 6611162. DOI: 10.1038/s41583-019-0153-1.

Bayesian quantification of sensory reweighting in a familial bilateral vestibular disorder (DFNA9).

Alberts B, Selen L, Verhagen W, Pennings R, Medendorp W J Neurophysiol. 2018; 119(3):1209-1221.

PMID: 29357473 PMC: 5899303. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00082.2017.

Perception of Upright: Multisensory Convergence and the Role of Temporo-Parietal Cortex.

Kheradmand A, Winnick A Front Neurol. 2017; 8:552.

PMID: 29118736 PMC: 5660972. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00552.

Sensory substitution in bilateral vestibular a-reflexic patients.

Alberts B, Selen L, Verhagen W, Medendorp W Physiol Rep. 2015; 3(5).

PMID: 25975644 PMC: 4463819. DOI: 10.14814/phy2.12385.

References

Trousselard M, Cian C, Nougier V, Pla S, Raphel C . Contribution of somesthetic cues to the perception of body orientation and subjective visual vertical. Percept Psychophys. 2004; 65(8):1179-87. DOI: 10.3758/bf03194843. View

Jarchow T, Mast F . The effect of water immersion on postural and visual orientation. Aviat Space Environ Med. 1999; 70(9):879-86. View

GRAYBIEL A, PATTERSON Jr J . Thresholds of stimulation of the otolith organs as indicated by the oculogravic illusion. J Appl Physiol. 1955; 7(6):666-70. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1955.7.6.666. View

Carriot J, Barraud P, Nougier V, Cian C . Difference in the perception of the horizon during true and simulated tilt in the absence of semicircular canal cues. Exp Brain Res. 2006; 174(1):158-66. DOI: 10.1007/s00221-006-0434-6. View

Clark B, GRAYBIEL A . Apparent rotation of fixed target associated with linear acceleration in flight. Am J Ophthalmol. 1949; 32(4):549-57. DOI: 10.1016/0002-9394(49)90878-8. View

GRAYBIEL A . Oculogravic illusion. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1952; 48(5):605-15. DOI: 10.1001/archopht.1952.00920010616007. View

Mittelstaedt H . A new solution to the problem of the subjective vertical. Naturwissenschaften. 1983; 70(6):272-81. DOI: 10.1007/BF00404833. View

Vaitl D, Mittelstaedt H, Saborowski R, Stark R, Baisch F . Shifts in blood volume alter the perception of posture: further evidence for somatic graviception. Int J Psychophysiol. 2002; 44(1):1-11. DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8760(01)00184-2. View

DeBEER G . The differentiation of neural crest cells into visceral cartilages and odontoblasts in Amblystoma, and a re-examination of the germ-layer theory. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010; 134(876):377-98. View

10.

COHEN M, Stoper A, Welch R, DeRoshia C . Effects of gravitational and optical stimulation on the perception of target elevation. Percept Psychophys. 2001; 63(1):29-35. DOI: 10.3758/bf03200500. View

11.

DiZio P, Li W, Lackner J, Matin L . Combined influences of gravitoinertial force level and visual field pitch on visually perceived eye level. J Vestib Res. 1997; 7(5):381-92. View

12.

Carriot J, DiZio P, Nougier V . Vertical frames of reference and control of body orientation. Neurophysiol Clin. 2008; 38(6):423-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2008.09.003. View

13.

Mittelstaedt H, Fricke E . The relative effect of saccular and somatosensory information on spatial perception and control. Adv Otorhinolaryngol. 1988; 42:24-30. DOI: 10.1159/000416072. View

14.

Carriot J, Charles C, Huffenus A, Nougier V, Raphel C, Cian C . Effect of low gravitational stimulation on the perception of target elevation: role of spatial expertise. Percept Psychophys. 2006; 67(6):1044-51. DOI: 10.3758/bf03193630. View

15.

Bortolami S, Rocca S, Daros S, DiZio P, Lackner J . Mechanisms of human static spatial orientation. Exp Brain Res. 2006; 173(3):374-88. DOI: 10.1007/s00221-006-0387-9. View

16.

Van Beuzekom A, Van Gisbergen J . Properties of the internal representation of gravity inferred from spatial-direction and body-tilt estimates. J Neurophysiol. 2000; 84(1):11-27. DOI: 10.1152/jn.2000.84.1.11/F. View

17.

Mittelstaedt H . The role of the pitched-up orientation of the otoliths in two recent models of the subjective vertical. Biol Cybern. 1989; 61(6):405-16. DOI: 10.1007/BF02414902. View

18.

Fernandez C, Goldberg J . Physiology of peripheral neurons innervating otolith organs of the squirrel monkey. III. Response dynamics. J Neurophysiol. 1976; 39(5):996-1008. DOI: 10.1152/jn.1976.39.5.996. View

19.

Vaitl D, Mittelstaedt H, Baisch F . Shifts in blood volume alter the perception of posture. Int J Psychophysiol. 1997; 27(2):99-105. DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8760(97)00053-6. View

20.

Mittelstaedt H . Somatic graviception. Biol Psychol. 1996; 42(1-2):53-74. DOI: 10.1016/0301-0511(95)05146-5. View