Bayes-Like Integration of a New Sensory Skill with Vision

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2018 Nov 17

PMID 30442895

Citations 9

Authors

James Negen

Lisa Wen

Lore Thaler

Marko Nardini

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Humans are effective at dealing with noisy, probabilistic information in familiar settings. One hallmark of this is Bayesian Cue Combination: combining multiple noisy estimates to increase precision beyond the best single estimate, taking into account their reliabilities. Here we show that adults also combine a novel audio cue to distance, akin to human echolocation, with a visual cue. Following two hours of training, subjects were more precise given both cues together versus the best single cue. This persisted when we changed the novel cue's auditory frequency. Reliability changes also led to a re-weighting of cues without feedback, showing that they learned something more flexible than a rote decision rule for specific stimuli. The main findings replicated with a vibrotactile cue. These results show that the mature sensory apparatus can learn to flexibly integrate new sensory skills. The findings are unexpected considering previous empirical results and current models of multisensory learning.

Citing Articles

Towards Human Sensory Augmentation: A Cognitive Neuroscience Framework for Evaluating Integration of New Signals within Perception, Brain Representations, and Subjective Experience.

Nardini M, Scheller M, Ramsay M, Kristiansen O, Allen C Augment Hum Res. 2024; 10(1):1.

PMID: 39497728 PMC: 11533871. DOI: 10.1007/s41133-024-00075-7.

Sensory augmentation for a rapid motor task in a multisensory environment.

Negen J, Slater H, Nardini M Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2023; 42(2):113-120.

PMID: 37302045 PMC: 11492005. DOI: 10.3233/RNN-221279.

Newly learned shape-color associations show signatures of reliability-weighted averaging without forced fusion or a memory color effect.

Aston S, Pattie C, Graham R, Slater H, Beierholm U, Nardini M J Vis. 2022; 22(13):8.

PMID: 36580296 PMC: 9804025. DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.13.8.

Experimentally disambiguating models of sensory cue integration.

Scarfe P J Vis. 2022; 22(1):5.

PMID: 35019955 PMC: 8762719. DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.1.5.

An adaptive cue selection model of allocentric spatial reorientation.

Negen J, Bird L, Nardini M J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2021; 47(10):1409-1429.

PMID: 34766823 PMC: 8582329. DOI: 10.1037/xhp0000950.

References

Pouget A, Beck J, Ma W, Latham P . Probabilistic brains: knowns and unknowns. Nat Neurosci. 2013; 16(9):1170-8. PMC: 4487650. DOI: 10.1038/nn.3495. View

Maidenbaum S, Abboud S, Amedi A . Sensory substitution: closing the gap between basic research and widespread practical visual rehabilitation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2013; 41:3-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.11.007. View

Daee P, Mirian M, Ahmadabadi M . Reward maximization justifies the transition from sensory selection at childhood to sensory integration at adulthood. PLoS One. 2014; 9(7):e103143. PMC: 4110011. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103143. View

Nardini M, Bedford R, Mareschal D . Fusion of visual cues is not mandatory in children. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010; 107(39):17041-6. PMC: 2947870. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1001699107. View

Shams L, Beierholm U . Causal inference in perception. Trends Cogn Sci. 2010; 14(9):425-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.07.001. View

Kording K, Wolpert D . Bayesian integration in sensorimotor learning. Nature. 2004; 427(6971):244-7. DOI: 10.1038/nature02169. View

Knill D, Saunders J . Do humans optimally integrate stereo and texture information for judgments of surface slant?. Vision Res. 2003; 43(24):2539-58. DOI: 10.1016/s0042-6989(03)00458-9. View

Gottfried A, Rose S, BRIDGER W . Cross-modal transfer in human infants. Child Dev. 1977; 48(1):118-23. View

Petrini K, Remark A, Smith L, Nardini M . When vision is not an option: children's integration of auditory and haptic information is suboptimal. Dev Sci. 2014; 17(3):376-87. PMC: 4240463. DOI: 10.1111/desc.12127. View

10.

Meijer P . An experimental system for auditory image representations. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1992; 39(2):112-21. DOI: 10.1109/10.121642. View

11.

Thorne J, Debener S . Irrelevant visual stimuli improve auditory task performance. Neuroreport. 2008; 19(5):553-7. DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3282f8b1b6. View

12.

Knill D, Pouget A . The Bayesian brain: the role of uncertainty in neural coding and computation. Trends Neurosci. 2004; 27(12):712-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2004.10.007. View

13.

Weisswange T, Rothkopf C, Rodemann T, Triesch J . Bayesian cue integration as a developmental outcome of reward mediated learning. PLoS One. 2011; 6(7):e21575. PMC: 3130032. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021575. View

14.

Hillis J, Watt S, Landy M, Banks M . Slant from texture and disparity cues: optimal cue combination. J Vis. 2005; 4(12):967-92. DOI: 10.1167/4.12.1. View

15.

Lewkowicz D . The development of intersensory temporal perception: an epigenetic systems/limitations view. Psychol Bull. 2000; 126(2):281-308. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.126.2.281. View

16.

Bahrick L, Lickliter R . Intersensory redundancy guides attentional selectivity and perceptual learning in infancy. Dev Psychol. 2000; 36(2):190-201. PMC: 2704001. DOI: 10.1037//0012-1649.36.2.190. View

17.

. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016; 388(10053):1545-1602. PMC: 5055577. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. View

18.

Nardini M, Jones P, Bedford R, Braddick O . Development of cue integration in human navigation. Curr Biol. 2008; 18(9):689-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.04.021. View

19.

Maidenbaum S, Hanassy S, Abboud S, Buchs G, Chebat D, Levy-Tzedek S . The "EyeCane", a new electronic travel aid for the blind: Technology, behavior & swift learning. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2014; 32(6):813-24. DOI: 10.3233/RNN-130351. View

20.

Gori M, Del Viva M, Sandini G, Burr D . Young children do not integrate visual and haptic form information. Curr Biol. 2008; 18(9):694-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.04.036. View