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Somatosensory modulation of perceptual vestibular detection

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Abstract

Vestibular-multisensory interactions are essential for self-motion, navigation and postural stability. Despite evidence suggesting shared brain areas between vestibular and somatosensory inputs, no study has yet investigated whether somatosensory information influences vestibular perception. Here, we used signal detection methods to identify whether somatosensory stimulation might interact with vestibular events in a vestibular detection task. Participants were instructed to detect near-threshold vestibular roll-rotation sensations delivered by galvanic vestibular stimulation in one-half of experimental trials. A vibrotactile signal occurred to the index fingers of both hands in half of the trials, independent of vestibular signals. We found that vibrotactile somatosensory stimulation decreased perceptual vestibular sensitivity. The results are compatible with a gain regulation mechanism between vestibular and somatosensory modalities.

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Abbreviations

GVS:

Galvanic vestibular stimulation

PIVC:

Parieto insular vestibular cortex

SII:

Secondary somatosensory cortex

L-GVS:

Left-anodal and right-cathodal GVS

R-GVS:

Right-anodal and left-cathodal GVS

L-SHAM:

Left-anodal and right-cathodal SHAM

R-SHAM:

Right-anodal and left-cathodal SHAM.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a Royal Society grant and a British Academy grant awarded to ERF.

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Author notes

  1. Katerina Cabolis and Anne Steinberg equally contributed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK

    Katerina Cabolis, Anne Steinberg & Elisa Raffaella Ferrè

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  1. Katerina Cabolis
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  2. Anne Steinberg
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  3. Elisa Raffaella Ferrè
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Correspondence to Elisa Raffaella Ferrè.

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The Authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Cabolis, K., Steinberg, A. & Ferrè, E.R. Somatosensory modulation of perceptual vestibular detection. Exp Brain Res 236, 859–865 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-018-5167-9

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