Vestibular Stimulation Affects Optic-Flow Sensitivity

Typically, multiple cues can be used to generate a particular percept. Our area of interest is the extent to which humans are able to synergistically combine cues that are generated when moving through an environment. For example, movement through the environment leads to both visual (optic-flow) and vestibular stimulation, and studies have shown that non-human primates are able to combine these cues to generate a more accurate perception of heading than can be obtained with either cue in isolation. Here we investigate whether humans show a similar ability to synergistically combine optic-flow and vestibular cues. This was achieved by determining the sensitivity to optic-flow stimuli while physically moving the observer, and hence producing a vestibular signal, that was either consistent with the optic-flow signal, eg a radially expanding pattern coupled with forward motion, or inconsistent with it, eg a radially expanding pattern with backward motion. Results indicate that humans are more sensitive to motion-in-depth optic-flow stimuli when they are combined with complementary vestibular signals than when they are combined with conflicting vestibular signals. These results indicate that in humans, like in non-human primates, there is perceptual integration of visual and vestibular signals.