The role of the vestibular system in multisensory integration during navigation
Multiple Paper Presentation

Alain Berthoz
College de France, Paris

     Abstract ID Number: 214
     Last modified: April 27, 2006
     Presentation date: 06/20/2006 7:30 PM in RHK, The Great Hall
     (View Schedule)

Abstract
The vestibular system provide the brain with information concerning head angular and linear acceleration . It also constitutes a fundamental reference frames for spatial orientation .
I shall describe experiments which show that the vestibular system not only contributes to the perception and memeory of travelled paths but is in interaction with vision and kinesthetic cues for the cognitive mechanisms which underly spatial memory fo navigation. The neural basis of these mechanisms will be described both from experimenst using brain imaging (fMRI), neuropsychological studies in patients and neurophysiological studies .
I shall show that at all levels of these mechanisms a multisensory processing is present . In addtition I will show how visual vestibular conflicts are solved in the brain not only by weighing mechanisms but by decision making and sensory selection.

To be Presented at the Following Symposium:
Vestibular contribution to multisensory perception and movement control.
Other papers in this Symposium:

• Stuart Smith
  School of Psychology, University College Dublin
  Multisensory self-motion estimation, old ideas and new data
• Fabrizio Doricchi
  Universita’ degli Studi “La Sapienza” and Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome Italy
  Crossmodal integration of vestibular cues, attentional orienting and space representation
• Peter Thier
  Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen
  Uwe Ilg
  Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen
  Peter W. Dicke
  Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen
  The integration of vestibular signals in parietal cortex contributing to observer-independent representations of the world