1. Research Interests

Polysensory Integration and Construction of Extrapersonal Space

Spatial orientation depends on the cortical integration of different sensory modalities, such as visual, somatosensory and vestibular afferents to provide a coherent and unified perception of our surroundings. While spatial coordinates of visual stimuli are believed to be encoded in retinotopic or “eye-centered” coordinates, the encoding of somatosensory stimuli is suggested to be represented in a “body-centered” reference frame. Several multimodal sensory areas have been identified, which respond to vestibular, visual and somatosensory signals. Studies in non-human primates let assume that the neurophysiological correlate of multisensory integration into one common three-dimensional reference frame can be found in the posterior parietal cortex (Cohen and Andersen, 2002).

Perceptual Stability of Extrapersonal Space

Both, eye movements and environmental movement enhance a retinal image motion signal. As postulated by the inferential theory of perception retinal image motion is corrected by an eye movement related extraretinal signal. This mechanism allows for distinguishing between the source of retinal image slip and for the perception of a stable environment during smooth pursuit eye movements (Wertheim, 1994).

Fig.1: Visual polar angle mapping in our principal investigator

2. Projects

• Human multisensory vestibular and motion-sensitive cortical areas
• Functional imaging of body orientation after neck-proprioceptive stimulation
• Cortical substrates of perceptual stability during eye movements
• Pathophysiology of migraine associated dizziness
• Activation pattern in vestibular neuronitis

3. Methods

• Psychophysics
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• Electroencephalography (EEG)

4. The Group

Fig.2: Discussing hot topics at Neuroscience 2004

5. Selected Publications

Fasold O, von Brevern M, Kuhberg M, Ploner C, Villringer A, Lempert T, Wenzel R (2002) Human vestibular cortex as identified with caloric stimulation in functional MRI. Neuroimage 17: 1384-1393.

Fasold O, Trenner MU, Wolfert J, Kaiser T, Villringer A, Wenzel R (2004) Right Hemispheric Dominance in Temporo-Parietal BOLD-Response to Right and Left Neck Muscle Vibration. Society for Neuroscience (Abstract)

Trenner MU, Fasold O, Villringer A, Wenzel R (2004) Cortical Areas Associated with Perceptual Stability during Eye Movements. Society for Neuroscience (Abstract)

Wenzel R, Wolfert J, Fasold O, Obrig H, Ploner C, Villringer, A (2003) FMRI of the responses to neck muscle vibration. Society for Neuroscience (Abstract)