Document Detail


Multisensory facilitation of behavior in monkeys: effects of stimulus intensity.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20044892     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Multisensory stimuli can improve performance, facilitating RTs on sensorimotor tasks. This benefit is referred to as the redundant signals effect (RSE) and can exceed predictions on the basis of probability summation, indicative of integrative processes. Although an RSE exceeding probability summation has been repeatedly observed in humans and nonprimate animals, there are scant and inconsistent data from nonhuman primates performing similar protocols. Rather, existing paradigms have instead focused on saccadic eye movements. Moreover, the extant results in monkeys leave unresolved how stimulus synchronicity and intensity impact performance. Two trained monkeys performed a simple detection task involving arm movements to auditory, visual, or synchronous auditory-visual multisensory pairs. RSEs in excess of predictions on the basis of probability summation were observed and thus forcibly follow from neural response interactions. Parametric variation of auditory stimulus intensity revealed that in both animals, RT facilitation was limited to situations where the auditory stimulus intensity was below or up to 20 dB above perceptual threshold, despite the visual stimulus always being suprathreshold. No RT facilitation or even behavioral costs were obtained with auditory intensities 30-40 dB above threshold. The present study demonstrates the feasibility and the suitability of behaving monkeys for investigating links between psychophysical and neurophysiologic instantiations of multisensory interactions.
Authors:
Céline Cappe; Micah M Murray; Pascal Barone; Eric M Rouiller
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of cognitive neuroscience     Volume:  22     ISSN:  1530-8898     ISO Abbreviation:  J Cogn Neurosci     Publication Date:  2010 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-08-20     Completed Date:  2010-11-30     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8910747     Medline TA:  J Cogn Neurosci     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2850-63     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation Service and Radiology Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Celine.Cappe@chuv.ch
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acoustic Stimulation / methods*
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Auditory Perception / physiology
Macaca fascicularis
Male
Photic Stimulation / methods*
Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
Reaction Time / physiology*
Visual Perception / physiology

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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