# Multisensory integration and self-motion perception in primate vestibular cortex

> **NIH NIH F32** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $78,828

## Abstract

Project Summary
In vertebrate animals, the vestibular system (primarily known as the “balance system” of the brain) interprets
head-movement and orientation signals to provide organisms with a sense of self-motion. The vital contribution
of vestibular system to reflexive control of posture, gaze, and gait is well characterized; however, far less is
known about the neural substrates underlying higher-order vestibular functions, such as the perception of self-
motion and the awareness of one's orientation in space. These functions rely on the cortical integration of
vestibular input with somatosensory and visual input. In non-human primates, the parieto-insular vestibular
cortex (PIVC) is uniquely suited to perform this multisensory integration. Unlike other vestibular-sensitive cortical
areas, PIVC has direct access to vestibular, somatosensory, and visual input from the thalamus; indeed, it is
hypothesized that other vestibular cortical areas receive their vestibular input from PIVC, thus making it a nexus
for higher-order vestibular function. Despite its hypothesized importance, extremely little is known about the
neural mechanisms by which PIVC integrates vestibular and extra-vestibular input, and whether this integration
is context dependent. For example, it is unclear whether PIVC neurons differentiate between vestibular input
generated during passive vs. active movements; such differentiation is seen in the vestibular nuclei and thalamus
and is thought to be essential for producing a sense of motor agency. To investigate these issues, I propose to
conduct high-density neurophysiological recordings in behaving primates during both passive stimulation and
actively generated head and whole-body movement. In Aim 1, I will investigate how PIVC integrates passively
applied vestibular and somatosensory input (Aim 1.1) and then vestibular and visual input (Aim 1.2). In Aim 2, I
will investigate whether PIVC differentially processes vestibular input during passive and active movement.
Specifically, I will examine how PIVC processes vestibular input generated during natural self-motion (i.e., self-
motion relying on sensorimotor input in the form of a head-turning task, Aim 2.1). I will then examine how PIVC
processes vestibular input generated during a learned, cognitively demanding motor task (Aim 2.2). In both aims,
I will determine how individual neurons in PIVC encode vestibular and extra-vestibular input, as well as how this
information is represented at the population level. The proposed experiments will resolve two questions which
are fundamental to understanding PIVC function: 1) How does PIVC integrate multisensory input to construct a
percept of self-motion? and 2) Is the processing of self-motion by PIVC neurons consistent with that required to
provide a sense of motor agency? Furthermore, the proposed experiments will determine how sensorimotor and
cognitive percepts of self-motion are represented in PIVC. This research will provide new i...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10907519
- **Project number:** 5F32MH134455-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alejandra Gomez
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $78,828
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-16 → 2025-08-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10907519

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10907519, Multisensory integration and self-motion perception in primate vestibular cortex (5F32MH134455-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10907519. Licensed CC0.

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