Predicting the multisensory future: Role of neuronal connectivity for integrative information processing across modalities

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In natural situations, we continuously monitor and integrate the multiple inputs that enter our sensory system. For instance, when cycling on a busy street it is important to integrate the sounds and sights of other vehicles. Predicting behaviour of other road users based on sensory cues across modalities is essential for our survival. Recent electrophysiological studies have provided evidence that ongoing oscillations and neuronal connectivity in cortical networks play a crucial role for the integration and perception of upcoming multisensory stimuli. How exactly ongoing oscillations affect processing and perception of multisensory stimuli is not well understood. Moreover, there are only a few studies that have investigated neuronal connectivity and the flow of information within cortical networks implied in multisensory integration. The central goal of this proposal is to address how ongoing oscillations, neuronal connectivity, and information flow within cortical networks influence the integration and perception of upcoming multisensory stimuli. The project will target two complementary research questions: 1) What is the role of ongoing oscillatory activity for the processing and perception of forthcoming multisensory stimuli? and 2) How do primary sensory, multisensory and higher-order cortical areas interact prior to and during multisensory perception? These questions will be addressed in a series of experiments in humans comprising of audiovisual illusion paradigms. The proposed experiments include transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography in combination with state-of-the-art source analysis approaches. The outcome of this project will substantially further our understanding of how ongoing processing in cortical networks modulate the perception and integration of sensory stimuli across modalities.