The functional organization of the developing brain: insight from multisensory integration

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The objective of my research programme is to elucidate the organization and functional plasticity of the developing human brain. To do so, I study the development of different aspects of perception. More specifically, this proposal focuses on the development of multisensory integration. An important factor limiting our understanding of human brain development is that developmental research has mainly studied sensory modalities in isolation. Yet, in the natural environment visual and auditory information that coincide in space and in time are often linked together to form multisensory precepts. The specific aims of the proposed research programme are to chart and compare the developmental course of sensory responses (e.g., psychophysical detection and sensory evoked potentials) to basic visual and auditory stimulation. Secondly, psychophysical investigations will identify the mechanisms of multisensory integration during development, under conditions of (a) auditory influence on visual perception and under conditions of (b) visual influence on auditory perception. Thirdly, neurophysiological investigation will determine when and where in the brain multisensory integration occurs during development as well as the electrophysiological characteristics of its neural substrate. The research supported by the current proposal is important for our understanding of human brain development and of its functional organization and plasticity. This will be of great interest for researchers in the field of neurosciences, biology, engineering, and medicine.  This research will enable Canadian researchers to be international leaders in the field of developmental neurosciences.