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1 University of Rochester Medical Center
2 Univ. of Rochester
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: qi_cui{at}urmc.rochester.edu.
Vision and audition represent the outside world in spatial synergy that is crucial for guiding natural activities. Input conveying eye-in-head position is required to maintain spatial congruence since the eyes move in the head while the ears remain head-fixed. Recently, we reported that the human perception of auditory space shifts with changes in eye position. In this study, we examined whether this phenomenon is: 1) dependent upon a visual fixation reference, 2) selective for frequency-bands (high-pass and low-pass noise) related to specific auditory spatial channels, 3) matched by a shift in the perceived straight-ahead (PSA), and 4) accompanied by a spatial shift for visual and/or bi-modal (visual and auditory) targets. Subjects were tested in a dark echo-attenuated chamber with their heads fixed facing a cylindrical screen, behind which a mobile speaker/LED presented targets across the frontal field. Subjects fixated alternating reference spots (0°, ± 20°) horizontally or vertically while either localizing targets or indicating PSA using a laser pointer. Results demonstrate that the spatial shift induced by ocular eccentricity is: 1) preserved for auditory targets without a visual fixation reference, 2) generalized for all frequency-bands, and thus all auditory spatial channels, 3) paralleled by a shift in PSA, and 4) restricted to auditory space. Findings are consistent with a set-point control strategy by which eye position governs multi-model spatial alignment. The phenomenon is robust for auditory space and egocentric perception, and highlights the importance of controlling for eye position in the examination of spatial perception and behavior.
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