The primary aim of the In-Vest project is to offer a better understanding of how self-motion perception works. To do so, our team uses the stimulation of the vestibular apparatus, responsible for the perception of self-motion, coupled with brain imaging techniques, in order to map the cerebral activations related to the perception of self-motion and to define how they are integrated with visual information.
LATEST ATTENDENCE TO SYMPOSIA AND CONGRESS
- MNS 2025 – Mediterranean Neuroscience Society
- NeuroFrance 2025 – Montpellier
- SfN 2024 – Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting
- GDR Biosimia Congress 2024
- SEV 2024 – Balance awareness week
- ECVP 2024 – European Conference on Visual Perception
- GDR Vertige Summer School 2024 – VERTINNOVATION
- CIP 2024 – 10th Iberian Conference on Perception
- IMRF 2024 – International Multisensory Research Forum
A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo)
The CerCo is a joint CNRS/Paul Sabatier University – Toulouse III unit. The scientific objectives of the CerCo are focused on the study of different sensory modalities and their integration, cognitive functions such as memory, object recognition but also consciousness and mental states.
Studies of the adaptation capacities of human beings in real life conditions in constraining environments, according to chronobiological, sensory and emotional criteria. Determination of physiological and sensory markers of adaptation and application to the health field.
OUR SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS
• What are the optimal vestibular stimuli to evoke a consistent and realistic vection, self-motion illusion?
• What are the underlying cortical networks?
• How is gravity involved in these processes?
• How aging affects self-motion perception?
• Is there a specificity of the human vestibular system
compared to that of non-human primates?
OUR EXPERTISE
For a scientific matter of this scale, it is necessary to have a team adapted to the project in terms of skills. The In-Vest project brings together experts in the various fields to be involved in order to provide comprehensive results and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in visuo-vestibular integration in primates.
• Development of vestibular stimulation devices
• Conditioning and acquisitions on non-human primates
• MRI data acquisition on a research-dedicated plateform
• Studies on elderly populations with or without pathologies
• Use of recent techniques such as Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS)
RESEARCH VALORIZATION
2025
• Sarah Marchand, Alba Langlade, Quentin Legois, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil. A wide-ranging review of galvanic vestibular stimulation: from its genesis to basic science and clinical applications. Exp Brain Res 243, 131 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-025-07079-8
• Alba Langlade, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (2025). Exploring eye movement responses to binaural monopolar galvanic vestibular stimulation. NeuroFrance 2025, Montpellier, France (poster)
• TBA (2025), Mediterranean Neuroscience Society Conference, Chania, Greece (poster)
• Sarah Marchand (2025), How specialized is area V6 in processing self-motion signals in the primate cortex? – Curiosity Seminar, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI, Toulouse) (talk)
• Sarah Marchand (2025), What’s new on cerebral processing of multisensory input: from self-motion perception to action – 10th Mediterranean Neuroscience Society Conference (MNS), Chania, Grèce – Symposium organized by Sarah Marchand, Alba Langlade & Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (talk)
2024
• Sarah Marchand, Marine Balcou, Philippine Picher, Maxime Rosito, Damien Mateo, Nathalie Vayssiere, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Alexandra Severac Cauquil. Visuo-Vestibular Integration for Self-Motion: Human Cortical Area V6 Prefers Forward and Congruent Stimuli. bioRxiv 2024.11.27.625640; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.27.625640
• Sarah Marchand, Marine Balcou, Philippine Picher, Maxime Rosito, Damien Mateo, Nathalie Vayssière, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (2024). V6 Activation in Cortical Visuo-Vestibular Integration of Forward Self-Motion Signals : Insights from combining GVS and fMRI – 22nd International Multisensory Research Forum, Reno, Nevada, USA (poster)
• Sarah Marchand, Yasuko Sugase-Miyamoto, Aya Takemura, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Tomokazu Tsurugizawa (2024). Cortical activations in response to optic-flow induced by artificial and natural scenes in the Japanese macaque: a function MRI study. JSPS Summer Program 2024, Japan (poster)
• Sarah Marchand, Maïwen Braconnier, Nathalie Vayssière, Benoît R Cottereau, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (2024). A glimpse into self-motion : cortical specializations for optic flow processing across primate brain V6. Neuroscience 2024, Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, Illinois, USA (poster)
• Sarah Marchand (2024), Unravelling the Neural Mechanisms of Multisensory Self-Motion Processing: From Primate Models to Clinical Applications – 22nd International Multisensory Research Forum, Reno, Nevada, USA – Symposium organized by Sarah Marchand & Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (talk)
• Sarah Marchand (2024), How specialized is area V6 in processing self-motion signals in the primate cortex? – Early Career Speaker series at University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA (talk)
• Sarah Marchand (2024), How specialized is area V6 in processing self-motion signals in the primate cortex? – Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan (talk)
2022
• Sarah Marchand, Marine Balcou, Philippine Picher, Maxime Rosito, Damien Mateo, Nathalie Vayssière, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (2022). Convergence of visual and vestibular signals for self-motion : an fMRI study. XXXI Bárány Society Meeting Madrid, Spain (poster)
• Alba Langlade, Alexandra Séverac Cauquil (2022). Self-motion perception induced by galvanic vestibular stimulation according to gravity: a fNIRS study. XXXI Bárány Society Meeting Madrid, Spain (poster)
2020
• Felipe Aedo-Jury, Benoit Cottereau, Simona Celebrini, Alexandra Séverac-Cauquil; Antero-Posterior vs. Lateral Vestibular Input Processing in Human Visual Cortex. Front. Integr. Neurosci., 10 August 2020, Volume 14 – 2020 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2020.00043
• Bogdanova, O.V., Bogdanov, V.B., Durand, JB. et al. Dynamics of the straight-ahead preference in human visual cortex. Brain Struct Funct 225, 173–186 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-01988-5