FLEX-U · Flexibility to multisensory contestual information in people with sensory disabilities.

Flexibility to multisensory contestual information in people with sensory disabilities.

Sensory perception is a dynamic and flexible process that allows people to interact with their environment. The perceptual flexibility is not uniform and may be influenced by experience, sensory modality, and the presence of sensory impairments. The FLEX-U project (Flexibility to Multisensory Contextual Information in People with Sensory Disabilities) investigates how individuals integrate and adapt to multisensory information, with a particular focus on differences between people with typical sensory function and those with sensory impairments such as blindness or deafness. The essence of the project is how sensory information is weighted and adjusted in response to perceptual context. While people with typical sensory development tend to modulate their perception in response to contextual cues, those with sensory impairments may show either enhanced compensatory processing or reduced ability to adapt to changes in sensory input. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for both advancing theoretical neuroscience and enabling practical applications in assistive technology and rehabilitation. The project addresses two key challenges: - Understanding Sensory Flexibility and Rigidity: By examining how individuals integrate and adjust to sensory information. This is why FLEX-U aims to determine whether sensory flexibility is a general trait or specific to certain modalities. This is particularly relevant for individuals with sensory impairments, who may either develop heightened abilities in other senses or, conversely, show more rigid sensory processing. - Developing Models of Perceptual Behavior: Using computational models based on the Bayesian framework, the project attempts to quantify how different sensory cues influence perception. These models allow us to understand whether integration patterns, such as central tendency bias or serial dependence, emerge across sensory modalities, providing deeper insights into how the brain processes sensory information. The implications of FLEX-U extend beyond fundamental research. By identifying differences in sensory flexibility, the project can help develop personalized rehabilitation strategies for individuals with sensory impairments. This knowledge can also inform the design of assistive technologies, such as sensory substitution devices and multisensory training programs, to improve interaction with the environment for those with visual or auditory deficits. From a broader perspective, the findings of FLEX-U align with European strategic priorities on accessibility, inclusion, and technological innovation. In an increasingly digital and multisensory world, understanding how individuals process sensory information can help shape policies related to accessibility, inclusive education, and human-machine interaction. The project also integrates perspectives from social sciences and humanities, bridging cognitive neuroscience with real-world applications. In particular, it considers the ethical and societal implications of multisensory perception, ensuring that the research findings contribute to practical improvements in the lives of individuals with sensory impairments. By combining behavioral studies with computational modeling, FLEX-U seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of sensory adaptation while fostering innovations that enhance accessibility and inclusivity.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз