Neural signal combination

Context

The brain must constantly combine information from our senses to allow us to interact with the world. This signal integration happens at many levels, from combining images across the left and right eyes to give us binocular vision, to blending smell, taste and touch to experience eating some delicious food.

The research

We can study signal combination by presenting carefully controlled visual and auditory stimuli, and measuring the brain's responses with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG). Of particular interest are situations where normal integration breaks down, such as in clinical conditions like amblyopia - a disorder of binocular vision. By combining M/EEG recordings with psychophysical measures, MRI activity, and computational modelling, we aim to better understand the neural algorithms that underpin our everyday sensory experiences.

Featured publications

• Neural markers of suppression in impaired binocular vision
• Binaural summation of amplitude modulation involves weak interaural suppression
• Evidence for an optimal algorithm underlying signal combination in human visual cortex