Neuromodulation of Motion Illusions (Vection)

Virtual reality systems or simulators are more and more frequently used in the field of learning but also in motor rehabilitation. One of the key points of the success of these systems is the experience of "presence" which is associated with the capacity of these technologies to develop in the observer, who is static, the sensation of moving in the virtual environment (vection). However, the simulation generates a sensory conflict (an optical flow specifying self-motion and vestibular stimuli specifying body immobility). This conflict influences the temporal characteristics of the vection and consequently modifies the way users act in their virtual environment. Thus, contrary to a real situation, vection does not occur instantaneously with the appearance of a visual movement. Moreover, the visual stimulus often generates alternating periods of perception of movement of the environment and of oneself (bistable perception) which can lead to "simulator sickness", a disabling situation for the user. Thus, as vection is an essential element to allow an "optimal transfer of learning" from the simulator to reality, it may be important to promote its emergence while limiting its bistability.

The aim of this project is to study the inhibitory or facilitative modulation of the emergence of the vection phenomenon by the use of non-invasive cortical stimulation techniques (transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), transcranial alternative current stimulation (tACS), and repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)).