Vestibular contribution to high cognitive functions

The vestibular system is connected with widespread cortical areas in the right hemisphere of the brain. Those areas also play important roles in other high-level cognitive functions such as body awareness, decision-making, and risk-taking. Using physiological techniques to stimulate, modulate, or disrupt the vestibular signal (e.g. caloric vestibular stimulation) we explore how an altered vestibular input affects one’s ability to discriminate bodily signals, morally judge ambiguous situations, and regulate behaviour in risky situations.