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Background <p>This study aims to assess the influence of vestibular and somatosensory inputs on path integration and spatial navigation abilities.</p> Method <p>The research involved 38 participants aged 18 to 30 (mean age 22.13 ± 1.9), including 21 females and 17 males, who underwent path integration testing in three conditions: participants walk himself/herself (PWH), fixed feet on the chair (FFC), and feet in the air (FIA). Discrepancies between initial and final positions were measured in centimeters across <i>X</i>, <i>Y</i>, and hypotenuse axes, excluding individuals scoring below 21 on cognitive assessments.</p> Results <p>Analyses revealed significant differences in <i>X</i>-axis distances between PWH and FIA, as well as FIA and FFC, and on the hypotenuse axis between FIA and FFC (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), with no significant differences on the <i>Y</i>-axis.</p> Conclusion <p>In three distinct scenarios, the subjects were evaluated with their eyes closed and instructed to rely on vestibular and somatosensory input to return to the initial position. Although visual data is the most important data source for path integration, the vestibular system makes an important contribution to orientation even when somatosensory stimuli are removed. This was evidenced by the feet being closer to the starting point in all cases than when the feet were in contact with the chair.</p>

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The role of vestibular and somatosensory input in spatial navigation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月25日

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  • Arzu Hediye Karakoc,
  • Aleyna Sap,
  • Kerem Ersin,
  • Oguz Yilmaz

摘要

Background

This study aims to assess the influence of vestibular and somatosensory inputs on path integration and spatial navigation abilities.

Method

The research involved 38 participants aged 18 to 30 (mean age 22.13 ± 1.9), including 21 females and 17 males, who underwent path integration testing in three conditions: participants walk himself/herself (PWH), fixed feet on the chair (FFC), and feet in the air (FIA). Discrepancies between initial and final positions were measured in centimeters across X, Y, and hypotenuse axes, excluding individuals scoring below 21 on cognitive assessments.

Results

Analyses revealed significant differences in X-axis distances between PWH and FIA, as well as FIA and FFC, and on the hypotenuse axis between FIA and FFC (p < 0.05), with no significant differences on the Y-axis.

Conclusion

In three distinct scenarios, the subjects were evaluated with their eyes closed and instructed to rely on vestibular and somatosensory input to return to the initial position. Although visual data is the most important data source for path integration, the vestibular system makes an important contribution to orientation even when somatosensory stimuli are removed. This was evidenced by the feet being closer to the starting point in all cases than when the feet were in contact with the chair.