Caloric vestibular stimulation facilitates spatial, but not visual, perspective-taking

Several vestibular areas overlap with those involved in perspective-taking (Deroualle & Lopez, 2014). This study investigated whether caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) would enhance perspective-taking, specifically level-2 perspective-taking due to the hypothesised involvement of mental rotation in these processes (Surtees et al., 2013). Thirty participants completed a two-part study. In both sessions, participants wore a thermoneuromodulation device. In one session, the device delivered active CVS. In the other session (counterbalanced), the device delivered sham CVS. During both sessions, participants completed a mental rotation task, an inhibition task, and a perspective-taking task with four conditions (visual/spatial X level-1/level-2). Overall, findings replicated Surtees et al.’s results. Additionally, active CVS facilitated mental rotation processes in spatial perspective-taking (not visual). However, there was no effect of CVS for the mental rotation or inhibition task. Therefore, vestibular stimulation seems to facilitate the speed at which someone can mentally rotate to another person’s perspective.