Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33436889›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2021

The additive nature of the human multisensory evoked pupil response.

Nathan Van der Stoep, M J Van der Smagt, C Notaro, Z Spock, M Naber

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Modality-general sensitivity of pupil responses to regularity violations.Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Pupil dilation reflects the social and motion content of faces.Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2024
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nathan Van der StoepDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Langeveld Building, Room H0.26, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands. N.VanderStoep@uu.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-0412-2078
M J Van der SmagtDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Langeveld Building, Room H0.26, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2772-6429
C NotaroDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Langeveld Building, Room H0.26, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Z SpockDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Langeveld Building, Room H0.26, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M NaberDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Langeveld Building, Room H0.26, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4208-8437
Utrecht University · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pupillometry has received increased interest for its usefulness in measuring various sensory processes as an alternative to behavioural assessments. This is also apparent for multisensory investigations. Studies of the multisensory pupil response, however, have produced conflicting results. Some studies observed super-additive multisensory pupil responses, indicative of multisensory integration (MSI). Others observed additive multisensory pupil responses even though reaction time (RT) measures were indicative of MSI. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the nature of the multisensory pupil response by combining methodological approaches of previous studies while using supra-threshold stimuli only. In two experiments we presented auditory and visual stimuli to observers that evoked a(n) (onset) response (be it constriction or dilation) in a simple detection task and a change detection task. In both experiments, the RT data indicated MSI as shown by race model inequality violation. Still, the multisensory pupil response in both experiments could best be explained by linear summation of the unisensory pupil responses. We conclude that the multisensory pupil response for supra-threshold stimuli is additive in nature and cannot be used as a measure of MSI, as only a departure from additivity can unequivocally demonstrate an interaction between the senses.

Indexed as

Evoked PotentialsAcoustic StimulationAdultAuditory PerceptionFemaleHumansMalePhotic StimulationPupilReaction TimeSensationVisual PerceptionYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID33436889
PMCPMC7803952
OpenAlexW3118311032

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.