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A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity
Published on: May 7, 2017
Touch, sound and vision in human superior temporal sulcus
Michael S Beauchamp1, Nafi E Yasar, Richard E Frye
1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. Michael.S.Beauchamp@uth.tmc.edu <Michael.S.Beauchamp@uth.tmc.edu>
Neuroimage
|April 29, 2008
Summary
The human superior temporal sulcus (STS) integrates somatosensory, auditory, and visual information. A newly identified multisensory area (STSms) in the posterior STS responds to all three stimuli, potentially homologous to macaque STP.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sensory Integration
Background:
- The human superior temporal sulcus (STS) is a critical region for multisensory integration.
- Previous research primarily focused on auditory-visual integration in the STS.
- The macaque STS contains a superior temporal polysensory area (STP) responsive to somatosensory, auditory, and visual stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the human STS harbors an area analogous to the macaque STP.
- To determine the role of human STS in integrating somatosensory, auditory, and visual information.
Main Methods:
- Blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) was employed.
- Brain responses to unisensory somatosensory, auditory, and visual stimuli were measured.
- Stimuli included active and passive somatosensory tasks with varying intensity and location.
Main Results:
- A novel area, designated STSms (multisensory), was identified in the posterior STS.
- STSms responded to somatosensory, auditory, and visual stimulation.
- STSms exhibited modality-specific responses to somatosensory stimuli (intensity, location) and enhanced responses to combined auditory-tactile stimulation.
Conclusions:
- The human STSms is crucial for integrating somatosensory, auditory, and visual information.
- STSms is proposed as the human homolog of the macaque STP.
- This finding expands our understanding of multisensory processing in the human brain.
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