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Related Concept Videos

Synesthesia01:27

Synesthesia

Synesthesia is a remarkable condition where stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with synesthesia experience a blending or crossing of their senses, such as sight and sound, leading to cross-modal sensations. In this condition, the stimulation of one sense, such as hearing a number or musical note, triggers an experience of another sense, like sensing a specific color, taste, or smell. People...
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
10:27

Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color

Published on: February 20, 2014

Synaesthesia and cortical connectivity.

Gary Bargary1, Kevin J Mitchell

  • 1School of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Trends in Neurosciences
|June 14, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Synaesthesia, a sensory cross-activation condition, is likely caused by structural brain differences, not just functional ones. These brain alterations may be widespread and offer insights into neural connectivity development.

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Statistical Modelling of Cortical Connectivity Using Non-invasive Electroencephalograms

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Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
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Published on: February 20, 2014

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Statistical Modelling of Cortical Connectivity Using Non-invasive Electroencephalograms
08:51

Statistical Modelling of Cortical Connectivity Using Non-invasive Electroencephalograms

Published on: November 1, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Synaesthesia is a heritable neurological condition involving involuntary sensory cross-activation.
  • Existing models propose either functional or structural brain differences as the cause.
  • Aberrant cross-activation between cortical areas is the hypothesized mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate current models of synaesthesia in light of recent experimental findings.
  • To argue for the presence of structural differences in the brains of individuals with synaesthesia.
  • To explore developmental mechanisms linking genetic factors to altered cortical connectivity.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of recent experimental findings related to synaesthesia.
  • Comparative analysis of functional versus structural brain difference models.
  • Discussion of potential developmental pathways and genetic underpinnings.

Main Results:

  • Evidence supports structural brain differences in synaesthetes, potentially more extensive than previously thought.
  • These structural variations may underlie the aberrant cross-activation characteristic of synaesthesia.
  • Plausible developmental mechanisms connecting genetic predispositions to altered neural connectivity were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Structural brain differences are a more likely explanation for synaesthesia than purely functional ones.
  • Synaesthesia serves as a valuable model for understanding the establishment of cortical connectivity.
  • Further research into the widespread structural variations and developmental origins is warranted.