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Brain areas involved in synaesthesia: a review
Romke Rouw1, H Steven Scholte, Olympia Colizoli
1Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. R.Rouw@uva.nl
Journal of Neuropsychology
|September 20, 2011
Summary
Neuroimaging studies reveal that synaesthesia involves a network of sensory, motor, and higher-level brain regions, not just one area. These regions support sensory, binding, and cognitive control processes in synaesthetic experiences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Synaesthesia, a condition where sensory experiences are linked (e.g., seeing colors when hearing sounds), has complex neurobiological underpinnings that are not fully understood.
- Recent advancements in neuroimaging offer insights into brain activity during synaesthetic experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To integrate findings from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms of synaesthesia.
- To identify specific brain regions and networks involved in synaesthetic experiences.
- To differentiate between the neural basis of synaesthesia as a trait and the mechanisms underlying specific synaesthetic associations.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and integration of results from existing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies on synaesthesia.
- Analysis of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent functional MRI (BOLD-MRI) data to identify activated brain regions.
- Comparison of findings across studies with varying experimental setups and participant types.
Main Results:
- Activation of sensory brain areas corresponding to the specific type of synaesthesia (e.g., color regions in occipito-temporal cortex for color synaesthesia).
- Identification of a distributed network of six overlapping brain regions, including sensory, motor, parietal, and frontal areas, underlying synaesthesia.
- Evidence suggesting these regions support sensory processing, attentional binding, and cognitive control processes.
Conclusions:
- Synaesthesia is underpinned by a network of brain regions rather than a single localized area.
- The identified brain network supports distinct cognitive processes crucial for synaesthetic experiences.
- Distinguishing between the general trait of synaesthesia and specific associations is key to understanding its neural basis and development.
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