Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
10:27
Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
Published on: February 20, 2014
Acquired auditory-visual synesthesia: A window to early cross-modal sensory interactions
Pegah Afra1, Michael Funke, Fumisuke Matsuo
1Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Psychology Research and Behavior Management
|November 24, 2011
Summary
Synesthesia links senses, like hearing colors. This review explores acquired and induced auditory-visual synesthesia, examining potential brain mechanisms for these cross-modal sensory experiences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Synesthesia involves involuntary cross-modal sensory experiences.
- Auditory-visual synesthesia links sound stimuli to visual sensations.
- It presents in developmental, induced, and acquired forms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on acquired and induced auditory-visual synesthesias.
- To discuss the potential neural mechanisms underlying these synesthetic experiences.
- To explore synesthesia as a model for studying cross-modal interactions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of acquired and induced auditory-visual synesthesia.
- Analysis of neuroimaging and neurophysiological evidence for cross-modal interactions.
- Discussion of potential neural pathways and mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Acquired auditory-visual synesthesia is linked to visual deafferentation or temporal lobe issues.
- Induced forms arise from blindfolding or psychedelic substance intake.
- Evidence suggests early cross-modal interactions between auditory and visual pathways exist.
Conclusions:
- Synesthesia offers insights into cross-modal sensory processing.
- Neural mechanisms for acquired and induced auditory-visual synesthesia are complex and involve early pathway interactions.
- Further research can elucidate these intricate brain functions.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Synesthesia
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...
01:15Sensory Modalities
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
01:12Visual Agnosia
Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...
01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
01:24Vision
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
01:26Introduction to Special Senses
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive functions.