Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Sensory Modalities01:15

Sensory 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...
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Perception of Sound Waves01:01

Perception of Sound Waves

The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Understanding Rice Responses to the Combination of Bacterial Panicle Blight and High Night Temperatures.

Rice (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Perinatal stress as a moderator of the effects of hormonal dysregulation on cognition and symptoms in early psychosis.

Schizophrenia research·2026
Same author

Inducing Lucid Dreaming Based on a Contemplative Practice of Compassion.

Brain sciences·2026
Same author

Gaze-Speech Coordination During Narration in Autism Spectrum Disorder and First-Degree Relatives.

Brain sciences·2026
Same author

Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism and its impact on survival in the ONCOTHROMB12-01 cohort study.

International journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature·2025
Same author

Lucid dreaming of a prior virtual-reality experience with ego-transcendent qualities: a proof-of-concept study.

Neuroscience of consciousness·2025
Same journal

Increased rates of hybridization in swordtails are associated with water pollution.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Visual uncertainty and task demands shape active sensing strategies in mice.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An adaptable, self-organizing, single-cell morphology circuit optimizes suctorian predatory trap structure.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Temporal tuning of switch-like virulence expression resolves environmental uncertainty through phenotypic heterogeneity.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An abstract relational map emerges in the human medial prefrontal cortex with consolidation.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Phloem evolved gradually and asynchronously to xylem in early vascular plants.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

Interactive coding of visual spatial frequency and auditory amplitude-modulation rate.

Emmanuel Guzman-Martinez1, Laura Ortega, Marcia Grabowecky

  • 1Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. emmanuelguz@gmail.com

Current Biology : CB
|February 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

People consistently link specific auditory amplitude modulation (AM) rates with visual spatial frequencies. This crossmodal mapping influences attention and awareness, suggesting development through multisensory experiences.

More Related Videos

A Two-interval Forced-choice Task for Multisensory Comparisons
07:13

A Two-interval Forced-choice Task for Multisensory Comparisons

Published on: November 9, 2018

Simultaneous Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
10:25

Simultaneous Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: June 5, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

A Two-interval Forced-choice Task for Multisensory Comparisons
07:13

A Two-interval Forced-choice Task for Multisensory Comparisons

Published on: November 9, 2018

Simultaneous Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
10:25

Simultaneous Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: June 5, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Perception
  • Crossmodal Interactions

Background:

  • Spatial frequency is key for visual processing, while temporal amplitude modulation (AM) rate is crucial for auditory perception.
  • Primary sensory cortices show frequent crossmodal interactions, potentially shaped by consistent multisensory experiences like speech perception.
  • Existing research suggests neural associations form through combined sensory input.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific crossmodal mapping between auditory AM rate and visual spatial frequency.
  • To determine if this mapping is absolute or relative.
  • To explore if auditory AM can modulate visual spatial frequency perception and attention.

Main Methods:

  • Participants matched specific auditory AM rates to visual spatial frequencies.
  • The study examined the nature of this crossmodal association (absolute vs. relative).
  • Experiments tested if amplitude-modulated sounds could guide attention to visual stimuli.

Main Results:

  • A consistent, absolute mapping was found between specific auditory AM rates and visual spatial frequencies.
  • Amplitude-modulated sounds effectively guided attention and modulated awareness of specific visual spatial frequencies.
  • The crossmodal association demonstrated approximate linearity with physical spatial frequency and generalized to tactile stimuli.

Conclusions:

  • A robust, absolute crossmodal association exists between auditory AM rate and visual spatial frequency.
  • This association is likely developed through multisensory experiences, including tactile exploration.
  • These findings highlight fundamental principles of sensory integration and perception.