Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Combined Shuttle-Box Training with Electrophysiological Cortex Recording and Stimulation as a Tool to Study Perception and Learning
Published on: October 22, 2015
Parahippocampal cortex is involved in material processing via echoes in blind echolocation experts.
Jennifer L Milne1, Stephen R Arnott2, Daniel Kish3
1The Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Blind individuals use echolocation to perceive their environment through sound. This study reveals that echolocation experts process material properties in the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory processing
- Auditory perception
Background:
- Blind individuals can use echolocation for navigation and object identification.
- Echolocation involves interpreting echoes from emitted sounds to understand surroundings.
- Material properties of objects can be discerned through echolocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural activity associated with processing material properties via echolocation.
- To determine if specialized brain regions are involved in echolocation-based material perception.
- To compare brain activation patterns between echolocation experts and non-experts.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Participants listened to binaural recordings of mouth-clicks in different material environments.
- Three blind echolocation experts, three blind non-echolocators, and three sighted non-echolocators participated.
Main Results:
- All participants could identify materials (fleece, synthetic foliage, whiteboard) and an empty room from the sound recordings.
- fMRI revealed increased BOLD activation in the left parahippocampal cortex for echolocating participants when processing echoes.
- Control participants (blind and sighted) did not show this material-related activation increase.
Conclusions:
- Echolocation-based material processing engages specific neural pathways.
- The left parahippocampal cortex appears crucial for processing material properties through echolocation.
- Findings suggest a multimodal material processing area in the parahippocampal cortex.
More Related Videos
07:52Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents
Published on: May 23, 2025
09:43Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat
Published on: December 11, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
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....
Parallel Processing
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
Association Areas of the Cortex
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,...