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Geminate consonant grapheme-colour synaesthesia (ideaesthesia)
Donald F Weaver1,2,3, Cassandra L A Hawco4,5
1Toronto Western Research Institute, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada. dweaver@uhnresearch.ca.
BMC Neurology
|July 16, 2015
Summary
This study explores a unique case of grapheme-colour synaesthesia triggered by geminate consonants like "ll." The findings suggest unique processing of these double letters and a link between synaesthesia and migraine headaches.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Synaesthesia is a neurological condition involving cross-sensory experiences.
- It manifests as an involuntary sensory or cognitive pathway activation upon stimulation of a second, unrelated pathway.
Observation:
- A 55-year-old male with lifelong grapheme-colour synaesthesia was studied.
- His synaesthesia was specifically triggered by the double letter 'll' (geminate consonant), not by a single 'l'.
- The condition was font-specific (serif fonts enhanced it) and modulated by migraine headaches.
Findings:
- Geminate consonants appear to be processed uniquely, not as two separate letters.
- A mechanistic link between synesthetic experiences and migraine sequences was observed.
Implications:
- This suggests distinct neural processing for geminate consonants in synaesthesia.
- The findings may offer insights into the interplay between synaesthesia and neurological events like migraines.
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