Visual Influences on Auditory Behavioral, Neural, and Perceptual Processes: A Review

Area of Science:

• Multisensory processing
• Auditory perception
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Auditory cues in natural environments are often paired with information from other senses, particularly vision.
• Multisensory interactions shape auditory function, with vision having a profound influence.
• Existing knowledge primarily focuses on how vision impacts audition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of how vision influences audition.
• To synthesize evidence from psychophysical, neuroimaging, neuroanatomical, and clinical studies.
• To explore the functional significance and therapeutic potential of audiovisual interactions.

Main Methods:

• Review of psychophysical evidence in humans, including phenomena like spatial ventriloquism, dynamic capture, and the McGurk effect.
• Analysis of neuroimaging and far-field imaging studies examining feedforward/feedback processes and causal interactions.
• Synthesis of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological data from animal models, alongside clinical evidence from autism, schizophrenia, and hearing loss.

Main Results:

• Vision demonstrably enhances and alters auditory performance and perception.
• Audiovisual interactions occur at neural and circuit levels in subcortical and cortical structures.
• Alterations in audiovisual processing are observed in clinical conditions, impacting higher-order functions.

Conclusions:

• Vision plays a critical role in auditory scene analysis and communication.
• Dysfunctional audiovisual interactions contribute to deficits in neurological and sensory disorders.
• Leveraging audiovisual interactions and perceptual plasticity offers potential for remediation strategies.