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Grapheme-color synesthesia in patients with epilepsy: A pilot study.
Irene Chu1, Atef Kokash2, Snow P Li3
1Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute, Lehigh Valley Health Network, 1250 S Cedar Crest Blvd, Suite 405, Allentown, PA 18103, United States.
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|March 13, 2025
Summary
Grapheme-color synesthesia (GCS) may be more common in epilepsy patients. Focal and non-motor seizures are potentially linked to GCS, suggesting further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurology
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Synesthesia involves cross-modal sensory experiences, like seeing colors when hearing sounds.
- While linked to conditions like autism spectrum disorder, synesthesia mechanisms are not fully understood.
- Grapheme-color synesthesia (GCS) is a common form where individuals associate letters/numbers with colors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of grapheme-color synesthesia (GCS) in epilepsy patients.
- To explore potential associations between epilepsy features and GCS experiences.
Main Methods:
- 40 epilepsy patients reported GCS experiences and completed an online synesthesia battery test.
- Epilepsy characteristics, EEG, and MRI findings were analyzed.
- Consistency and congruency scores were assessed for GCS participants.
Main Results:
- 7.5% of epilepsy patients met criteria for GCS.
- Focal seizures correlated with lower consistency and higher congruency scores compared to generalized seizures.
- Non-motor seizures were associated with lower consistency and higher congruency scores than motor seizures.
Conclusions:
- GCS prevalence may be higher in epilepsy patients than in the general population.
- Focal and non-motor seizures might be associated with a predisposition to GCS.
- Larger studies are required to validate these preliminary findings.
Keywords:
EpilepsyFocal onsetGeneralized onsetGrapheme-colorMotor seizuresNon-motor seizuresSynesthesiaMore Related Videos
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