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Functional and structural plasticity induced by audiovisual associations and sensory experiences
Fazilet Zeynep Yildirim-Keles1,2, Pinar Demirayak3,4, Hulusi Kafaligonul5,6
1Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Brain Structure & Function
|June 8, 2025
Summary
Passive exposure to crossmodal associations can alter the adult brain. This study shows audiovisual pairings induce functional and structural brain changes, demonstrating experience-dependent neural plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Crossmodal associations significantly influence perception and behavior.
- Understanding how these associations induce changes in the adult brain is crucial.
- Limited knowledge exists regarding experience-dependent plasticity from passive crossmodal exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate functional and structural brain changes resulting from passive audiovisual association.
- To determine the extent of experience-dependent crossmodal plasticity in adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an audiovisual association paradigm pairing left visual motion stimuli with auditory tones.
- Examined resting-state functional connectivity and cortical thickness.
- Compared changes in trained (right hemisphere) versus untrained (left hemisphere) visual areas.
Main Results:
- Observed increased functional connectivity between trained visual regions and higher-order brain areas.
- Found reduced functional connectivity in untrained visual regions, indicating visual field specificity.
- Cortical thickness analysis revealed significant hemispheric asymmetry, with changes primarily in the right hemisphere.
- Noted widespread changes in high-level association cortices, with less pronounced effects in low-level sensory areas.
Conclusions:
- Passive crossmodal associations can induce both functional and structural plasticity in the adult brain.
- These changes are specific to the stimulated visual field and show hemispheric asymmetry.
- Findings have implications for understanding perception and neural plasticity in everyday life.
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