Shape conveyed by visual-to-auditory sensory substitution activates the lateral occipital complex.
The lateral-occipital tactile-visual area (LOtv) is activated when objects are recognized by vision or touch. We report here that the LOtv is also activated in sighted and blind humans who recognize objects by extracting shape information from visual-to-auditory sensory substitution soundscapes. Recognizing objects by their typical sounds or learning to associate specific soundscapes with specific objects do not activate this region. This suggests that LOtv is driven by the presence of shape information.
Amedi
Amir
A
Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. aamedi@bidmc.harvard.edu
Stern
William M
WM
Camprodon
Joan A
JA
Bermpohl
Felix
F
Merabet
Lotfi
L
Rotman
Stephen
S
Hemond
Christopher
C
Meijer
Peter
P
Pascual-Leone
Alvaro
A
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001766:Blindness / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D013236:Stereognosis / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*
D010100:Oxygen