title: Effects of colour exposure on auditory and somatosensory perception--hints for cross-modal plasticity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is well known that colour exposure can influence emotions, behaviour and perception. To get further insight into these complex synesthetic phenomena, the effect of colour stimulation on auditory and somatosensory perception was systematically investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  14 healthy male volunteers with normal colour vision rated the loudness of auditory stimuli with a standardized scale during exposure to white, red and green light. Furthermore temperature perception was assessed during exposure of the different colours using a thermal sensory analyser.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Colour exposure significantly altered auditory and somatosensory perception. Red light enhanced loudness perception and decreased cold pain thresholds, while green light stimulation reduced loudness perception and increased detection and pain thresholds for warm stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This data give further evidence for cross-modal plasticity in human perception. Colour stimulation influences auditory and somatosensory perception and may therefore have potential as a new treatment strategy of phantom perceptions such as tinnitus or chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. michael.landgrebe@medbo.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landgrebe
authors.forename: Kewir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nyuyki
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steffens
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eichhammer
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hajak
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langguth