Crossmodal temporal integration in the posterior multisensory superior temporal sulcus
Poster Presentation

Toemme Noesselt
ICN, UCL, London, UK & Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Germany

Claus Tempelmann
Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Germany

Robert Fendrich
Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Germany

Hans-Jochen Heinze
Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Germany

Jon Driver
ICN, UCL, London, UK

     Abstract ID Number: 131
     Full text: Not available
     Last modified: March 21, 2005

Abstract
We investigated the neural correlates of crossmodal temporal (a)synchrony using fMRI. Streams of uni- or bilateral visual stimuli (18o peripheral) were presented synchronous or asynchronous with a stream of sounds. In addition, we varied the spatial alignment of the sound source and visual stimuli. Regardless of whether the visual stimuli were presented unilaterally or bilaterally we found a modulation in the multimodal superior temporal sulcus contralateral to the visual stimuli synchronous with the sound. Further, this pattern was stable regardless of the location of the sound source (0 o vs. 18 o peripheral). Results from all single subjects scanned suggest that this pattern in posterior STS is highly stable and reliable. Finally, we presented the visual stimulus foveally while presenting sounds either synchronously or asynchronously. In the crossmodal synchronous trials this resulted in a bilateral modulation in the multimodal STS. However, this modulation was located anterior to the one found for peripheral stimuli. Together, these results strongly suggest that the posterior multimodal STS is affected by crossmodal synchrony, and these modulated areas within STS shift anteriorly with decreasing visual eccentricity.