Brain topography and the binding problem at the multisensory level in humans: new insights gained by using fMRI spectral analysis
uri hertz, Amir Amedi
Poster
Time: 2009-07-01 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Last modified: 2009-06-04
Abstract
Events in the world are mediated to our brain through multiple sensory inputs, each describe a distinct form of energy. These inputs are processed separately to some degree, according to the division of labor principle (Zeki, Nature 1978), and then have to be integrated to create a unified representation of an event. How this is done is very poorly understood, especially in humans. We applied spectral analysis and simultaneous auditory and visual stimuli, each with a different number of repetitions, with on and off convergence and synchronization between them. We managed to separate the unisesnory events, and reveal known cochleotopic and retinotopic organization; maps within the auditory-responsive region show multiple iso-frequency bands, in addition to the mirror symmetric cochleotopic maps in the auditory core area on the lower bank of the lateral sulcus, and the maps within the visual-responsive region show the known fovea to periphery gradient parallel to calcarine sulcus. Furthermore, a gradual change from primary to multisensory areas could be traced, by using relative contribution index. Some multisensory cortical areas showed high correlation to both auditory and visual stimuli, amongst them are posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) and the areas immediately surrounding Heschel’s Gyrus. These multisensory areas might demonstrate both cochleotopic and eccentricity maps. Another multisensory network was detected, showing activation at lower frequencies, associated with binding of multisensory input during periods of audio-visual synchronization. These results provide a powerful new method both to use neuroimaging more efficiently (for instance to perform cochleotopy and retinotopy in the same scan) and more importantly to be used to study multisensory interaction and the binding problem.