Functional magnetic resonance imaging of synesthesia: Activation of V4/V8 by spoken words

J. A. Nunn; L. J. Gregory; M. Brammer; S. C R Williams; D. M. Parslow; M. J. Morgan; R. G. Morris; E. T. Bullmore; S. Baron-Cohen; J. A. Gray

doi:10.1038/nn818

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of synesthesia: Activation of V4/V8 by spoken words

J. A. Nunn, L. J. Gregory, M. Brammer, S. C R Williams, D. M. Parslow, M. J. Morgan, R. G. Morris, E. T. Bullmore, S. Baron-Cohen, J. A. Gray

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In 'colored-hearing' synesthesia, individuals report color experiences when they hear spoken words. If the synesthetic color experience resembles that of normal color perception, one would predict activation of parts of the visual system specialized for such perception, namely the human 'color center', referred to as either V4 or V8. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we here locate the region activated by speech in synesthetes to area V4/V8 in the left hemisphere, and demonstrate overlap with V4/V8 activation in normal controls in response to color. No activity was detected in areas V1 or V2, suggesting that activity in primary visual cortex is not necessary for such experience. Control subjects showed no activity in V4/V8 when imagining colors in response to spoken words, despite overtraining on word-color associations similar to those spontaneously reported by synesthetes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	371-375
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature Neuroscience
Volume	5
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nn818
Publication status	Published - 2002

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title = "Functional magnetic resonance imaging of synesthesia: Activation of V4/V8 by spoken words",

abstract = "In 'colored-hearing' synesthesia, individuals report color experiences when they hear spoken words. If the synesthetic color experience resembles that of normal color perception, one would predict activation of parts of the visual system specialized for such perception, namely the human 'color center', referred to as either V4 or V8. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we here locate the region activated by speech in synesthetes to area V4/V8 in the left hemisphere, and demonstrate overlap with V4/V8 activation in normal controls in response to color. No activity was detected in areas V1 or V2, suggesting that activity in primary visual cortex is not necessary for such experience. Control subjects showed no activity in V4/V8 when imagining colors in response to spoken words, despite overtraining on word-color associations similar to those spontaneously reported by synesthetes.",

author = "Nunn, {J. A.} and Gregory, {L. J.} and M. Brammer and Williams, {S. C R} and Parslow, {D. M.} and Morgan, {M. J.} and Morris, {R. G.} and Bullmore, {E. T.} and S. Baron-Cohen and Gray, {J. A.}",

year = "2002",

doi = "10.1038/nn818",

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T1 - Functional magnetic resonance imaging of synesthesia: Activation of V4/V8 by spoken words

AU - Nunn, J. A.

AU - Gregory, L. J.

AU - Brammer, M.

AU - Williams, S. C R

AU - Parslow, D. M.

AU - Morgan, M. J.

AU - Morris, R. G.

AU - Bullmore, E. T.

AU - Baron-Cohen, S.

AU - Gray, J. A.

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - In 'colored-hearing' synesthesia, individuals report color experiences when they hear spoken words. If the synesthetic color experience resembles that of normal color perception, one would predict activation of parts of the visual system specialized for such perception, namely the human 'color center', referred to as either V4 or V8. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we here locate the region activated by speech in synesthetes to area V4/V8 in the left hemisphere, and demonstrate overlap with V4/V8 activation in normal controls in response to color. No activity was detected in areas V1 or V2, suggesting that activity in primary visual cortex is not necessary for such experience. Control subjects showed no activity in V4/V8 when imagining colors in response to spoken words, despite overtraining on word-color associations similar to those spontaneously reported by synesthetes.

AB - In 'colored-hearing' synesthesia, individuals report color experiences when they hear spoken words. If the synesthetic color experience resembles that of normal color perception, one would predict activation of parts of the visual system specialized for such perception, namely the human 'color center', referred to as either V4 or V8. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we here locate the region activated by speech in synesthetes to area V4/V8 in the left hemisphere, and demonstrate overlap with V4/V8 activation in normal controls in response to color. No activity was detected in areas V1 or V2, suggesting that activity in primary visual cortex is not necessary for such experience. Control subjects showed no activity in V4/V8 when imagining colors in response to spoken words, despite overtraining on word-color associations similar to those spontaneously reported by synesthetes.

U2 - 10.1038/nn818

DO - 10.1038/nn818

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EP - 375

JO - Nature Neuroscience

JF - Nature Neuroscience

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Functional magnetic resonance imaging of synesthesia: Activation of V4/V8 by spoken words

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