Temporal dissociation of neural activity underlying synesthetic and perceptual colors

Lina Teichmann; Tijl Grootswagers; Denise Moerel; Thomas A Carlson; Anina N Rich

doi:10.1073/pnas.2020434118

Temporal dissociation of neural activity underlying synesthetic and perceptual colors

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Feb 9;118(6):e2020434118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2020434118.

Authors

Lina Teichmann^{1

2}, Tijl Grootswagers³, Denise Moerel^{4

2}, Thomas A Carlson⁵, Anina N Rich^{4

2}

Affiliations

¹ Perception in Action Research Centre, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia; lina.teichmann@nih.gov.
² Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
³ The MARCS Institute for Brain Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
⁴ Perception in Action Research Centre, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
⁵ School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.

Abstract

Grapheme-color synesthetes experience color when seeing achromatic symbols. We examined whether similar neural mechanisms underlie color perception and synesthetic colors using magnetoencephalography. Classification models trained on neural activity from viewing colored stimuli could distinguish synesthetic color evoked by achromatic symbols after a delay of ∼100 ms. Our results provide an objective neural signature for synesthetic experience and temporal evidence consistent with higher-level processing in synesthesia.

Keywords: MEG; MVPA; color; synesthesia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Color Perception / physiology*
Female
Humans
Magnetoencephalography
Male
Middle Aged
Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
Photic Stimulation
Reaction Time / physiology
Synesthesia / diagnostic imaging
Synesthesia / physiopathology*
Young Adult