Synaesthesia: the existing state of affairs.

Full Abstract

In synaesthesia one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, such as when hearing a sound produces photisms--that is, mental percepts of colours. In the past, the idiosyncrasy of this phenomenon, as well as the natural mistrust of scientists towards the subjective, consigned synaesthesia to the periphery of scientific interest. However, the landscape has changed radically in the last two decades. The labour of many researchers, inside as well as outside of cognitive neuroscience, has transformed synaesthesia into a scientific reality whose existence can be demonstrated and studied empirically. The present paper summarizes and reflects on our current knowledge concerning synaesthesia in all its aspects (cognition, behaviour, neurology, genetics, and demographics).

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Author information

Author/s: Hochel, Matej (M); Milán, Emilio G (EG);

Affiliation: Departamento de Psicología Experimental, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. mhochel(-atsign-)ugr.es

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Cognitive neuropsychology (Cogn Neuropsychol), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Feb; vol 25 (issue 1) : pp 93-117

Dates: Created 2008/03/14; Completed 2008/05/05;

PMID: 18340605, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Association
Attention - physiology
Auditory Perception - physiology
Awareness - physiology
Brain Mapping
Color Perception - physiology
Concept Formation - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Face
Humans
Illusions - physiology

Illusions - physiology
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Music
Neuropsychological Tests
Orientation - physiology
Pattern Recognition, Visual
Perceptual Disorders - diagnosis; physiopathology; psychology
Reaction Time - physiology
Semantics

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