Presentation Details
| Auditory and visual object processing in olfactory cortex of individuals with life-long olfactory deprivation Evelina Thunell1, Moa G.Peter1, Fahimeh Darki1, Johan N.Lundström1, 2, 3. 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.2Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.3Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden |
Abstract
The traditional view of modality-specific brain organization has been challenged by demonstrations of cross-modal processing, i.e. the activation of specialized sensory cortex by input from other senses. An alternative theory suggests that rather than specializing in different sensory modalities, different parts of the cortex can specialize in different types of tasks. We recently addressed this question in the olfactory domain, showing that in normosmic individuals, the primary olfactory cortex (piriform cortex) responds to unimodal auditory and visual objects, regardless of how strongly they are associated with an odor. Here, we assess whether previous olfactory experience is a prerequisite for this cross-modal processing, using a unique group of individuals born without a sense of smell (congenital anosmia; CA; n = 30). First, we confirmed the presence of clear visual and auditory activations in the piriform cortex of the sensory deprived individuals. As compared to normosmic controls (n = 30), these activations and associated functional connectivity, both within the piriform cortices and between piriform cortex and other regions, were altered in a modality dependent way. Our results show that life-long absence of olfactory input does not impede cross-modal activations by visual and auditory objects in the piriform cortex and are compatible with the idea of a task-based rather than modality-specific organization of this brain region.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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