An unperceived acoustic stimulus decreases reaction time to visual information in a patient with cortical deafness.

ABSTRACT: Responding to multiple stimuli of different modalities has been shown to reduce reaction time (RT), yet many different processes can potentially contribute to multisensory response enhancement. To investigate the neural circuits involved in voluntary response initiation, an acoustic stimulus of varying intensities (80, 105, or 120?dB) was presented during a visual RT task to a patient with profound bilateral cortical deafness and an intact auditory brainstem response. Despite being unable to consciously perceive sound, RT was reliably shortened (~100?ms) on trials where the unperceived acoustic stimulus was presented, confirming the presence of multisensory response enhancement. Although the exact locus of this enhancement is unclear, these results cannot be attributed to involvement of the auditory cortex. Thus, these data provide new and compelling evidence that activation from subcortical auditory processing circuits can contribute to other cortical or subcortical areas responsible for the initiation of a response, without the need for conscious perception.

SUBMITTER: Carlsen AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7118083 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature