Immediate transfer of synesthesia to a novel inducer.

In synesthesia, a certain stimulus (e.g. grapheme) is associated automatically and consistently with a stable perceptual-like experience (e.g. color). These associations are acquired in early childhood and remain robust throughout the lifetime. Synesthetic associations can transfer to novel inducers in adulthood as one learns a second language that uses another writing system. However, it is not known how long this transfer takes. We found that grapheme-color associations can transfer to novel graphemes after only a 10-minute writing exercise. Most subjects experienced synesthetic associations immediately after learning a new Glagolitic grapheme. Using a Stroop task, we provide objective ev…

A current source density analysis of field potentials evoked in slices of visual cortex

The method of one-dimensional current source density (CSD) analysis was applied to field potentials recorded from 350 microns thick slices of the primary visual cortex of rats and cats. Field potentials were elicited by stimulation of the white matter and recorded along trajectories perpendicular to the cortical layers at spatial intervals of 25 to 50 microns. The resulting CSD distributions resembled closely those recorded from the cat visual cortex "in vivo". The responses with the shortest latency were distinct sinks in layers IV and VI probably reflecting monosynaptic EPSP's from specific thalamic afferents. From layer IV activity was relayed along three major routes: 1. to the supragra…

The ongoing search for the neuronal correlate of consciousness

Transfer of synesthetic experience