A selective impairment of perception of sound motion direction in peripheral space: A case study.

Authors

Lore Thaler, Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, CanadaFollow
Joseph Paciocco, Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
Mark Daley, Department of Computer Science, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada; Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
Gabriella D Lesniak, National Centre for Audiology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
David W Purcell, National Centre for Audiology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, CanadaFollow
J Alexander Fraser, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
Gordon N Dutton, Department of Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Stephanie Rossit, The School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
Melvyn A Goodale, Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, CanadaFollow
Jody C Culham, Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, CanadaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-8-2016

Journal

Neuropsychologia

Volume

80

First Page

79

Last Page

89

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.11.008

Abstract

It is still an open question if the auditory system, similar to the visual system, processes auditory motion independently from other aspects of spatial hearing, such as static location. Here, we report psychophysical data from a patient (female, 42 and 44 years old at the time of two testing sessions), who suffered a bilateral occipital infarction over 12 years earlier, and who has extensive damage in the occipital lobe bilaterally, extending into inferior posterior temporal cortex bilaterally and into right parietal cortex. We measured the patient's spatial hearing ability to discriminate static location, detect motion and perceive motion direction in both central (straight ahead), and right and left peripheral auditory space (50° to the left and right of straight ahead). Compared to control subjects, the patient was impaired in her perception of direction of auditory motion in peripheral auditory space, and the deficit was more pronounced on the right side. However, there was no impairment in her perception of the direction of auditory motion in central space. Furthermore, detection of motion and discrimination of static location were normal in both central and peripheral space. The patient also performed normally in a wide battery of non-spatial audiological tests. Our data are consistent with previous neuropsychological and neuroimaging results that link posterior temporal cortex and parietal cortex with the processing of auditory motion. Most importantly, however, our data break new ground by suggesting a division of auditory motion processing in terms of speed and direction and in terms of central and peripheral space.