The main hypothesis examined in this proposal is that the left hemisphere is specialized for processing high-frequency stimuli in vision and in audition, and that the right hemisphere is specialized for processing low-frequency stimuli in both modalities. Hemispheric specialization for different spatial frequencies in vision was proposed by Sergent, and the investigator and his collaborators have provided evidence that a parallel specialization may exit for sound frequencies. This proposal further examines the nature of asymmetric hemispheric specialization for high-frequency and low-frequency information in audition & in vision by examining auditory asymmetries in normal subjects (Experiments 1 and 2), auditory and visual asymmetries in patients with focal lesions (Experiments 3 and 4), crossmodal comparisons in normal subjects (Experiments 5, 6 and 7), and auditory asymmetries for speech perception in normal and patient groups (Experiments 8-11). In addition, a connectionist model of hemispheric asymmetries in vision and audition is proposed.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS032895-04
Application #
2519960
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRC (22))
Program Officer
Broman, Sarah H
Project Start
1994-09-30
Project End
1998-08-31
Budget Start
1997-09-01
Budget End
1998-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
094878337
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
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Kim, N; Ivry, R B; Robertson, L C (1999) Sequential priming in hierarchically organized figures: effects of target level and target resolution. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 25:715-29