Bouwman, Lisa (2020) The underlying mechanisms of altered visual perception in synesthesia and autism spectrum disorder. Bachelor's Thesis, Life Science and Technology.
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Abstract
Synesthesia is a condition in which the perception of a stimulus triggers a second perceptual experience. The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of synesthesia are still largely unknown. Interestingly, the prevalence of synesthesia seems to be higher in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Alterations in sensory perception, like a preference for local perception and superior perception of details, are common characteristics of ASD. However, the reason for the co-occurrence of synesthesia and ASD is still unknown. In this review, the characteristics of altered visual perception in both synesthesia and ASD are compared. Studies show that the shared characteristics of visual perception in synesthesia and ASD are a bias towards local perception, reduced global perception and a deficit in motion perception. Furthermore, both synesthesia and ASD seem to show reduced multisensory integration. Serotonin levels seem to be upregulated in both synesthesia and ASD, and serotonin plays an important role in neurodevelopment, which might explain the co-occurrence of synesthesia in ASD. Future studies could focus on the prevalence of synesthesia in autistic individuals with elevated blood serotonin levels, to investigate whether there might be a causal relationship between elevated serotonin levels and ASD.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Kas, M.J.H. |
| Degree programme: | Life Science and Technology |
| Thesis type: | Bachelor's Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 14 May 2020 08:55 |
| Last Modified: | 14 May 2020 08:55 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/21899 |
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