Neural correlates of audiovisual integration of semantic category information

Previous studies have found a late frontal–central audiovisual interaction during the time period about 150–220 ms post-stimulus. However, it is unclear to which process is this audiovisual interaction related: to processing of acoustical features or to classification of stimuli? To investigate this question, event-related potentials were recorded during a words-categorization task with stimuli presented in the auditory–visual modality. In the experiment, congruency of the visual and auditory stimuli was manipulated. Results showed that within the window of about 180–210 ms post-stimulus more positive values were elicited by category-congruent audiovisual stimuli than category-incongruent audiovisual stimuli. This indicates that the late frontal–central audiovisual interaction is related to audiovisual integration of semantic category information.

► We studied the neural correlates of audiovisual integration of semantic category information.
► The task involved the classification of visual word with simultaneous auditory presentation.
► The congruency of the visual and auditory stimuli was manipulated.
► Both reaction time and brain’s event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded.
► ERP components related to audiovisual integration of semantic category information was found.