An investigation into how multisensory integration is affected by age-related declines in hearing and vision.

Multisensory integration (MSI) is the process by which information from different sensory
systems is combined to create an accurate percept (Stein, Stanford & Rowland, 2009). MSI is
believed to take place in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) of the brain. The STS is located in the
temporal lobe, which is the brain region primarily affected by volume loss associated with ageing. In
addition to brain volume loss, healthy ageing also causes vision and hearing loss. Age-related
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declines in vision are predicted to affect 2 billion people worldwide, and more than 360 million
people worldwide are affected by disabling age-related hearing loss. Very little is known about how
these sensory deficits and anatomical changes influence MSI, despite their important role in creating
an accurate percept. Further understanding of this area is vital for informing how perception and
cognition changes with ageing, and the impact that such changes have on daily life.