Brain Imaging Studies of Multisensory Integration in Emotion Perception: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Emotions are essential in everyday human functioning, yet accurately perceiving them is a complex task. Emotional cues originating from multiple sensory modalities need to be efficiently integrated to form holistic percepts. This process, known as emotional multisensory integration (eMSI), involves the recruitment of multiple brain regions and has been shown to enhance emotion perception. The present scoping review provides an updated and exhaustive overview of the current literature on brain regions underlying eMSI. In total, 12 relevant studies were identified for inclusion across four academic databases. Most included studies employed audio-visual paradigms, examined the integration of happy and angry emotional cues, and utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify brain regions involved in eMSI. Findings support that brain regions underlying both multisensory (e.g., thalamus, posterior superior temporal sulcus/gyrus) and emotional integration (e.g., fusiform gyrus, medial temporal gyrus) interact to enhance eMSI, leading to improved emotion detection. A need for additional research was also identified due to a lack of diverse populations, sensory combinations, and emotions investigated, as well as methodological issues identified across included studies. Future research should aim to expand its focus to address these underexplored areas, thereby advancing our understanding of eMSI.