ECHOLOCATION - A STUDY OF AUDITORY FUNCTIONING IN BLIND AND SIGHTED SUBJECTS

This article describes an assessment of the peripheral and central aud itory functioning of eight blind subjects who were good obstacle detec tors and eight sighted subjects. An echolocation paradigm in short lat ency-evoked response was included. The study found that the blind subj ects were better (faster) than the sighted subjects in auditory proces sing and that the echolocation signals may be processed in the superio r olivary complex of the midbrain.