A unified mechanism of cross-modal neuroplasticity: hub-based architecture, neurochemical and epigenetic regulation in sensory compensation and synesthesia
Bondarenko YD, Kauk OI, Hovbakh IO, Cherkashyna LV, Riznychenko OK (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Book Volume: 32
Pages Range: 28-42
Journal Issue: 3
DOI: 10.25305/unj.340921
Abstract
Background: Synesthesia and sensory compensation have emerged as pivotal topics in contemporary neuroscience, elucidating the remarkable adaptability of the human brain. Both phenomena demonstrate the capacity for cross-modal integration and functional reassignment of neural networks, challenging the traditional modular view of sensory processing. Although synesthesia was long regarded as a rare anomaly and sensory compensation as a secondary adaptation to sensory loss, current evidence indicates that they represent convergent manifestations of the same universal principle: the brain’s intrinsic ability to reorganize itself through neuroplasticity. Consequently, these processes illuminate not only the dynamics of perception but also broader mechanisms of cognition, creativity, and memory enhancement. Objective: This study investigated the convergent neurobiological mechanisms underlying synesthesia and sensory compensation, focusing specifically on the role of plasticity universal convergence nodes (supernodes) —including the superior colliculus, intraparietal sulcus, superior temporal sulcus, and prefrontal projections—as coordinators of sensory remapping and cross-modal integration. It was hypothesized that these structures act as dynamic hubs capable of rerouting sensory flows under conditions of deprivation or enrichment, thereby enabling both compensatory and associative forms of neuroplasticity. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, encompassing studies published between 2000 and 2026. The search strategy employed Boolean logic and combined English and Ukrainian keywords related to “sensory compensation”, “synesthesia”, “neuroplasticity”, “multisensory integration”, and specific hub structures. Inclusion criteria encompassed experimental and clinical studies with neuroimaging (fMRI, MEG, PET, DTI), electrophysiological recordings, or molecular analyses in human participants and animal models. Review articles and meta-analyses providing integrative perspectives on multisensory plasticity were also included, while purely descriptive or metaphorical accounts were excluded. Results: Evidence across modalities demonstrates that sensory reorganization is governed by a hub-based architecture rather than diffuse activation. Primary cortices, such as V1 and A1, exhibit functional reassignment when typical input is absent, while associative hubs coordinate the redistribution and integration of multisensory information. The superior colliculus enables rapid topographic integration of cross-modal signals; the intraparietal sulcus performs coordinate transformations and oscillatory gating; the superior temporal sulcus resolves temporal correspondences in audiovisual integration; and prefrontal projections provide top-down modulation and precision weighting. These structural roles are reinforced by molecular mechanisms: neurotrophin signaling (BDNF, NT-3, IGF-1) initiates plastic readiness, while epigenetic regulation (DNA methylation, histone acetylation, noncoding RNAs) ensures stabilization and long-term retention of novel sensory maps. Together, these mechanisms establish a dual-layer system of rapid reconfiguration and durable consolidation. Importantly, the same pathways that allow the blind to develop enhanced spatial hearing or the deaf to refine visuomotor communication also support the emergence of synesthetic cross-modal associations in individuals without sensory loss. Conclusions: Synesthesia and sensory compensation should be interpreted not as exceptional deviations but as complementary expressions of a universal adaptive code of neuroplasticity. By activating supernodes, the brain dynamically reconfigures its sensory architecture in response to environmental demands, whether by necessity (compensation) or by enrichment (synesthesia). This framework has profound theoretical and practical implications. It advances our understanding of the brain as a dynamic network rather than a fixed modular system and provides translational insights into clinical neurorehabilitation, multisensory pedagogical strategies, and emerging fields of cognitive enhancement. Harnessing these mechanisms may enable new interventions— from targeted neuromodulation and neurotrophin-based therapies to educational methods that deliberately engage cross-modal correspondences—thus transforming the way we approach both deficits and potentials of the human mind.
Involved external institutions
Ukraine (UA)How to cite
APA:
Bondarenko, Y.D., Kauk, O.I., Hovbakh, I.O., Cherkashyna, L.V., & Riznychenko, O.K. (2026). A unified mechanism of cross-modal neuroplasticity: hub-based architecture, neurochemical and epigenetic regulation in sensory compensation and synesthesia. , 32(3), 28-42. https://doi.org/10.25305/unj.340921
MLA:
Bondarenko, Yaroslav D., et al. "A unified mechanism of cross-modal neuroplasticity: hub-based architecture, neurochemical and epigenetic regulation in sensory compensation and synesthesia." 32.3 (2026): 28-42.
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