A Case Study on the Effects of Auditory Cues in Influencing Spatial Memory and Representation for a Person Who is Blind

Navigation is a coordinated and goal-oriented movement through the environment, in which vision is an integral part of acquiring spatial information. People with blindness and vision impairment rely on alternative senses to navigate in daily life. Auditory cues are critical in building a spatial representation and effective navigation. Our work investigates the neurophysiological response to explore how auditory cues can shape a person's spatial representation and memory of an environment. In our experiment, a person who is blind was presented with verbal and non-verbal cues, either at close-reaching distance or globally. Electroencephalography, walking trajectories and tactile drawing data were collected to evaluate spatial representation and memory formed by different auditory cues and the role of theta oscillations in such relationships. Our results indicated a consistent increase in theta power at turning and starting points, a higher cognitive load with verbal strategies, and enhanced path recollection with global strategies. These findings emphasise the role of theta as a key indicator of cognitive workload and spatial memory processing. The preliminary results contribute to a broader understanding of the underlying processing mechanism of auditory information processing to support spatial navigation.