title: Rapid development of cortical auditory evoked potentials after early cochlear implantation.
abstract: The aim of our research was to estimate the time course of development and plasticity of the human central auditory pathways following cochlear implantation. We recorded cortical auditory-evoked potentials in 3-year-old congenitally deaf children after they were fitted with cochlear implants. Immediately after implantation cortical response latencies resembled those of normal-hearing newborns. Over the next few months, the cortical evoked responses showed rapid changes in morphology and latency that resulted in age-appropriate latencies by 8 months after implantation. Overall, the development of cortical response latencies for the implanted children was more rapid than for their normal-hearing age-matched peers. Our results demonstrate a high degree of central auditory system plasticity during early human development.
authors.affiliation: Callier Advanced Hearing Research Center, University of Texas at Dallas, 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75235, USA.
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dorman
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Spahr
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology