Vibrotactile activation of the auditory cortices in deaf versus hearing adults.
Neuroplastic changes in auditory cortex as a result of lifelong perceptual experience were investigated. Adults with early-onset deafness and long-term hearing aid experience were hypothesized to have undergone auditory cortex plasticity due to somatosensory stimulation. Vibrations were presented on the hand of deaf and normal-hearing participants during functional MRI. Vibration stimuli were derived from speech or were a fixed frequency. Higher, more widespread activity was observed within auditory cortical regions of the deaf participants for both stimulus types. Life-long somatosensory stimulation due to hearing aid use could explain the greater activity observed with deaf participants.
Auer
Edward T
ET
Department of Speech-Language-Hearing, University of Kansas, Dole Human Development Center, 10000 Sunnyside Ave, Room 3001, Lawrence, KS 66045-7555, USA. auer@ku.edu
Bernstein
Lynne E
LE
Sungkarat
Witaya
W
Singh
Manbir
M
D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003638:Deafness; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration