Neural plasticity of voice processing: Evidence from event-related potentials in late-onset blind and sighted individuals.
OBJECTIVE
Intra- and crossmodal neuroplasticity have been reported to underlie superior voice processing skills in congenitally blind individuals. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) in order to test if such compensatory plasticity is limited to the developing brain.


METHODS
Late blind individuals were compared to sighted controls in their ability to identify human voices. A priming paradigm was employed in which two successive voices (S1, S2) of the same (person-congruent) or different speakers (person-incongruent) were presented. Participants made an old-young decision on the S2.


RESULTS
In both groups ERPs to the auditory S2 were more negative in person-incongruent than in person-congruent trials between 200-300 ms. A topographic analysis suggested a more posteriorly shifted distribution of the Person Match effect (person-incongruent minus person-congruent trials) in late blind individuals compared to sighted controls.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to congenitally blind individuals, late blind individuals did not show an early Person Match effect in the time range of the N1, suggesting that crossmodal compensation is mediated by later processing steps rather than by changes at early perceptual levels.
Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Julia
J
Föcker
Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Cordula
C
Hölig
Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Anna
A
Best
Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Brigitte
B
Röder
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D001766:Blindness / Q000151:congenital / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011930:Reaction Time; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C523534:TIC protein, Arabidopsis
Late blind; event related potentials; person recognition; plasticity; sensory deprivation; voice