title: PET-imaging of brain plasticity after cochlear implantation.
abstract: In this article, we review the PET neuroimaging literature, which indicates peculiarities of brain networks involved in speech restoration after cochlear implantation. We consider data on implanted patients during stimulation as well as during resting state, which indicates basic long-term reorganisation of brain functional architecture. On the basis of our analysis of neuroimaging literature and considering our own studies, we indicate that auditory recovery in deaf patients after cochlear implantation partly relies on visual cues. The brain develops mechanisms of audio-visual integration as a strategy to achieve high levels of speech recognition. It turns out that this neuroimaging evidence is in line with behavioural findings of better audiovisual integration in these patients. Thus, strong visually and audio-visually based rehabilitation during the first months after cochlear implantation would significantly improve and fasten the functional recovery of speech intelligibility and other auditory functions in these patients. We provide perspectives for further neuroimaging studies in cochlear implanted patients, which would help understand brain organisation to restore auditory cognitive processing in the implanted patients and would potentially suggest novel approaches for their rehabilitation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled <Lasker Award>.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, Cerveau & Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse France; CerCo, CNRS UMR 5549, Toulouse France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strelnikov
authors.affiliation: Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, Hopital Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.affiliation: Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, Hopital Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lagleyre
authors.affiliation: Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, Hopital Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fraysse
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, Cerveau & Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse France; CerCo, CNRS UMR 5549, Toulouse France; Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, Hopital Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Deguine
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, Cerveau & Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse France; CerCo, CNRS UMR 5549, Toulouse France. Electronic address: barone@cerco.ups-tlse.fr.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barone
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D032882:Comprehension; D003463:Cues; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014796:Visual Perception