Electrophysiological evidence for cross-modal plasticity in humans with early- and late-onset blindness

Author(s): Alho, K., Huotilainen, M., Ilmoniemi, R. J., Lehtokoski, A., Leinonen, A., Rinne, T., Salonen, O., Sinkkonen, J., StandertskjoldNordenstam, C. G., Naatanen, R.

Journal/Book: Psychophysiology. 1997; 34: 1010 Vermont Ave NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. Soc Psychophysiol Res. 213-216.

Abstract: It is commonly believed that sensory deprivation can lead to cross-modal reorganization in an immature but not in a mature brain. The results of the present study suggest, however, that plasticity between sensory modalities is possible even in adults: activity indicating involvement of parietal or occipital brain areas in pitch-change discrimination was found in individuals blinded after childhood. Event-related brain potentials of early blinded (before the age of 2 years), late-blinded (12-28 years of age), and sighted adults were recorded to stimulus sequences consisting of standard tones occasionally replaced by deviant tones. Even when participants were not attending to auditory stimuli, the deviant tones elicited the mismatch negativity (MMN) in each group. There were no significant MMN front-back scalp distribution differences among the groups. However, when participants were detecting deviant stimuli, these stimuli elicited N2 and P3 waves that were posterior in distribution in both groups of blind participants relative to those of the sighted participants. These results suggest that cross-modal reorganization may occur even in the mature human brain.

Note: Review Kujala T, Univ Helsinki, Dept Psychol, Cognit Brain Res Unit, POB 13, FIN-00014 Helsinki, FINLAND

Keyword(s): blindness; brain plasticity; auditory discrimination; event-related potentials; CONGENITALLY DEAF ADULTS; BRAIN POTENTIALS; OCCIPITAL CORTEX; VISUAL-CORTEX; PROJECTIONS; DEPRIVATION; RESPONSES; CAT

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