Plasticity in the adult human central auditory system: evidence from late-onset profound unilateral deafness

Hear Res. 2001 Apr;154(1-2):32-44. doi: 10.1016/s0378-5955(01)00214-3.

Abstract

Experience-related changes in central nervous system (CNS) activity have been observed in the adult brain of many mammalian species, including humans. In humans, late-onset profound unilateral deafness creates an opportunity to study plasticity in the adult CNS consequent to monaural auditory deprivation. CNS activity was assessed by measuring long-latency auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) recorded from teens and adults with late-onset (post-childhood) profound unilateral deafness. Compared to monaurally stimulated normal-hearing subjects, the AEPs recorded from central electrode sites located over auditory cortical areas showed significant increases in inter-hemispheric waveform cross-correlation coefficients, and in inter-hemispheric AEP peak amplitude correlations. These increases provide evidence of substantial changes from the normal pattern of asymmetrical (contralateral > ipsilateral amplitude) and asynchronous (contralateral earlier than ipsilateral) central auditory system activation in the normal-hearing population to a much more symmetrical and synchronous activation in the unilaterally deaf. These cross-sectional analyses of AEP data recorded from the unilaterally deaf also suggest that the changes in cortical activity occur gradually and continue for at least 2 years after the onset of hearing loss. Analyses of peak amplitude correlations suggest that the increased inter-hemispheric symmetry may be a consequence of changes in the generators producing the N (approximately 100 ms peak latency) potential. These experience-related changes in central auditory system activity following late-onset profound unilateral deafness thus provide evidence of the presence and the time course of auditory system plasticity in the adult brain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Auditory Cortex / physiopathology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Deafness / physiopathology*
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuronal Plasticity*
  • Sound Localization