Neuroplastic changes in functional wiring in sensory cortices of the congenitally deaf

• Verfasst von: Ruttorf, Michaela [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Tal, Zohar [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Amaral, Lénia [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Fang, Fang [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Bi, Yanchao [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Almeida, Jorge [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Neuroplastic changes in functional wiring in sensory cortices of the congenitally deaf
• Titelzusatz: a network analysis: research article
• Verf.angabe: Michaela Ruttorf, Zohar Tal, Lénia Amaral, Fang Fang, Yanchao Bi, Jorge Almeida
• E-Jahr: 2023
• Jahr: 15 December, 2023
• Umfang: 14 S.
• Illustrationen: Illustrationen
• Fussnoten: Online veröffentlicht: 13. November 2023 ; Gesehen am 05.03.2024
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Human brain mapping
• Ort Quelle: New York, NY : Wiley-Liss, 1993
• Jahr Quelle: 2023
• Band/Heft Quelle: 44(2023), 18 vom: Dez., Seite 6523-6536
• ISSN Quelle: 1097-0193
• DOI: doi:10.1002/hbm.26530
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: auditory cortex
• Sach-SW: congenitally deaf
• Sach-SW: functional magnetic resonance imaging
• Sach-SW: network analysis
• Sach-SW: visual perception
• K10plus-PPN: 1882466594

Abstract

Congenital sensory deprivation induces significant changes in the structural and functional organisation of the brain. These are well-characterised by cross-modal plasticity, in which deprived cortical areas are recruited to process information from non-affected sensory modalities, as well as by other neuroplastic alterations within regions dedicated to the remaining senses. Here, we analysed visual and auditory networks of congenitally deaf and hearing individuals during different visual tasks to assess changes in network community structure and connectivity patterns due to congenital deafness. In the hearing group, the nodes are clearly divided into three communities (visual, auditory and subcortical), whereas in the deaf group a fourth community consisting mainly of bilateral superior temporal sulcus and temporo-insular regions is present. Perhaps more importantly, the right lateral geniculate body, as well as bilateral thalamus and pulvinar joined the auditory community of the deaf. Moreover, there is stronger connectivity between bilateral thalamic and pulvinar and auditory areas in the deaf group, when compared to the hearing group. No differences were found in the number of connections of these nodes to visual areas. Our findings reveal substantial neuroplastic changes occurring within the auditory and visual networks caused by deafness, emphasising the dynamic nature of the sensory systems in response to congenital deafness. Specifically, these results indicate that in the deaf but not the hearing group, subcortical thalamic nuclei are highly connected to auditory areas during processing of visual information, suggesting that these relay areas may be responsible for rerouting visual information to the auditory cortex under congenital deafness.