ArticleNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2024
Neural adaptations to congenital deafness: enhanced tactile discrimination through cross-modal neural plasticity - an fMRI study.
Article in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Hierarchical Network Adaptations and Structure-Function Scaffolding in the Deaf Adult Brain.Brain topography · 2026Article
- The Neural Organization of Visual Information in the Auditory Cortex of the Congenitally Deaf.Human brain mapping · 2026Article
- Sensory Deprivation and the Brain: Neurobiological Mechanisms, Psychological Effects, and Clinical Implications.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Perceptual-semantic features of words differentially shape early vocabulary in American Sign Language and English.Applied psycholinguistics · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThis study explores the compensatory neural mechanisms associated with congenital deafness through an examination of tactile discrimination abilities using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
objectiveTo analyze the neural substrates underlying tactile processing in congenitally deaf individuals and compare them with hearing controls.
methodsOur participant pool included thirty-five congenitally deaf individuals and thirty-five hearing controls. All participants engaged in tactile discrimination tasks involving the identification of common objects by touch. We utilized an analytical suite comprising voxel-based statistics, functional connectivity multivariate/voxel pattern analysis (fc-MVPA), and seed-based connectivity analysis to examine neural activity.
resultsOur findings revealed pronounced neural activity in congenitally deaf participants within regions typically associated with auditory processing, including the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and right rolandic operculum. Additionally, unique activation and connectivity patterns were observed in the right insula and bilateral supramarginal gyrus, indicating a strategic reorganization of neural pathways for tactile information processing. Behaviorally, both groups demonstrated high accuracy in the tactile tasks, exceeding 90%. However, the deaf participants outperformed their hearing counterparts in reaction times, showcasing significantly enhanced efficiency in tactile information processing.
conclusionThese insights into the brain's adaptability to sensory loss through compensatory neural reorganization highlight the intricate mechanisms by which tactile discrimination is enhanced in the absence of auditory input. Understanding these adaptations can help develop strategies to harness the brain's plasticity to improve sensory processing in individuals with sensory impairments, ultimately enhancing their quality of life through improved tactile perception and sensory integration.
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