New research at http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/29/7838, paper accessible only by individual or institutional subscription.
Guiraud published a paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, with results indicating that the brain reorganises its auditory pathways, and may even activate out-of-service ones upon sound stimuli, even after years of deafness. Notably, she says, “Altogether, our results strongly suggest that, after at least 3 months of cochlear implant use, the recipient’s auditory cortex presents a tonotopic organization that resembles the frequency maps of normal-hearing subjects.”
In simple terms, after 3 months of cochlear implant use, implantees’ brains look similar to normal-hearing people’s brains, at least, from an auditory perspective.
The study was supported by Advanced Bionics.
