Crossmodal reorganization in the early deaf switches sensory, but not behavioral roles of auditory cortex.

ABSTRACT: It is well known that early disruption of sensory input from one modality can induce crossmodal reorganization of a deprived cortical area, resulting in compensatory abilities in the remaining senses. Compensatory effects, however, occur in selected cortical regions and it is not known whether such compensatory phenomena have any relation to the original function of the reorganized area. In the cortex of hearing cats, the auditory field of the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (FAES) is largely responsive to acoustic stimulation and its unilateral deactivation results in profound contralateral acoustic orienting deficits. Given these functional and behavioral roles, the FAES was studied in early-deafened cats to examine its crossmodal sensory properties as well as to assess the behavioral role o

SUBMITTER: Meredith MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3102418 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature