The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness
After sensory loss, the deprived cortex can reorganize to process information from the remaining modalities, a phenomenon known as cross-modal reorganization. In blind people this cross-modal processing supports compensatory behavioural enhancements in the nondeprived modalities. Deaf people also sh...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Hindawi Limited
2016-01-01
|
Series: | Neural Plasticity |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7217630 |
id |
doaj-b6e9fa4bf6c64f86a0b153b5c78cbb23 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-b6e9fa4bf6c64f86a0b153b5c78cbb232020-11-24T23:04:17ZengHindawi LimitedNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432016-01-01201610.1155/2016/72176307217630The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical ThicknessMartha M. Shiell0François Champoux1Robert J. Zatorre2Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, CanadaInternational Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, QC, H2V 4P3, CanadaMontreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, CanadaAfter sensory loss, the deprived cortex can reorganize to process information from the remaining modalities, a phenomenon known as cross-modal reorganization. In blind people this cross-modal processing supports compensatory behavioural enhancements in the nondeprived modalities. Deaf people also show some compensatory visual enhancements, but a direct relationship between these abilities and cross-modally reorganized auditory cortex has only been established in an animal model, the congenitally deaf cat, and not in humans. Using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, we measured cortical thickness in the planum temporale, Heschl’s gyrus and sulcus, the middle temporal area MT+, and the calcarine sulcus, in early-deaf persons. We tested for a correlation between this measure and visual motion detection thresholds, a visual function where deaf people show enhancements as compared to hearing. We found that the cortical thickness of a region in the right hemisphere planum temporale, typically an auditory region, was greater in deaf individuals with better visual motion detection thresholds. This same region has previously been implicated in functional imaging studies as important for functional reorganization. The structure-behaviour correlation observed here demonstrates this area’s involvement in compensatory vision and indicates an anatomical correlate, increased cortical thickness, of cross-modal plasticity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7217630 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Martha M. Shiell François Champoux Robert J. Zatorre |
spellingShingle |
Martha M. Shiell François Champoux Robert J. Zatorre The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness Neural Plasticity |
author_facet |
Martha M. Shiell François Champoux Robert J. Zatorre |
author_sort |
Martha M. Shiell |
title |
The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness |
title_short |
The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness |
title_full |
The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness |
title_fullStr |
The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Right Hemisphere Planum Temporale Supports Enhanced Visual Motion Detection Ability in Deaf People: Evidence from Cortical Thickness |
title_sort |
right hemisphere planum temporale supports enhanced visual motion detection ability in deaf people: evidence from cortical thickness |
publisher |
Hindawi Limited |
series |
Neural Plasticity |
issn |
2090-5904 1687-5443 |
publishDate |
2016-01-01 |
description |
After sensory loss, the deprived cortex can reorganize to process information from the remaining modalities, a phenomenon known as cross-modal reorganization. In blind people this cross-modal processing supports compensatory behavioural enhancements in the nondeprived modalities. Deaf people also show some compensatory visual enhancements, but a direct relationship between these abilities and cross-modally reorganized auditory cortex has only been established in an animal model, the congenitally deaf cat, and not in humans. Using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, we measured cortical thickness in the planum temporale, Heschl’s gyrus and sulcus, the middle temporal area MT+, and the calcarine sulcus, in early-deaf persons. We tested for a correlation between this measure and visual motion detection thresholds, a visual function where deaf people show enhancements as compared to hearing. We found that the cortical thickness of a region in the right hemisphere planum temporale, typically an auditory region, was greater in deaf individuals with better visual motion detection thresholds. This same region has previously been implicated in functional imaging studies as important for functional reorganization. The structure-behaviour correlation observed here demonstrates this area’s involvement in compensatory vision and indicates an anatomical correlate, increased cortical thickness, of cross-modal plasticity. |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7217630 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT marthamshiell therighthemisphereplanumtemporalesupportsenhancedvisualmotiondetectionabilityindeafpeopleevidencefromcorticalthickness AT francoischampoux therighthemisphereplanumtemporalesupportsenhancedvisualmotiondetectionabilityindeafpeopleevidencefromcorticalthickness AT robertjzatorre therighthemisphereplanumtemporalesupportsenhancedvisualmotiondetectionabilityindeafpeopleevidencefromcorticalthickness AT marthamshiell righthemisphereplanumtemporalesupportsenhancedvisualmotiondetectionabilityindeafpeopleevidencefromcorticalthickness AT francoischampoux righthemisphereplanumtemporalesupportsenhancedvisualmotiondetectionabilityindeafpeopleevidencefromcorticalthickness AT robertjzatorre righthemisphereplanumtemporalesupportsenhancedvisualmotiondetectionabilityindeafpeopleevidencefromcorticalthickness |
_version_ |
1725631476798586880 |