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Ruttorf M, Tal Z, Amaral L, Fang F, Bi Y, Almeida J. Neuroplastic changes in functional wiring in sensory cortices of the congenitally deaf: A network analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6523-6536. [PMID: 37956260 PMCID: PMC10681644 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Ruttorf
- Computer Assisted Clinical MedicineHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Mannheim Institute for Intelligent Systems in MedicineHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Zohar Tal
- Proaction LaboratoryUniversity of CoimbraPortugal
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational SciencesUniversity of CoimbraPortugal
| | - Lénia Amaral
- Department of NeuroscienceGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Fang Fang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yanchao Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern, Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and ConnectomicsBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
| | - Jorge Almeida
- Proaction LaboratoryUniversity of CoimbraPortugal
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational SciencesUniversity of CoimbraPortugal
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2
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Li YT, Bai K, Li GZ, Hu B, Chen JW, Shang YX, Yu Y, Chen ZH, Zhang C, Yan LF, Cui GB, Lu LJ, Wang W. Functional to structural plasticity in unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss: neuroimaging evidence. Neuroimage 2023; 283:120437. [PMID: 37924896 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A cortical plasticity after long-duration single side deafness (SSD) is advocated with neuroimaging evidence while little is known about the short-duration SSDs. In this case-cohort study, we recruited unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients and age-, gender-matched health controls (HC), followed by comprehensive neuroimaging analyses. The primary outcome measures were temporal alterations of varied dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) states, neurovascular coupling (NVC) and brain region volume at different stages of SSNHL. The secondary outcome measures were pure-tone audiograms of SSNHL patients before and after treatment. A total of 38 SSNHL patients (21 [55%] male; mean [standard deviation] age, 45.05 [15.83] years) and 44 HC (28 [64%] male; mean [standard deviation] age, 43.55 [12.80] years) were enrolled. SSNHL patients were categorized into subgroups based on the time from disease onset to the initial magnetic resonance imaging scan: early- (n = 16; 1-6 days), intermediate- (n = 9; 7-13 days), and late- stage (n = 13; 14-30 days) groups. We first identified slow state transitions between varied dFNC states at early-stage SSNHL, then revealed the decreased NVC restricted to the auditory cortex at the intermediate- and late-stage SSNHL. Finally, a significantly decreased volume of the left medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed) was observed only in the late-stage SSNHL cohort. Furthermore, the volume of the left SFGmed is robustly correlated with both disease duration and patient prognosis. Our study offered neuroimaging evidence for the evolvement from functional to structural brain alterations of SSNHL patients with disease duration less than 1 month, which may explain, from a neuroimaging perspective, why early-stage SSNHL patients have better therapeutic responses and hearing recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Li
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Ke Bai
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Gan-Ze Li
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Jia-Wei Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
| | - Yu-Xuan Shang
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Ying Yu
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Zhu-Hong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Lin-Feng Yan
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Guang-Bin Cui
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Lian-Jun Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
| | - Wen Wang
- Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, China.
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3
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Song L, Wang P, Li H, Weiss PH, Fink GR, Zhou X, Chen Q. Increased functional connectivity between the auditory cortex and the frontoparietal network compensates for impaired visuomotor transformation after early auditory deprivation. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11126-11145. [PMID: 37814363 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Early auditory deprivation leads to a reorganization of large-scale brain networks involving and extending beyond the auditory system. It has been documented that visuomotor transformation is impaired after early deafness, associated with a hyper-crosstalk between the task-critical frontoparietal network and the default-mode network. However, it remains unknown whether and how the reorganized large-scale brain networks involving the auditory cortex contribute to impaired visuomotor transformation after early deafness. Here, we asked deaf and early hard of hearing participants and normal hearing controls to judge the spatial location of a visual target. Compared with normal hearing controls, the superior temporal gyrus showed significantly increased functional connectivity with the frontoparietal network and the default-mode network in deaf and early hard of hearing participants, specifically during egocentric judgments. However, increased superior temporal gyrus-frontoparietal network and superior temporal gyrus-default-mode network coupling showed antagonistic effects on egocentric judgments. In deaf and early hard of hearing participants, increased superior temporal gyrus-frontoparietal network connectivity was associated with improved egocentric judgments, whereas increased superior temporal gyrus-default-mode network connectivity was associated with deteriorated performance in the egocentric task. Therefore, the data suggest that the auditory cortex exhibits compensatory neuroplasticity (i.e. increased functional connectivity with the task-critical frontoparietal network) to mitigate impaired visuomotor transformation after early auditory deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Song
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Pengfei Wang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Hui Li
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Peter H Weiss
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Strasse, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne University, Cologne 509737, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Strasse, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne University, Cologne 509737, Germany
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Strasse, Jülich 52428, Germany
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4
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Huo H, Lesage E, Dong W, Verguts T, Seger CA, Diao S, Feng T, Chen Q. The neural substrates of how model-based learning affects risk taking: Functional coupling between right cerebellum and left caudate. Brain Cogn 2023; 172:106088. [PMID: 37783018 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Higher executive control capacity allows people to appropriately evaluate risk and avoid both excessive risk aversion and excessive risk-taking. The neural mechanisms underlying this relationship between executive function and risk taking are still unknown. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis combined with resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) to evaluate how one component of executive function, model-based learning, relates to risk taking. We measured individuals' use of the model-based learning system with the two-step task, and risk taking with the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Behavioral results indicated that risk taking was positively correlated with the model-based weighting parameter ω. The VBM results showed a positive association between model-based learning and gray matter volume in the right cerebellum (RCere) and left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL). Functional connectivity results suggested that the coupling between RCere and the left caudate (LCAU) was correlated with both model-based learning and risk taking. Mediation analysis indicated that RCere-LCAU functional connectivity completely mediated the effect of model-based learning on risk taking. These results indicate that learners who favor model-based strategies also engage in more appropriate risky behaviors through interactions between reward-based learning, error-based learning and executive control subserved by a caudate, cerebellar and parietal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangfeng Huo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Elise Lesage
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wenshan Dong
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Tom Verguts
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carol A Seger
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Department of Psychology and Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Sitong Diao
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 518060 Shenzhen, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China.
| | - Qi Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 518060 Shenzhen, China.
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Lammert JM, Levine AT, Koshkebaghi D, Butler BE. Sign language experience has little effect on face and biomotion perception in bimodal bilinguals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15328. [PMID: 37714887 PMCID: PMC10504335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory and language experience can affect brain organization and domain-general abilities. For example, D/deaf individuals show superior visual perception compared to hearing controls in several domains, including the perception of faces and peripheral motion. While these enhancements may result from sensory loss and subsequent neural plasticity, they may also reflect experience using a visual-manual language, like American Sign Language (ASL), where signers must process moving hand signs and facial cues simultaneously. In an effort to disentangle these concurrent sensory experiences, we examined how learning sign language influences visual abilities by comparing bimodal bilinguals (i.e., sign language users with typical hearing) and hearing non-signers. Bimodal bilinguals and hearing non-signers completed online psychophysical measures of face matching and biological motion discrimination. No significant group differences were observed across these two tasks, suggesting that sign language experience is insufficient to induce perceptual advantages in typical-hearing adults. However, ASL proficiency (but not years of experience or age of acquisition) was found to predict performance on the motion perception task among bimodal bilinguals. Overall, the results presented here highlight a need for more nuanced study of how linguistic environments, sensory experience, and cognitive functions impact broad perceptual processes and underlying neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Lammert
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Room 6126, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Alexandra T Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Room 6126, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Dursa Koshkebaghi
- Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Blake E Butler
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Room 6126, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada.
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
- National Centre for Audiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
- Children's Health Research Institute, Lawson Health Research, London, Canada.
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6
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Cardin V, Kremneva E, Komarova A, Vinogradova V, Davidenko T, Zmeykina E, Kopnin PN, Iriskhanova K, Woll B. Resting-state functional connectivity in deaf and hearing individuals and its link to executive processing. Neuropsychologia 2023; 185:108583. [PMID: 37142052 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Sensory experience shapes brain structure and function, and it is likely to influence the organisation of functional networks of the brain, including those involved in cognitive processing. Here we investigated the influence of early deafness on the organisation of resting-state networks of the brain and its relation to executive processing. We compared resting-state connectivity between deaf and hearing individuals across 18 functional networks and 400 ROIs. Our results showed significant group differences in connectivity between seeds of the auditory network and most large-scale networks of the brain, in particular the somatomotor and salience/ventral attention networks. When we investigated group differences in resting-state fMRI and their link to behavioural performance in executive function tasks (working memory, inhibition and switching), differences between groups were found in the connectivity of association networks of the brain, such as the salience/ventral attention and default-mode networks. These findings indicate that sensory experience influences not only the organisation of sensory networks, but that it also has a measurable impact on the organisation of association networks supporting cognitive processing. Overall, our findings suggest that different developmental pathways and functional organisation can support executive processing in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velia Cardin
- Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, UCL, London, UK.
| | - Elena Kremneva
- Department of Radiology, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Komarova
- Galina Zaitseva Centre for Deaf Studies and Sign Language, Moscow, Russia; Language Department, Moscow State Linguistics University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Valeria Vinogradova
- Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, UCL, London, UK; Galina Zaitseva Centre for Deaf Studies and Sign Language, Moscow, Russia; School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Tatiana Davidenko
- Galina Zaitseva Centre for Deaf Studies and Sign Language, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elina Zmeykina
- Department of Radiology, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia; Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | - Petr N Kopnin
- Department of Neurorehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kira Iriskhanova
- Language Department, Moscow State Linguistics University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Bencie Woll
- Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, UCL, London, UK
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Kral A, Sharma A. Crossmodal plasticity in hearing loss. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:377-393. [PMID: 36990952 PMCID: PMC10121905 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Crossmodal plasticity is a textbook example of the ability of the brain to reorganize based on use. We review evidence from the auditory system showing that such reorganization has significant limits, is dependent on pre-existing circuitry and top-down interactions, and that extensive reorganization is often absent. We argue that the evidence does not support the hypothesis that crossmodal reorganization is responsible for closing critical periods in deafness, and crossmodal plasticity instead represents a neuronal process that is dynamically adaptable. We evaluate the evidence for crossmodal changes in both developmental and adult-onset deafness, which start as early as mild-moderate hearing loss and show reversibility when hearing is restored. Finally, crossmodal plasticity does not appear to affect the neuronal preconditions for successful hearing restoration. Given its dynamic and versatile nature, we describe how this plasticity can be exploited for improving clinical outcomes after neurosensory restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Kral
- Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology, Otolaryngology Clinics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Australian Hearing Hub, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anu Sharma
- Department of Speech Language and Hearing Science, Center for Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
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Wang G, Li M, Guo W, Cengiz K, Tomar R. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Research on recognition method of sports injury parts based on artificial intelligence enabled 3D image simulation analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEM ASSURANCE ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 14:580-580. [DOI: 10.1007/s13198-021-01240-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 08/30/2023]
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Strittmatter Y, Spitzer MWH, Kiesel A. A random-object-kinematogram plugin for web-based research: implementing oriented objects enables varying coherence levels and stimulus congruency levels. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:883-898. [PMID: 35503167 PMCID: PMC10027837 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01767-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
One of the recent major advances in cognitive psychology research has been the option of web-based in addition to lab-based experimental research. This option fosters experimental research by increasing the pace and size of collecting data sets. Importantly, web-based research profits heavily from integrating tasks that are frequently applied in cognitive psychology into open access software. For instance, an open access random-dot kinematogram (RDK) plugin has recently been integrated into the jsPsych software for web-based research. This plugin allows researchers to implement experimental tasks with varying coherence levels (with that varying task difficulty) of moving dots or varying signal to noise ratios of colored dots. Here, we introduce the random-object kinematogram (ROK) plugin for the jsPsych software which, among other new features, enables researchers to include oriented objects (e.g., triangles or arrows) instead of dots as stimuli. This permits experiments with feature congruency (e.g., upwards-moving triangles pointing upwards) or incongruency (e.g., upwards-moving triangles pointing downwards), allowing to induce gradual degrees of stimulus interference, in addition to gradual degrees of task difficulty. We elaborate on possible set-ups with this plugin in two experiments examining participants' RTs and error rates on different combinations of coherence and congruency levels. Results showed increased RTs and error rates on trials with lower coherence percentages, and on trials with lower congruency levels. We discuss other new features of the ROK plugin and conclude that the possibility of gradually varying the coherence level and congruency level independently from each other offers novel possibilities when conducting web-based experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younes Strittmatter
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | | | - Andrea Kiesel
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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10
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Villwock A, Grin K. Somatosensory processing in deaf and deafblind individuals: How does the brain adapt as a function of sensory and linguistic experience? A critical review. Front Psychol 2022; 13:938842. [PMID: 36324786 PMCID: PMC9618853 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
How do deaf and deafblind individuals process touch? This question offers a unique model to understand the prospects and constraints of neural plasticity. Our brain constantly receives and processes signals from the environment and combines them into the most reliable information content. The nervous system adapts its functional and structural organization according to the input, and perceptual processing develops as a function of individual experience. However, there are still many unresolved questions regarding the deciding factors for these changes in deaf and deafblind individuals, and so far, findings are not consistent. To date, most studies have not taken the sensory and linguistic experiences of the included participants into account. As a result, the impact of sensory deprivation vs. language experience on somatosensory processing remains inconclusive. Even less is known about the impact of deafblindness on brain development. The resulting neural adaptations could be even more substantial, but no clear patterns have yet been identified. How do deafblind individuals process sensory input? Studies on deafblindness have mostly focused on single cases or groups of late-blind individuals. Importantly, the language backgrounds of deafblind communities are highly variable and include the usage of tactile languages. So far, this kind of linguistic experience and its consequences have not been considered in studies on basic perceptual functions. Here, we will provide a critical review of the literature, aiming at identifying determinants for neuroplasticity and gaps in our current knowledge of somatosensory processing in deaf and deafblind individuals.
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11
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Yong W, Song J, Xing C, Xu JJ, Xue Y, Yin X, Wu Y, Chen YC. Disrupted Topological Organization of Resting-State Functional Brain Networks in Age-Related Hearing Loss. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:907070. [PMID: 35669463 PMCID: PMC9163682 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.907070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), associated with the function of speech perception decreases characterized by bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at high frequencies, has become an increasingly critical public health problem. This study aimed to investigate the topological features of the brain functional network and structural dysfunction of the central nervous system in ARHL using graph theory. Methods Forty-six patients with ARHL and forty-five age, sex, and education-matched healthy controls were recruited to undergo a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan in this study. Graph theory was applied to analyze the topological properties of the functional connectomes by studying the local and global organization of neural networks. Results Compared with healthy controls, the patient group showed increased local efficiency (Eloc) and clustering coefficient (Cp) of the small-world network. Besides, the degree centrality (Dc) and nodal efficiency (Ne) values of the left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) in the patient group showed a decrease in contrast with the healthy control group. In addition, the intra-modular interaction of the occipital lobe module and the inter-modular interaction of the parietal occipital module decreased in the patient group, which was positively correlated with Dc and Ne. The intra-modular interaction of the occipital lobe module decreased in the patient group, which was negatively correlated with the Eloc. Conclusion Based on fMRI and graph theory, we indicate the aberrant small-world network topology in ARHL and dysfunctional interaction of the occipital lobe and parietal lobe, emphasizing the importance of dysfunctional left IOG. These results suggest that early diagnosis and treatment of patients with ARHL is necessary, which can avoid the transformation of brain topology and decreased brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yong
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiajie Song
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Pukou Central Hospital, Pukou Branch Hospital of Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunhua Xing
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jin-Jing Xu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Xue
- Department of Otolaryngology, Nanjing Pukou Central Hospital, Pukou Branch Hospital of Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Xindao Yin
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanqing Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuanqing Wu
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Yu-Chen Chen
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Andin J, Holmer E. Reorganization of large-scale brain networks in deaf signing adults: The role of auditory cortex in functional reorganization following deafness. Neuropsychologia 2022; 166:108139. [PMID: 34990695 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
If the brain is deprived of input from one or more senses during development, functional and structural reorganization of the deprived regions takes place. However, little is known about how sensory deprivation affects large-scale brain networks. In the present study, we use data-driven independent component analysis (ICA) to characterize large-scale brain networks in 15 deaf early signers and 24 hearing non-signers based on resting-state functional MRI data. We found differences between the groups in independent components representing the left lateralized control network, the default network, the ventral somatomotor network, and the attention network. In addition, we showed stronger functional connectivity for deaf compared to hearing individuals from the middle and superior temporal cortices to the cingulate cortex, insular cortex, cuneus and precuneus, supramarginal gyrus, supplementary motor area, and cerebellum crus 1, and stronger connectivity for hearing non-signers to hippocampus, middle and superior frontal gyri, pre- and postcentral gyri, and cerebellum crus 8. These results show that deafness induces large-scale network reorganization, with the middle/superior temporal cortex as a central node of plasticity. Cross-modal reorganization may be associated with behavioral adaptations to the environment, including superior ability in some visual functions such as visual working memory and visual attention, in deaf signers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Andin
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, SE, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Emil Holmer
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, SE, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden; Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping University, Sweden.
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Benetti S, Collignon O. Cross-modal integration and plasticity in the superior temporal cortex. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:127-143. [PMID: 35964967 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00026-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In congenitally deaf people, temporal regions typically believed to be primarily auditory enhance their response to nonauditory information. The neural mechanisms and functional principles underlying this phenomenon, as well as its impact on auditory recovery after sensory restoration, yet remain debated. In this chapter, we demonstrate that the cross-modal recruitment of temporal regions by visual inputs in congenitally deaf people follows organizational principles known to be present in the hearing brain. We propose that the functional and structural mechanisms allowing optimal convergence of multisensory information in the temporal cortex of hearing people also provide the neural scaffolding for feeding visual or tactile information into the deafened temporal areas. Innate in their nature, such anatomo-functional links between the auditory and other sensory systems would represent the common substrate of both early multisensory integration and expression of selective cross-modal plasticity in the superior temporal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Benetti
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; Institute for Research in Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Zimmermann M, Mostowski P, Rutkowski P, Tomaszewski P, Krzysztofiak P, Jednoróg K, Marchewka A, Szwed M. The Extent of Task Specificity for Visual and Tactile Sequences in the Auditory Cortex of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9720-9731. [PMID: 34663627 PMCID: PMC8612642 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2527-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that the auditory cortex in the deaf humans might undergo task-specific reorganization. However, evidence remains scarce as previous experiments used only two very specific tasks (temporal processing and face perception) in visual modality. Here, congenitally deaf/hard of hearing and hearing women and men were enrolled in an fMRI experiment as we sought to fill this evidence gap in two ways. First, we compared activation evoked by a temporal processing task performed in two different modalities, visual and tactile. Second, we contrasted this task with a perceptually similar task that focuses on the spatial dimension. Additional control conditions consisted of passive stimulus observation. In line with the task specificity hypothesis, the auditory cortex in the deaf was activated by temporal processing in both visual and tactile modalities. This effect was selective for temporal processing relative to spatial discrimination. However, spatial processing also led to significant auditory cortex recruitment which, unlike temporal processing, occurred even during passive stimulus observation. We conclude that auditory cortex recruitment in the deaf and hard of hearing might involve interplay between task-selective and pluripotential mechanisms of cross-modal reorganization. Our results open several avenues for the investigation of the full complexity of the cross-modal plasticity phenomenon.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Previous studies suggested that the auditory cortex in the deaf may change input modality (sound to vision) while keeping its function (e.g., rhythm processing). We investigated this hypothesis by asking deaf or hard of hearing and hearing adults to discriminate between temporally and spatially complex sequences in visual and tactile modalities. The results show that such function-specific brain reorganization, as has previously been demonstrated in the visual modality, also occurs for tactile processing. On the other hand, they also show that for some stimuli (spatial) the auditory cortex activates automatically, which is suggestive of a take-over by a different kind of cognitive function. The observed differences in processing of sequences might thus result from an interplay of task-specific and pluripotent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Zimmermann
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - P Mostowski
- Section for Sign Linguistics, University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
| | - P Rutkowski
- Section for Sign Linguistics, University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
| | - P Tomaszewski
- Polish Sign Language and Deaf Communication Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland
| | - P Krzysztofiak
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 03-815 Warsaw, Poland
| | - K Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute for Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - A Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute for Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Szwed
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
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