Enhanced audio-visual interactions in the auditory cortex of elderly cochlear-implant users.

Enhanced audio-visual interactions in the auditory cortex of elderly cochlear-implant users. Hear Res. 2015 Aug 21; Authors: Schierholz I, Finke M, Schulte S, Hauthal N, Kantzke C, Rach S, Büchner A, Dengler R, Sandmann P Abstract Auditory deprivation and the restoration of hearing via a cochlear implant (CI) can induce functional plasticity in auditory cortical areas. How these plastic changes affect the ability to integrate combined auditory (A) and visual (V) information is not yet well understood. In the present study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine whether age, temporary deafness and altered sensory experience with a CI can affect audio-visual (AV) interactions in post-lingually deafened CI users. Young and elderly CI users and age-matched NH listeners performed a speeded response task on basic auditory, visual and audio-visual stimuli. Regarding the behavioral results, a redundant signals effect, that is, faster response times to cross-modal (AV) than to both of the two modality-specific stimuli (A, V), was revealed for all groups of participants. Moreover, in all four groups, we found evidence for audio-visual integration. Regarding event-related responses (ERPs), we observed a more pronounced visual modulation of the cortical auditory response at N1 latency (approximately 100 ms after stimulus onset) in the elderly CI users when compared with young CI users and elderly NH listeners. Thus, elderly CI users sh...
Source: Hearing Research - Category: Audiology Authors: Tags: Hear Res Source Type: research