Episode 24: The Neuroscience of Deafness

This episode is part two of my miniseries on the neuroscience of language production and processing and today we're touching on how the brain regions encoding those concepts change in deaf individuals. It turns out that the brain is the literal embodiment of that "its free real estate" meme and vision input takes over the auditory cortex!If you're curious to know more - come and take a listen!Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscienceI really appreciate it!!!Citations and relevant papers are below! CDC. Genetics of Hearing Loss | CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published February 18, 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/genetics.html#:~:text=50%25%20to%2060%25%20of%20hearingDeafness causes before birth | Deafness in childhood. www.ndcs.org.uk. https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/causes-of-deafness/#:~:text=Deafness%20can%20also%20be%20causedSimon M, Campbell E, Genest F, MacLean MW, Champoux F, Lepore F. The Impact of Early Deafness on Brain Plasticity: A Systematic Review of the White and Gray Matter Changes. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2020;14. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00206Sharma A, Dorman MF, Spahr AJ. A Sensitive Period for the Development of the Central Auditory System in Children with Cochlear Implants: Implications for Age of Implantation. Ear and Hearing. 2002;23(6):532-539. https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Abstract/2002/12000/A_Sensitive_Period_for_the_Development_of_the.4.aspxVoss P, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani É. Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al. The Auditory Cortex. Nih.gov. Published 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/Bola Ł, Zimmermann M, Mostowski P, et al. Task-specific reorganization of the auditory cortex in deaf humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2017;114(4):E600-E609. doi:10.1073/pnas.1609000114‌Fougnie D, Cockhren J, Marois R. A common source of attention for auditory and visual tracking. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. 2018;80(6):1571-1583. doi:10.3758/s13414-018-1524-9Campbell R, MacSweeney M, Waters D. Sign Language and the Brain: A Review. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. 2008;13(1):3-20. doi:10.1093/deafed/enm035Support the show