Title: Reorganisations of the Visual and Auditory Cortex for Auditory Processing in Congenitally Blind Individuals
Authors: Manjula P*, Bharath T
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v3i8.47
DIDS : 08.2015-XXXXXXXX
Abstract
Background and objective: We assessed whether individuals with total blindness are compensated for the loss of their visual neuronal circuitry by augmentation in the auditory and tactile perception by comparing the P300 components of the auditory evoked potentials in the Individuals with total blindness and normal vision.
Methods: Twenty individuals each with total blindness or normal vision were recruited for this study. P300 components of the auditory evoked potentials were recorded. Latency and amplitude of the waveforms were measured and analyzed.
Results: The latencies of all the waveforms were significantly reduced in the subjects with total blindness when compared to the subjects with normal vision. In contrast the amplitude of the waveform P300 at Oz site was significantly increased in the subjects with total blindness.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that individuals with total blindness demonstrate remarkable neuroplasticity with neurophysiological evidence of much better information processing in the auditory system with the visual cortex additionally participating in hearing process.
Keywords: Total blindness, auditory evoked potentials, P300, neuroplastic changes, Plasticity.
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