Cross-modal motion responses in blind and deaf humans

描述（由申请人提供）：虽然感觉剥夺导致的跨模态可塑性已经被记录在各种各样的大脑区域中，用于各种各样的任务，但我们仍然很少知道跨模态是如何或为什么发展的。一般认为，当被剥夺正常输入时，大脑区域继续履行其功能角色，但使用其他形式的输入。为了支持这一观点，研究表明，在视力正常的人的大脑中，MT+是一个高度选择性的视觉运动区域，它对听觉和声音做出反应

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although cross-modal plasticity as a result of sensory deprivation has been documented across a wide variety of brain areas for a wide range of tasks we still have very little idea how or why cross-modal develops as it does. It is generally supposed that, when deprived of normal input, brain areas continue to fulfill their functional role but use input from other modalities. In support of this, it has been shown that MT+, a brain region highly selective for visual motion in normally sighted individuals, responds to auditory and tactile motion after early blindness. Similarly, primary auditory and surrounding cortex (PAC+), which is sensitive to apparent movement of synthesized sounds, can be activated by visual motion in profoundly deaf subjects. However, it is not clear whether these cross-modal responses carry any behavioral relevance, or whether such responses share common architecture with normal functions. The goal of this proposed project is to address these questions using a combination of BOLD multivoxel pattern analysis and adaptation techniques within both deaf and blind individuals.