Side-of-Implantation Effect on Functional Asymmetry in the Auditory Cortex of Single-Sided Deaf Cochlear-Implant Users.

Cochlear implants (CIs) allow to restore the hearing function in profoundly deaf individuals. Due to the degradation of the stimulus by CI signal processing, implanted individuals with single-sided deafness (SSD) have the specific challenge that the input highly differs between their ears. The present study compared normal-hearing (NH) listeners (N = 10) and left- and right-ear implanted SSD CI users (N = 10 left, N = 9 right), to evaluate cortical speech processing between CI- and NH-ears and to explore for side-of-implantation effects. The participants performed a two-deviant oddball task, separately with the left and the right ear. Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to syllables were compared between proficient and non-proficient CI users, as well as between CI and NH ears. The effect of the side of implantation was analysed on the sensor and the source level. CI proficiency could be distinguished based on the ERP amplitudes of the N1 and the P3b. Moreover, syllable processing via the CI ear, when compared to the NH ear, resulted in attenuated and delayed ERPs. In addition, the left-ear implanted SSD CI users revealed an enhanced functional asymmetry in the auditory cortex than right-ear implanted SSD CI users, regardless of whether the syllables were perceived via the CI or the NH ear. Our findings reveal that speech-discrimination proficiency in SSD CI users can be assessed by N1 and P3b ERPs. The results contribute to a better understanding of the rehabilitation success in SSD CI users by showing that cortical speech processing in SSD CI users is affected by CI-related stimulus degradation and experience-related functional changes in the auditory cortex.

Neuronal activation in the human centromedian-parafascicular complex predicts cortical responses to behaviorally significant auditory events.

Studies with non-human primates have suggested an excitatory influence of the thalamus on the cerebral cortex, with the centromedian-parafascicular complex (CM-Pf) being particularly involved in processes of sensory event-driven attention and arousal. To define the involvement of the human CM-Pf in bottom-up and top-down auditory attention, we simultaneously recorded cortical EEG activity and intracranial local field potentials (LFPs) via electrodes implanted for deep brain stimulation for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The patients (N â€‹= â€‹6) performed an auditory three-class oddball paradigm with frequent standard stimuli and two types of infrequent deviant stimuli (target and distractor). We found a parietal P3b to targets and a central P3a to distractors at the scalp level. Subcortical recordings in the CM-Pf revealed enhanced activation to targets compared to standards. Interarea-correlation analyses showed that activation in the CM-Pf predicted the generation of longer latency P3b scalp potentials specifically in the target condition. Our results provide first direct human evidence for a functional temporal relationship between target-related activation in the CM-Pf and an enhanced cortical target response. These results corroborate the hypothetical model of a cortico-basal ganglia loop system that switches from top-down to bottom-up mode in response to salient, task-relevant external events that are not predictable.

Human centromedian-parafascicular complex signals sensory cues for goal-oriented behavior selection.

Experimental research has shown that the centromedian-parafascicular complex (CM-Pf) of the intralaminar thalamus is activated in attentional orienting and processing of behaviorally relevant stimuli. These observations resulted in the hypothesis that the CM-Pf plays a pivotal role in goal-oriented behavior selection. We here set out to test this hypothesis with electrophysiological recordings from patients with electrodes implanted in CM-Pf for deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. Six patients participated in (1) an auditory three-class oddball experiment, which required a button press to target tones, but not to standard and deviant tones and in (2) a multi-speaker experiment with a target word that required attention selection and a target image that required response selection. Subjects showed transient neural responses (8-15Hz) to the target tone and the target word. Two subjects additionally showed transient neural responses (15-25Hz) to the target image. All sensory target stimuli were related to an internal goal and required a behavior selection (attention selection, response selection). In group analyses, neural responses were greater to target tones than deviant and standard tones and to target words than other task-relevant words that did not require attention selection. The transient neural responses occurred after the target stimuli but prior to the overt behavioral response. Our results demonstrate that in human subjects the CM-Pf is involved in signaling sensory inputs related to goal-oriented selection of behavior.

Auditory and audio-visual processing in patients with cochlear, auditory brainstem, and auditory midbrain implants: An EEG study.

There is substantial variability in speech recognition ability across patients with cochlear implants (CIs), auditory brainstem implants (ABIs), and auditory midbrain implants (AMIs). To better understand how this variability is related to central processing differences, the current electroencephalography (EEG) study compared hearing abilities and auditory-cortex activation in patients with electrical stimulation at different sites of the auditory pathway. Three different groups of patients with auditory implants (Hannover Medical School; ABI: n = 6, CI: n = 6; AMI: n = 2) performed a speeded response task and a speech recognition test with auditory, visual, and audio-visual stimuli. Behavioral performance and cortical processing of auditory and audio-visual stimuli were compared between groups. ABI and AMI patients showed prolonged response times on auditory and audio-visual stimuli compared with NH listeners and CI patients. This was confirmed by prolonged N1 latencies and reduced N1 amplitudes in ABI and AMI patients. However, patients with central auditory implants showed a remarkable gain in performance when visual and auditory input was combined, in both speech and non-speech conditions, which was reflected by a strong visual modulation of auditory-cortex activation in these individuals. In sum, the results suggest that the behavioral improvement for audio-visual conditions in central auditory implant patients is based on enhanced audio-visual interactions in the auditory cortex. Their findings may provide important implications for the optimization of electrical stimulation and rehabilitation strategies in patients with central auditory prostheses. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2206-2225, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Consequences of Stimulus Type on Higher-Order Processing in Single-Sided Deaf Cochlear Implant Users.

Single-sided deaf subjects with a cochlear implant (CI) provide the unique opportunity to compare central auditory processing of the electrical input (CI ear) and the acoustic input (normal-hearing, NH, ear) within the same individual. In these individuals, sensory processing differs between their two ears, while cognitive abilities are the same irrespectively of the sensory input. To better understand perceptual-cognitive factors modulating speech intelligibility with a CI, this electroencephalography study examined the central-auditory processing of words, the cognitive abilities, and the speech intelligibility in 10 postlingually single-sided deaf CI users. We found lower hit rates and prolonged response times for word classification during an oddball task for the CI ear when compared with the NH ear. Also, event-related potentials reflecting sensory (N1) and higher-order processing (N2/N4) were prolonged for word classification (targets versus nontargets) with the CI ear compared with the NH ear. Our results suggest that speech processing via the CI ear and the NH ear differs both at sensory (N1) and cognitive (N2/N4) processing stages, thereby affecting the behavioral performance for speech discrimination. These results provide objective evidence for cognition to be a key factor for speech perception under adverse listening conditions, such as the degraded speech signal provided from the CI.

Cross-Modal Functional Reorganization of Visual and Auditory Cortex in Adult Cochlear Implant Users Identified with fNIRS.

Cochlear implant (CI) users show higher auditory-evoked activations in visual cortex and higher visual-evoked activation in auditory cortex compared to normal hearing (NH) controls, reflecting functional reorganization of both visual and auditory modalities. Visual-evoked activation in auditory cortex is a maladaptive functional reorganization whereas auditory-evoked activation in visual cortex is beneficial for speech recognition in CI users. We investigated their joint influence on CI users' speech recognition, by testing 20 postlingually deafened CI users and 20 NH controls with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Optodes were placed over occipital and temporal areas to measure visual and auditory responses when presenting visual checkerboard and auditory word stimuli. Higher cross-modal activations were confirmed in both auditory and visual cortex for CI users compared to NH controls, demonstrating that functional reorganization of both auditory and visual cortex can be identified with fNIRS. Additionally, the combined reorganization of auditory and visual cortex was found to be associated with speech recognition performance. Speech performance was good as long as the beneficial auditory-evoked activation in visual cortex was higher than the visual-evoked activation in the auditory cortex. These results indicate the importance of considering cross-modal activations in both visual and auditory cortex for potential clinical outcome estimation.

Cross-modal reorganization in cochlear implant users: Auditory cortex contributes to visual face processing.

There is converging evidence that the auditory cortex takes over visual functions during a period of auditory deprivation. A residual pattern of cross-modal take-over may prevent the auditory cortex to adapt to restored sensory input as delivered by a cochlear implant (CI) and limit speech intelligibility with a CI. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether visual face processing in CI users activates auditory cortex and whether this has adaptive or maladaptive consequences. High-density electroencephalogram data were recorded from CI users (n=21) and age-matched normal hearing controls (n=21) performing a face versus house discrimination task. Lip reading and face recognition abilities were measured as well as speech intelligibility. Evaluation of event-related potential (ERP) topographies revealed significant group differences over occipito-temporal scalp regions. Distributed source analysis identified significantly higher activation in the right auditory cortex for CI users compared to NH controls, confirming visual take-over. Lip reading skills were significantly enhanced in the CI group and appeared to be particularly better after a longer duration of deafness, while face recognition was not significantly different between groups. However, auditory cortex activation in CI users was positively related to face recognition abilities. Our results confirm a cross-modal reorganization for ecologically valid visual stimuli in CI users. Furthermore, they suggest that residual takeover, which can persist even after adaptation to a CI is not necessarily maladaptive.

Association of Concurrent fNIRS and EEG Signatures in Response to Auditory and Visual Stimuli.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been proven reliable for investigation of low-level visual processing in both infants and adults. Similar investigation of fundamental auditory processes with fNIRS, however, remains only partially complete. Here we employed a systematic three-level validation approach to investigate whether fNIRS could capture fundamental aspects of bottom-up acoustic processing. We performed a simultaneous fNIRS-EEG experiment with visual and auditory stimulation in 24 participants, which allowed the relationship between changes in neural activity and hemoglobin concentrations to be studied. In the first level, the fNIRS results showed a clear distinction between visual and auditory sensory modalities. Specifically, the results demonstrated area specificity, that is, maximal fNIRS responses in visual and auditory areas for the visual and auditory stimuli respectively, and stimulus selectivity, whereby the visual and auditory areas responded mainly toward their respective stimuli. In the second level, a stimulus-dependent modulation of the fNIRS signal was observed in the visual area, as well as a loudness modulation in the auditory area. Finally in the last level, we observed significant correlations between simultaneously-recorded visual evoked potentials and deoxygenated hemoglobin (DeoxyHb) concentration, and between late auditory evoked potentials and oxygenated hemoglobin (OxyHb) concentration. In sum, these results suggest good sensitivity of fNIRS to low-level sensory processing in both the visual and the auditory domain, and provide further evidence of the neurovascular coupling between hemoglobin concentration changes and non-invasive brain electrical activity.

Source localisation of visual evoked potentials in congenitally deaf individuals.

Previous studies have suggested that individuals deprived of auditory input can compensate with specific superior abilities in the remaining sensory modalities. To better understand the neural basis of deafness-induced changes, the present study used electroencephalography to examine visual functions and cross-modal reorganization of the auditory cortex in deaf individuals. Congenitally deaf participants and hearing controls were presented with reversing chequerboard stimuli that were systematically modulated in luminance ratio. The two groups of participants showed similar modulation of visual evoked potential (VEP) amplitudes (N85, P110) and latencies (P110) as a function of luminance ratio. Analysis of VEPs revealed faster neural processing in deaf participants compared with hearing controls at early stages of cortical visual processing (N85). Deaf participants also showed higher amplitudes (P110) than hearing participants. In contrast to our expectations, the results from VEP source analysis revealed no clear evidence for cross-modal reorganization in the auditory cortex of deaf participants. However, deaf participants tended to show higher activation in posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Moreover, modulation of PPC responses as a function of luminance was also stronger in deaf than in hearing participants. Taken together, these findings are an indication of more efficient neural processing of visual information in the deaf, which may relate to functional changes, in particular in multisensory parietal cortex, as a consequence of early auditory deprivation.

The Right-Ear Advantage in Static and Dynamic Cocktail-Party Situations.

When presenting two competing speech stimuli, one to each ear, a right-ear advantage (REA) can often be observed, reflected in better speech recognition compared to the left ear. Considering the left-hemispheric dominance for language, the REA has been explained by superior contralateral pathways (structural models) and language-induced shifts of attention to the right (attentional models). There is some evidence that the REA becomes more pronounced, as cognitive load increases. Hence, it is interesting to investigate the REA in static (constant target talker) and dynamic (target changing pseudo-randomly) cocktail-party situations, as the latter is associated with a higher cognitive load than the former. Furthermore, previous research suggests an increasing REA, when listening becomes more perceptually challenging. The present study examined the REA by using virtual acoustics to simulate static and dynamic cocktail-party situations, with three spatially separated talkers uttering concurrent matrix sentences. Sentences were presented at low sound pressure levels or processed with a noise vocoder to increase perceptual load. Sixteen young normal-hearing adults participated in the study. The REA was assessed by means of word recognition scores and a detailed error analysis. Word recognition revealed a greater REA for the dynamic than for the static situations, compatible with the view that an increase in cognitive load results in a heightened REA. Also, the REA depended on the type of perceptual load, as indicated by a higher REA associated with vocoded compared to low-level stimuli. The results of the error analysis support both structural and attentional models of the REA.

Changes in visually and auditory attended audiovisual speech processing in cochlear implant users: A longitudinal ERP study.

Limited auditory input, whether caused by hearing loss or by electrical stimulation through a cochlear implant (CI), can be compensated by the remaining senses. Specifically for CI users, previous studies reported not only improved visual skills, but also altered cortical processing of unisensory visual and auditory stimuli. However, in multisensory scenarios, it is still unclear how auditory deprivation (before implantation) and electrical hearing experience (after implantation) affect cortical audiovisual speech processing. Here, we present a prospective longitudinal electroencephalography (EEG) study which systematically examined the deprivation- and CI-induced alterations of cortical processing of audiovisual words by comparing event-related potentials (ERPs) in postlingually deafened CI users before and after implantation (five weeks and six months of CI use). A group of matched normal-hearing (NH) listeners served as controls. The participants performed a word-identification task with congruent and incongruent audiovisual words, focusing their attention on either the visual (lip movement) or the auditory speech signal. This allowed us to study the (top-down) attention effect on the (bottom-up) sensory cortical processing of audiovisual speech. When compared to the NH listeners, the CI candidates (before implantation) and the CI users (after implantation) exhibited enhanced lipreading abilities and an altered cortical response at the N1 latency range (90-150 ms) that was characterized by a decreased theta oscillation power (4-8 Hz) and a smaller amplitude in the auditory cortex. After implantation, however, the auditory-cortex response gradually increased and developed a stronger intra-modal connectivity. Nevertheless, task efficiency and activation in the visual cortex was significantly modulated in both groups by focusing attention on the visual as compared to the auditory speech signal, with the NH listeners additionally showing an attention-dependent decrease in beta oscillation power (13-30 Hz). In sum, these results suggest remarkable deprivation effects on audiovisual speech processing in the auditory cortex, which partially reverse after implantation. Although even experienced CI users still show distinct audiovisual speech processing compared to NH listeners, pronounced effects of (top-down) direction of attention on (bottom-up) audiovisual processing can be observed in both groups. However, NH listeners but not CI users appear to show enhanced allocation of cognitive resources in visually as compared to auditory attended audiovisual speech conditions, which supports our behavioural observations of poorer lipreading abilities and reduced visual influence on audition in NH listeners as compared to CI users.

Electrophysiological correlates of auditory change detection and change deafness in complex auditory scenes.

Change deafness describes the failure to perceive even intense changes within complex auditory input, if the listener does not attend to the changing sound. Remarkably, previous psychophysical data provide evidence that this effect occurs independently of successful stimulus encoding, indicating that undetected changes are processed to some extent in auditory cortex. Here we investigated cortical representations of detected and undetected auditory changes using electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings and a change deafness paradigm. We applied a one-shot change detection task, in which participants listened successively to three complex auditory scenes, each of them consisting of six simultaneously presented auditory streams. Listeners had to decide whether all scenes were identical or whether the pitch of one stream was changed between the last two presentations. Our data show significantly increased middle-latency Nb responses for both detected and undetected changes as compared to no-change trials. In contrast, only successfully detected changes were associated with a later mismatch response in auditory cortex, followed by increased N2, P3a and P3b responses, originating from hierarchically higher non-sensory brain regions. These results strengthen the view that undetected changes are successfully encoded at sensory level in auditory cortex, but fail to trigger later change-related cortical responses that lead to conscious perception of change.

Visual activation of auditory cortex reflects maladaptive plasticity in cochlear implant users.

Cross-modal reorganization in the auditory cortex has been reported in deaf individuals. However, it is not well understood whether this compensatory reorganization induced by auditory deprivation recedes once the sensation of hearing is partially restored through a cochlear implant. The current study used electroencephalography source localization to examine cross-modal reorganization in the auditory cortex of post-lingually deafened cochlear implant users. We analysed visual-evoked potentials to parametrically modulated reversing chequerboard images between cochlear implant users (n = 11) and normal-hearing listeners (n = 11). The results revealed smaller P100 amplitudes and reduced visual cortex activation in cochlear implant users compared with normal-hearing listeners. At the P100 latency, cochlear implant users also showed activation in the right auditory cortex, which was inversely related to speech recognition ability with the cochlear implant. These results confirm a visual take-over in the auditory cortex of cochlear implant users. Incomplete reversal of this deafness-induced cortical reorganization might limit clinical benefit from a cochlear implant and help explain the high inter-subject variability in auditory speech comprehension.

Effects of noise and noise reduction on audiovisual speech perception in cochlear implant users: An ERP study.

OBJECTIVE: Hearing with a cochlear implant (CI) is difficult in noisy environments, but the use of noise reduction algorithms, specifically ForwardFocus, can improve speech intelligibility. The current event-related potentials (ERP) study examined the electrophysiological correlates of this perceptual improvement. METHODS: Ten bimodal CI users performed a syllable-identification task in auditory and audiovisual conditions, with syllables presented from the front and stationary noise presented from the sides. Brainstorm was used for spatio-temporal evaluation of ERPs. RESULTS: CI users revealed an audiovisual benefit as reflected by shorter response times and greater activation in temporal and occipital regions at P2 latency. However, in auditory and audiovisual conditions, background noise hampered speech processing, leading to longer response times and delayed auditory-cortex-activation at N1 latency. Nevertheless, activating ForwardFocus resulted in shorter response times, reduced listening effort and enhanced superior-frontal-cortex-activation at P2 latency, particularly in audiovisual conditions. CONCLUSIONS: ForwardFocus enhances speech intelligibility in audiovisual speech conditions by potentially allowing the reallocation of attentional resources to relevant auditory speech cues. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows for CI users that background noise and ForwardFocus differentially affect spatio-temporal cortical response patterns, both in auditory and audiovisual speech conditions.

Distinct multisensory perceptual processes guide enhanced auditory recognition memory in older cochlear implant users.

In naturalistic situations, sounds are often perceived in conjunction with matching visual impressions. For example, we see and hear the neighbor's dog barking in the garden. Still, there is a good chance that we recognize the neighbor's dog even when we only hear it barking, but do not see it behind the fence. Previous studies with normal-hearing (NH) listeners have shown that the audio-visual presentation of a perceptual object (like an animal) increases the probability to recognize this object later on, even if the repeated presentation of this object occurs in a purely auditory condition. In patients with a cochlear implant (CI), however, the electrical hearing of sounds is impoverished, and the ability to recognize perceptual objects in auditory conditions is significantly limited. It is currently not well understood whether CI users - as NH listeners - show a multisensory facilitation for auditory recognition. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) and a continuous recognition paradigm with auditory and audio-visual stimuli to test the prediction that CI users show a benefit from audio-visual perception. Indeed, the congruent audio-visual context resulted in an improved recognition ability of objects in an auditory-only condition, both in the NH listeners and the CI users. The ERPs revealed a group-specific pattern of voltage topographies and correlations between these ERP maps and the auditory recognition ability, indicating a different processing of congruent audio-visual stimuli in CI users when compared to NH listeners. Taken together, our results point to distinct cortical processing of naturalistic audio-visual objects in CI users and NH listeners, which however allows both groups to improve the recognition ability of these objects in a purely auditory context. Our findings are of relevance for future clinical research since audio-visual perception might also improve the auditory rehabilitation after cochlear implantation.

Age effects on cognitive functions and speech-in-noise processing: An event-related potential study with cochlear-implant users and normal-hearing listeners.

A cochlear implant (CI) can partially restore hearing in individuals with profound sensorineural hearing loss. However, electrical hearing with a CI is limited and highly variable. The current study aimed to better understand the different factors contributing to this variability by examining how age affects cognitive functions and cortical speech processing in CI users. Electroencephalography (EEG) was applied while two groups of CI users (young and elderly; N = 13 each) and normal-hearing (NH) listeners (young and elderly; N = 13 each) performed an auditory sentence categorization task, including semantically correct and incorrect sentences presented either with or without background noise. Event-related potentials (ERPs) representing earlier, sensory-driven processes (N1-P2 complex to sentence onset) and later, cognitive-linguistic integration processes (N400 to semantically correct/incorrect sentence-final words) were compared between the different groups and speech conditions. The results revealed reduced amplitudes and prolonged latencies of auditory ERPs in CI users compared to NH listeners, both at earlier (N1, P2) and later processing stages (N400 effect). In addition to this hearing-group effect, CI users and NH listeners showed a comparable background-noise effect, as indicated by reduced hit rates and reduced (P2) and delayed (N1/P2) ERPs in conditions with background noise. Moreover, we observed an age effect in CI users and NH listeners, with young individuals showing improved specific cognitive functions (working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility and verbal learning/retrieval), reduced latencies (N1/P2), decreased N1 amplitudes and an increased N400 effect when compared to the elderly. In sum, our findings extend previous research by showing that the CI users' speech processing is impaired not only at earlier (sensory) but also at later (semantic integration) processing stages, both in conditions with and without background noise. Using objective ERP measures, our study provides further evidence of strong age effects on cortical speech processing, which can be observed in both the NH listeners and the CI users. We conclude that elderly individuals require more effortful processing at sensory stages of speech processing, which however seems to be at the cost of the limited resources available for the later semantic integration processes.

The timecourse of multisensory speech processing in unilaterally stimulated cochlear implant users revealed by ERPs.

A cochlear implant (CI) is an auditory prosthesis which can partially restore the auditory function in patients with severe to profound hearing loss. However, this bionic device provides only limited auditory information, and CI patients may compensate for this limitation by means of a stronger interaction between the auditory and visual system. To better understand the electrophysiological correlates of audiovisual speech perception, the present study used electroencephalography (EEG) and a redundant target paradigm. Postlingually deafened CI users and normal-hearing (NH) listeners were compared in auditory, visual and audiovisual speech conditions. The behavioural results revealed multisensory integration for both groups, as indicated by shortened response times for the audiovisual as compared to the two unisensory conditions. The analysis of the N1 and P2 event-related potentials (ERPs), including topographic and source analyses, confirmed a multisensory effect for both groups and showed a cortical auditory response which was modulated by the simultaneous processing of the visual stimulus. Nevertheless, the CI users in particular revealed a distinct pattern of N1 topography, pointing to a strong visual impact on auditory speech processing. Apart from these condition effects, the results revealed ERP differences between CI users and NH listeners, not only in N1/P2 ERP topographies, but also in the cortical source configuration. When compared to the NH listeners, the CI users showed an additional activation in the visual cortex at N1 latency, which was positively correlated with CI experience, and a delayed auditory-cortex activation with a reversed, rightward functional lateralisation. In sum, our behavioural and ERP findings demonstrate a clear audiovisual benefit for both groups, and a CI-specific alteration in cortical activation at N1 latency when auditory and visual input is combined. These cortical alterations may reflect a compensatory strategy to overcome the limited CI input, which allows the CI users to improve the lip-reading skills and to approximate the behavioural performance of NH listeners in audiovisual speech conditions. Our results are clinically relevant, as they highlight the importance of assessing the CI outcome not only in auditory-only, but also in audiovisual speech conditions.

Electrophysiological differences and similarities in audiovisual speech processing in CI users with unilateral and bilateral hearing loss.

Hearing with a cochlear implant (CI) is limited compared to natural hearing. Although CI users may develop compensatory strategies, it is currently unknown whether these extend from auditory to visual functions, and whether compensatory strategies vary between different CI user groups. To better understand the experience-dependent contributions to multisensory plasticity in audiovisual speech perception, the current event-related potential (ERP) study presented syllables in auditory, visual, and audiovisual conditions to CI users with unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, as well as to normal-hearing (NH) controls. Behavioural results revealed shorter audiovisual response times compared to unisensory conditions for all groups. Multisensory integration was confirmed by electrical neuroimaging, including topographic and ERP source analysis, showing a visual modulation of the auditory-cortex response at N1 and P2 latency. However, CI users with bilateral hearing loss showed a distinct pattern of N1 topography, indicating a stronger visual impact on auditory speech processing compared to CI users with unilateral hearing loss and NH listeners. Furthermore, both CI user groups showed a delayed auditory-cortex activation and an additional recruitment of the visual cortex, and a better lip-reading ability compared to NH listeners. In sum, these results extend previous findings by showing distinct multisensory processes not only between NH listeners and CI users in general, but even between CI users with unilateral and bilateral hearing loss. However, the comparably enhanced lip-reading ability and visual-cortex activation in both CI user groups suggest that these visual improvements are evident regardless of the hearing status of the contralateral ear.

Transcranial direct current stimulation of the prefrontal cortex modulates working memory performance: combined behavioural and electrophysiological evidence.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique that can systematically modify behaviour by inducing changes in the underlying brain function. In order to better understand the neuromodulatory effect of tDCS, the present study examined the impact of tDCS on performance in a working memory (WM) task and its underlying neural activity. In two experimental sessions, participants performed a letter two-back WM task after sham and either anodal or cathodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). RESULTS: Results showed that tDCS modulated WM performance by altering the underlying oscillatory brain activity in a polarity-specific way. We observed an increase in WM performance and amplified oscillatory power in the theta and alpha bands after anodal tDCS whereas cathodal tDCS interfered with WM performance and decreased oscillatory power in the theta and alpha bands under posterior electrode sides. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that tDCS can alter WM performance by modulating the underlying neural oscillations. This result can be considered an important step towards a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in tDCS-induced modulations of WM performance, which is of particular importance, given the proposal to use electrical brain stimulation for the therapeutic treatment of memory deficits in clinical settings.

Excitability changes induced in the human auditory cortex by transcranial direct current stimulation: direct electrophysiological evidence.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can systematically modify behavior by inducing changes in the underlying brain function. Objective electrophysiological evidence for tDCS-induced excitability changes has been demonstrated for the visual and somatosensory cortex, while evidence for excitability changes in the auditory cortex is lacking. In the present study, we applied tDCS over the left temporal as well as the left temporo-parietal cortex and investigated tDCS-induced effects on auditory evoked potentials after anodal, cathodal, and sham stimulation. Results show that anodal and cathodal tDCS can modify auditory cortex reactivity. Moreover, auditory evoked potentials were differentially modulated as a function of site of stimulation. While anodal tDCS over the temporal cortex increased auditory P50 amplitudes, cathodal tDCS over the temporo-parietal cortex induced larger N1 amplitudes. The results directly demonstrate excitability changes in the auditory cortex induced by active tDCS over the temporal and temporo-parietal cortex and might contribute to the understanding of mechanisms involved in the successful treatment of auditory disorders like tinnitus via tDCS.