Shorter Latencies of Components of Middle Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials in Congenitally Blind Compared to Normal Sighted Subjects

A previous study which reported shorter latencies of the Nb component of AEP-MLRs in congenitally blind compared to normal sighted subjects, formed the basis for the present study. The blind subjects had received a rehabilitation program from the age of 4 years onwards, which may have influenced aud...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of neuroscience 1998-01, Vol.95 (3-4), p.173-181
Main Authors: Manjunath, N. K., Srinivas, R., Nirmal, K. S., Nagendra, H. R., Kumar, Arun, Telles, Shirley
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological
Adult
auditory inputs for rehabilitation
Biological and medical sciences
Blindness - congenital
Blindness - physiopathology
Blindness - rehabilitation
congenitally blind
Evoked Potentials, Auditory
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Handicap
Humans
Middle latency auditory evoked potentials
Neuronal Plasticity
normal-sighted
primary auditory area
Psychology and medicine
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reaction Time
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Summary:A previous study which reported shorter latencies of the Nb component of AEP-MLRs in congenitally blind compared to normal sighted subjects, formed the basis for the present study. The blind subjects had received a rehabilitation program from the age of 4 years onwards, which may have influenced auditory function. Hence the present study was designed to compare the AEP MLRs of normal sighted subjects with age-matched blind subjects who had not undergone early rehabilitation. Auditory evoked potentials (0 to 100ms. range) were recorded in 10 congenitally blind subjects (average age = 22.4 ± 4.9 yrs.) and an equal number of age-matched subjects with normal vision. There were two repetitions per subject. The peak latencies of both the Pa (maximum positive peak between Na and 35 ms.) and Nb (maximum negative peak between 38 and 52 ms.) waves was significantly shorter in congenitally blind compared to normal sighted subjects. Since the Pa and Nb waves are believed to be generated by the superior temporal cortex (Heschl's gyrus), it appears that processing at this neural level occurs more efficiently in tie blind. Also, in spite of the absence of an early rehabilitation program the present subjects showed the same auditory changes as those reported earlier.
ISSN:0020-7454
1563-5279
1543-5245
DOI:10.3109/00207459809003339