Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Experimental Psychology
Abstract
When a sound is made in the environment, neurons fire in the auditory cortex of the brain, giving us the subjective experience of hearing. In congenitally deaf people, following a process known as crossmodal plasticity, this hearing machinery, rather than being redundant, is known to be used for functions such as vision and touch. However, my work suggests that the story may be more complicated. I have shown that the auditory cortex of the deaf is involved in working memory, the cognitive capacity that we use to keep and manipulate information in our mind. This finding suggests that the deaf auditory cortex may not only serve sensory functions, but also reorganise to become part of a cognitive control network.
How is it that activity in the same cortex results in different perceptual experiences in deaf and hearing individuals? Moreover, how does a cortex that evolved to respond to sounds change its function to respond not only to vision and touch, but also to take on higher cognitive functions such as working memory?
Proving these to be true would represent a profound change in our understanding of behaviour, cognition and the brain: namely that, as a consequence of sensory loss and neural reorganisation, parts of the brain that usually have sensory functions can change their role to primarily cognitive functions, and potentially modify our behaviour.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure neural function in deaf and hearing individuals, and machine learning techniques, I aim to address the following questions: Is the deaf auditory cortex involved in multiple cognitive functions? Can it represent abstract task rules across sensory modalities? Furthermore, can deaf individuals strategically allocate cognitive resources to the auditory cortex?
Over 5% of the world's population has a significant hearing loss, and results from this project will contribute evidence that can guide the development of better (re)habilitation and educational options to these individuals. Moreover, principles derived from this project can be applied to other types of sensory losses, and to the design of electronic devices that can restore missing brain functions (neural prostheses). Thus, this project will not only address a fundamental scientific question, but also has the potential of important benefits for society.
How is it that activity in the same cortex results in different perceptual experiences in deaf and hearing individuals? Moreover, how does a cortex that evolved to respond to sounds change its function to respond not only to vision and touch, but also to take on higher cognitive functions such as working memory?
Proving these to be true would represent a profound change in our understanding of behaviour, cognition and the brain: namely that, as a consequence of sensory loss and neural reorganisation, parts of the brain that usually have sensory functions can change their role to primarily cognitive functions, and potentially modify our behaviour.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure neural function in deaf and hearing individuals, and machine learning techniques, I aim to address the following questions: Is the deaf auditory cortex involved in multiple cognitive functions? Can it represent abstract task rules across sensory modalities? Furthermore, can deaf individuals strategically allocate cognitive resources to the auditory cortex?
Over 5% of the world's population has a significant hearing loss, and results from this project will contribute evidence that can guide the development of better (re)habilitation and educational options to these individuals. Moreover, principles derived from this project can be applied to other types of sensory losses, and to the design of electronic devices that can restore missing brain functions (neural prostheses). Thus, this project will not only address a fundamental scientific question, but also has the potential of important benefits for society.
Technical Summary
As a consequence of sensory deprivation early in life, affected sensory cortices respond to other senses - a process known as crossmodal plasticity. However, my research in human deafness suggests that typical auditory regions are also recruited for working memory. Can the deaf auditory cortex have a central role in cognitive control? To answer this, I will conduct 3 experiments in deaf (N=20-22) and hearing (N=20-22) individuals:
Experiment 1: Visual tasks that tap into several cognitive functions (working memory, inhibition, planning and task switching) will be conducted using fMRI, showing whether the auditory cortex is recruited during performance of these tasks in deaf individuals.
Experiment 2: fMRI and machine learning algorithms (MVPA) will be used to decode task rules across visual and somatosensory modalities.
Experiment 3: fMRI and MVPA will be used to decode whether the deaf auditory cortex represents sensory information (visual features), and whether the representation is affected by distracting information.
There are two potential outcomes, both of which will provide ground-breaking results:
- Auditory cortex preserves its sensory role - the role of auditory cortex during working memory is specific for the storage of visual information. Thus, perceptual attributes are decoded successfully, but decoding is affected by the presence of distractors.
- Auditory cortex shifts its function towards cognition - all cognitive tasks activate this area, and task rules are decoded successfully from fMRI activity independently of the sensory nature of the stimuli. Based on my previous research, I hypothesise this outcome is more likely.
This research will show whether it is possible to have a functional shift towards cognition in a sensory cortex, not only challenging current assumptions on neural plasticity, but also with the potential to benefit people with sensorimotor deficits, including 800,000 deaf individuals in the UK.
Experiment 1: Visual tasks that tap into several cognitive functions (working memory, inhibition, planning and task switching) will be conducted using fMRI, showing whether the auditory cortex is recruited during performance of these tasks in deaf individuals.
Experiment 2: fMRI and machine learning algorithms (MVPA) will be used to decode task rules across visual and somatosensory modalities.
Experiment 3: fMRI and MVPA will be used to decode whether the deaf auditory cortex represents sensory information (visual features), and whether the representation is affected by distracting information.
There are two potential outcomes, both of which will provide ground-breaking results:
- Auditory cortex preserves its sensory role - the role of auditory cortex during working memory is specific for the storage of visual information. Thus, perceptual attributes are decoded successfully, but decoding is affected by the presence of distractors.
- Auditory cortex shifts its function towards cognition - all cognitive tasks activate this area, and task rules are decoded successfully from fMRI activity independently of the sensory nature of the stimuli. Based on my previous research, I hypothesise this outcome is more likely.
This research will show whether it is possible to have a functional shift towards cognition in a sensory cortex, not only challenging current assumptions on neural plasticity, but also with the potential to benefit people with sensorimotor deficits, including 800,000 deaf individuals in the UK.
Planned Impact
I recognise the challenge in achieving social as well as academic impact, as I have demonstrated throughout my professional career by engaging with deaf individuals, their families, third sector organisations, government and professionals of different disciplines. I am wholly committed to achieving both types of impact, ensuring that the research of this project has an impact on the ways that organisations provide services, and on the experiences of people with sensory loss and those of their families.
The main groups benefiting from this research are:
Deaf and hard of hearing individuals; audiology and related services: Results from this study could be piloted as markers of cochlear implantation success. This will allow deaf and hard of hearing adults to make more informed choices about cochlear implantation, providing a better way of evaluating the odds of implantation success, and how they compare to the benefits they obtain from their current method and modality of communication. In the long term, this could translate into more effective and lower-cost practice in the medical sector.
Deaf children; parents, teachers of the deaf and speech and language therapists: Knowing the function of the auditory cortex in deaf individuals can provide a better understanding of the skills that deaf and hard of hearing children have or will develop. This in turn can be used to design teaching materials and interventions that are aimed at exploiting these skills, potentially improving academic achievement in these groups.
Policy makers and third sector: The project will provide these groups with evidence to inform their recommendations, potentially enhancing the quality of life of deaf individuals and their families, and of the wider community in general.
Private sector: For firms manufacturing auditory prostheses, functional knowledge of the deaf auditory cortex can aid the development of signal processing algorithms to exploit the computations that this cortex can perform.
Sensory substitution prostheses are designed assuming that the sensory cortices of individuals with congenital sensory losses will still be able to either:
- Respond up to a certain extent to the restored sensory modality (i.e. if hearing is restored in a deaf individual, neurons in the auditory cortex will respond to sound stimulation).
- Process sensory information from other modalities (i.e. if neurons in the auditory cortex of deaf individuals do not respond to sounds, they will respond to vision or touch).
This project could lead to a paradigm change, whereby prostheses and interventions will have to be designed taking into account a potential functional shift, in which the lack of early sensory stimulation resulted in these sensory cortices taking on cognitive control functions.
Furthermore, these results could be fundamental for the development of cortical hearing prostheses, which could provide sensory signals for those patients who are not eligible for cochlear implants and for whom brain stem implants are unsuccessful. These same principles can be applied to any other kind of neural prostheses, expanding the reach of this project to all types of sensory substitution and brain-machine interfaces.
Given its potential benefits, this project sits at the junction between scientific discoveries that influence mainstream research and the output of ideas that can produce important social impacts. As a result, the strategy for impact and engagement is specifically designed for the needs and expectations of all of these key stakeholders.
The main groups benefiting from this research are:
Deaf and hard of hearing individuals; audiology and related services: Results from this study could be piloted as markers of cochlear implantation success. This will allow deaf and hard of hearing adults to make more informed choices about cochlear implantation, providing a better way of evaluating the odds of implantation success, and how they compare to the benefits they obtain from their current method and modality of communication. In the long term, this could translate into more effective and lower-cost practice in the medical sector.
Deaf children; parents, teachers of the deaf and speech and language therapists: Knowing the function of the auditory cortex in deaf individuals can provide a better understanding of the skills that deaf and hard of hearing children have or will develop. This in turn can be used to design teaching materials and interventions that are aimed at exploiting these skills, potentially improving academic achievement in these groups.
Policy makers and third sector: The project will provide these groups with evidence to inform their recommendations, potentially enhancing the quality of life of deaf individuals and their families, and of the wider community in general.
Private sector: For firms manufacturing auditory prostheses, functional knowledge of the deaf auditory cortex can aid the development of signal processing algorithms to exploit the computations that this cortex can perform.
Sensory substitution prostheses are designed assuming that the sensory cortices of individuals with congenital sensory losses will still be able to either:
- Respond up to a certain extent to the restored sensory modality (i.e. if hearing is restored in a deaf individual, neurons in the auditory cortex will respond to sound stimulation).
- Process sensory information from other modalities (i.e. if neurons in the auditory cortex of deaf individuals do not respond to sounds, they will respond to vision or touch).
This project could lead to a paradigm change, whereby prostheses and interventions will have to be designed taking into account a potential functional shift, in which the lack of early sensory stimulation resulted in these sensory cortices taking on cognitive control functions.
Furthermore, these results could be fundamental for the development of cortical hearing prostheses, which could provide sensory signals for those patients who are not eligible for cochlear implants and for whom brain stem implants are unsuccessful. These same principles can be applied to any other kind of neural prostheses, expanding the reach of this project to all types of sensory substitution and brain-machine interfaces.
Given its potential benefits, this project sits at the junction between scientific discoveries that influence mainstream research and the output of ideas that can produce important social impacts. As a result, the strategy for impact and engagement is specifically designed for the needs and expectations of all of these key stakeholders.
Organisations
- University College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- NORFOLK AND NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF KENT (Collaboration)
- Birkbeck, University of London (Collaboration)
- University of East Anglia (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Velia Cardin (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Cardin V
(2020)
Crossmodal reorganisation in deafness: Mechanisms for functional preservation and functional change.
in Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews
| Description | The extraordinary capacity of the brain for functional and structural reorganisation is known as neural plasticity. Understanding this phenomenon not only provides insights into brain function, but also into its potential for change and enhancement, with implications for neural prostheses, artificial intelligence, policy and education. Here we studied the influence of sensory experience on brain plasticity and the organisation of cognitive processing in the human brain, focusing on deafness. In cases of congenital deafness, it is generally assumed that regions of the brain that usually process information from the affected sense are recruited to process information from other senses. For example, areas of the brain that in hearing individuals process auditory information, in deaf individuals are involved in vision and touch. Interventions and implantable devices, such as cochlear implants, are designed on the basis of these assumptions. In our project, we found that - depending on the sensory experience of an individual - brain regions typically considered "sensory" can take on a role in cognitive processing. We showed that the auditory cortex has a role in cognitive processing in deaf individuals, and it is specifically involved in switching between tasks. This represents a functional shift towards cognition in an area of the brain typically involved in sensory processing. This is a paradigm change, showing that the scope for brain regions to acquire new functions is wider than commonly assumed, and that as a consequence of sensory loss and neural plasticity, the "functional future" of a brain region can be modified. Furthermore, collaborations that arose from this project have allowed us to investigate the relationship between cognitive processing, sensory and language experience. We have found that language proficiency - whether in a signed or spoken language - predicted accuracy in a switching task, where a person is required to rapidly and efficiently adapt to different situations by moving flexibly from one set of rules to another. These findings further indicate that language can provide mechanisms that aid and optimise other cognitive processes. Specifically, so far, our study has addressed the following questions: - Is the deaf auditory cortex involved in multiple cognitive functions? We hypothesised that the deaf auditory cortex was part of a cognitive control network and thus involved in several cognitive functions: specifically executive functions - the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. To test this hypothesis, we used a non-invasive brain scanning technique called fMRI. We used this in deaf and hearing individuals to investigate whether the auditory cortex was involved in executive functions such as inhibition, planning and task switching. Our study was unique in that we conducted a thorough functional mapping of executive processing in the brain of deaf individuals. Most plasticity studies focus on a single task, with an experimental and control condition, and cannot inform whether plasticity effects are specific to the demands of the task. Our design included four different visuospatial tasks, probing a variety of executive processes. We found that the deaf auditory cortex is involved in task switching, but not in other tasks, showing that this region has a role in a specific cognitive process, rather than being involved in multiple cognitive functions. This knowledge is fundamental for establishing the relationship between plasticity and brain function, with relevance not only for scientific research, but also language and education policy and technological developments. - Can deaf individuals strategically allocate cognitive resources to the auditory cortex? We hypothesised that deaf individuals will be able to assign extra cognitive resources to the auditory cortex. We found that the level of activity in deaf auditory areas during switching tasks predicts behavioural performance in deaf individuals. This link between behaviour and brain activity shows the functional relevance of the observed brain reorganisation, and indicates that deaf individuals can allocate cognitive resources to the auditory cortex. - What is the interaction between language and sensory experience in brain reorganisation? The relationship between language and other cognitive processes is a subject that has long intrigued psychologists and neuroscientists, but it is difficult to study, because usually populations with language disorders have underlying neurological differences that contribute to deficits in language acquisition. This is different for deaf individuals - most deaf infants do not have underlying neurological conditions, and yet in most cases, due to a lack of language access, deaf children do not develop age-appropriate language skills. To understand the effect of language experience on cognitive processing, in our study we used an original approach where we measured language proficiency in two modalities: signed (British Sign Language) and spoken (English). We then combined these into a single modality-independent language measurement. In this way, we could successfully isolate any effects of language deprivation from those of sensory experience. Using this approach, we found a link between language proficiency (whether in sign language or spoken language), and performance in a switching and planning tasks. Our findings suggested that language influences the strategies used for solving cognitive tasks, and this is reflected in the activity of temporal regions that 'undergo' plastic reorganisation in deaf individuals. As such, our results not only show malleability in the functional future of brain regions, but also contribute unique insights into the neural mechanisms mediating the link between language and executive function. These results show the importance of early language access, irrespective of whether in sign or speech, and the reaching of language development milestones in early childhood for the development of cognitive functions. |
| Exploitation Route | This project can be taken forward and put to use by others in the following ways: 1. Highlighting the importance of early access to language for deaf children 2. Contributing to knowledge to inform policy and practice 3. Providing a theoretical paradigm shift for neuroscience research 4. Informing the design of neural prostheses 5. Providing access to a unique dataset 1. Early sign and spoken language access for deaf children. Most deaf children have the capacity to acquire language following the same milestones as typically developing children. However, delays in the diagnosis of deafness and the lack of full language access for deaf children mean that many deaf individuals experience language deprivation. This has profound consequences for future academic achievement and general wellbeing. In most studies of brain plasticity, the effect of language experience on brain reorganisation is either ignored - confounding the findings - or it is only documented by means of questionnaires or self-assessment. One of the challenges in measuring language proficiency in this context is that deaf individuals are typically bilingual in two languages, signed and spoken, with different levels of proficiency in each. Tests of sign language proficiency are not as readily available as those for spoken language. We have the advantage of working and collaborating with researchers at UCL's multidisciplinary Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL), where linguists have developed British Sign Language assessments for our populations of interest. Our results show a clear relationship between language proficiency and cognitive processing. This relationship is linked only to the level of language skills, and not to the type of language that people used (signed or spoken). These findings cast light on debates about early language access for deaf children, showing the importance of accessible language input in either or both modalities, signed or spoken, for future cognitive development. They provide further support for bilingual education (sign language and spoken language) in deaf children, ensuring better and wider access. 2. Informing policy and practice. Knowing the function of the auditory cortex in deaf individuals can provide a better understanding of the skills that deaf and hard of hearing children have or will develop. This in turn can be used to design teaching materials and interventions that are aimed at exploiting these skills, potentially improving academic achievement in these groups. Our project can provide evidence to inform the recommendations of policy makers and third-sector organisations, potentially enhancing the quality of life of deaf individuals and their families, and of the wider community in general. 3. Paradigm shift. It is known that there is neural reorganisation after sensory loss. However, it is usually assumed that sensory cortices will either preserve their capability to respond to the original sensory stimuli or will process a different type of sensory input. It is always assumed that this cortex will only process sensory input, and it might be argued that the computational function of neurons should not be expected to change. Results of this project may cast a new perspective on this view, by showing that as a result of early sensory loss, typical sensory regions shift their function towards cognition. This finding is fundamental for establishing the relationship between plasticity and functional specialisation in the brain, with implications for neuroscience and psychology, but also for artificial intelligence and brain-machine interfaces. For example, the recruitment of typically auditory regions for cognitive tasks has not been tested in animal models of auditory deprivation. Results from this project will encourage auditory scientists not only to test cognitive functions in the deprived sensory areas, but to also establish whether early sensory experience can change the functional "future" of a specific cortex. For example, animal physiologists, molecular biologists, and computer scientists can design experiments and models trying to predict the function of a cortical region based on the amount and type of sensory information that it received early in life. 4. Neural prostheses. Cochlear implants are neural prostheses that can restore some functional hearing in deaf individuals. Up to now, there have been very few studies on markers of cochlear implantation success, most of which have concentrated on determining the degree of visual or somatosensory processing in auditory cortices - i.e. does the auditory cortex respond to vision, and does this response predict implantation success? These measurements are helpful, but do not come close to explaining the full variance in outcomes. Showing that at least some portions of the auditory cortex are involved in cognitive processing, a function more often associated with frontal and parietal brain areas, will produce a cultural change in terms of the markers that are tested, with probes needing to be designed to explore cognitive functions such as task switching. 5. Open dataset. Data from this project has been publicly shared (https://osf.io/uh2ap/), being a unique resource for scholars across the world. It contains neuroimaging, behavioural and background data from the groups of deaf and hearing individuals tested in our study. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | Our project has generated knowledge and ideas that contribute to societal knowledge and awareness about deafness and brain function. Impact activities have targeted specific stakeholder groups, with a focus on communication and engagement of beneficiaries. Our engagement activities have included: • The research team organised the public engagement event "The Deaf Brain". This online conference informed the public about our understanding of deafness from research on neuroscience and psychology. Through this event, members of the research team improved their understanding of the main issues faced by deaf individuals, their families and professionals working with them, and about the kind of evidence needed from researchers in order to overcome these. This event was originally organised as an in-person event in March 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this event was cancelled and ran as an online event in November 2021. • Our project webpage features regular updates about the project and our research and our website has information on volunteering to take part in the project. We have also used social media such as Twitter and Facebook to disseminate our project and its findings. • The research team has attended and participated in relevant 3rd sector events, such as CityLit "Deaf Day", Norfolk Deaf Festival, Norfolk Science Festival, and Deaffest. These events have provided an opportunity to interact informally with stakeholders, gain knowledge of current issues in the field, give information on the project, communicate findings, and recruit research participants. • Our work has been disseminated in the E-Newsletter of the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL), which is sent to around 1200 subscribers, including health practitioners and 3rd sector organisations, and to people and organisations on the project mailing list. • Our project was featured in the BBC television programme SeeHear. In this episode, the programme explored new findings from our research group, showing that people born deaf can use their auditory cortex for working memory - a component of higher-order thinking. The SeeHear team visited our lab and the presenter took part in one of our fMRI experiments. We explained the aim of our research and invited volunteers to take part. • We have discussed our work with audiology consultants at the Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, who have a continuous working relationship with patients with deafness and hearing loss. Overall, we have worked to ensure that the research of this project has not only scientific relevance, but also an impact on the ways that organisations provide services, and on the experiences of deaf and hard-of-hearing people and those of their families. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Title | Sensory experience modulates the reorganisation of temporal auditory regions for executive processing |
| Description | This project page contains data, files and analysis for the study: Sensory experience modulates the reorganisation of temporal auditory regions for executive processing Barbara Manini, Valeria Vinogradova, Bencie Woll, Donnie Cameron, Martin Eimer, Velia Cardin Links to the analysis tables: https://osf.io/kctzy/ Links to the data files: https://osf.io/gvx76/ DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/UH2AP |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The dataset refers to deaf individual performing cognitive tasks while undergoing fMRI scanning. By sharing it, we will allow other researchers to analyse these valuable data without recruiting deaf participants. |
| URL | https://osf.io/uh2ap/ |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr. Donnie Cameron |
| Organisation | University of East Anglia |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Joint collaboration for the set up of the fMRI experiment. The research team has contributed to all aspects of the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of fMRI research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". Dr. Camron has provided expert advice on the fMRI experiment set up. |
| Impact | Manini B., Vinogradova, V., Woll B., Cameron D.,Eimer M., Cardin V. Sensory experience modulate the reorganisation of temporal auditory regions for executive processing. (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.08.430248v1 ). Manini B., Vinogradova V., Woll B., Eimer M., Cameron D., Saada J, Cardin V. "Functional reorganization for executive functions in deaf individuals". Presented at the meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago. Manini B., Vinogradova V., Woll B., Eimer M., Cameron D., Saada J, Cardin V. "Functional reorganization for visuo-spatial working memory in the Superior Temporal Cortex of deaf individuals" Presented at the meeting of the Organization for the Human Brain Mapping, Rome, Italy. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr. Luigi Tame' (University of Kent) |
| Organisation | University of Kent |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My team contributed to all aspects of the study. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". Dr. Tame has provided expert advice on the experimental design and the theoretical framework of the somatosensory study. |
| Impact | Not outcome yet. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr. Samuel Evans |
| Organisation | University of Westminster |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My team contributed to all aspects of the study. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". Dr. Evans has provided expert advice on the experimental design and the data analysis. |
| Impact | Not output yet |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Ms. Valeria Vinogradova (UEA) |
| Organisation | University of East Anglia |
| Department | School of Psychology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | fMRI data. Supervision. Theoretical contributions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | fMRI data. Data collection and analysis. Theoretical contributions. |
| Impact | Collaboration with Valeria Vinogradova (UEA) studying language and executive function in deaf individuals. Data obtained for the project 'Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?" will be combined with data obtained at UEA about language background and resting-state neural acitivity to study the interaction between these domains. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Prof. Bencie Woll |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition"? My team contributed to all aspects of the study. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". Prof. Woll has provided expert advice on experimental design, recruitment of participants and theoretical framework of the study. |
| Impact | Manini B., Vinogradova, V., Woll B., Cameron D., Eimer M., Cardin V. Sensory experience modulate the reorganisation of temporal auditory regions for executive processing. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.08.430248. 2021. Manini B, Vinogradova V, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Temporal regions change their function from sensory processing towards cognition in deaf individuals Poster at Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting. 2021. Vinogradova V, Manini B, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Language modulates executive function performance and neural activity in reorganised auditory areas in deaf individuals Authors: Poster at Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting. 2021 Vinogradova, Manini B, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Language experience in deaf individuals is linked to behavioural performance and neural reorganisation in the auditory cortices during planning and switching tasks. Poster at Society for Neurobiology of Language Meeting (October 2020) Manini B, Vinogradova V, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Recruitment of auditory regions for visual executive processing in deaf individuals Poster at the Society for Neurobiology of Language Meeting. 2020 Manini B., Vinogradova V., Woll B., Eimer M., Cameron D., Saada J, Cardin V. "Functional reorganization for executive functions in deaf individuals". Presented at the meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago. 2019. Manini B., Vinogradova V., Woll B., Eimer M., Cameron D., Saada J, Cardin V. "Functional reorganization for visuo-spatial working memory in the Superior Temporal Cortex of deaf individuals" Presented at the meeting of the Organization for the Human Brain Mapping, Rome, Italy. 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Collaboration with Prof. Martin Eimer |
| Organisation | Birkbeck, University of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". We have contributed to all aspects of the study. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". Prof. Eimer has provided expert advice on experimental design and theoretical framework of the study. |
| Impact | Manini B., Vinogradova, V., Woll B., Cameron D., Eimer M., Cardin V. Sensory experience modulate the reorganisation of temporal auditory regions for executive processing. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.08.430248. 2021. Manini B, Vinogradova V, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Temporal regions change their function from sensory processing towards cognition in deaf individuals Poster at Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting. 2021. Vinogradova V, Manini B, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Language modulates executive function performance and neural activity in reorganised auditory areas in deaf individuals Authors: Poster at Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting. 2021 Vinogradova, Manini B, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Language experience in deaf individuals is linked to behavioural performance and neural reorganisation in the auditory cortices during planning and switching tasks. Poster at Society for Neurobiology of Language Meeting (October 2020) Manini B, Vinogradova V, Woll B, Eimer M, Cardin V. Recruitment of auditory regions for visual executive processing in deaf individuals Poster at the Society for Neurobiology of Language Meeting. 2020 Manini B., Vinogradova V., Woll B., Eimer M., Cameron D., Saada J, Cardin V. "Functional reorganization for executive functions in deaf individuals". Presented at the meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago. 2019. Manini B., Vinogradova V., Woll B., Eimer M., Cameron D., Saada J, Cardin V. "Functional reorganization for visuo-spatial working memory in the Superior Temporal Cortex of deaf individuals" Presented at the meeting of the Organization for the Human Brain Mapping, Rome, Italy. 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Collaboration with prof. Matthew Longo (Birkbeck University of London) |
| Organisation | Birkbeck, University of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My team contributed to all aspects of the study. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on design and setting up of research studies for the grant "Does the deaf auditory cortex have a role in cognition?". Prof. Longo has provided expert advice on experimental design and the theoretical framework of the somatosensory study. |
| Impact | No output yet |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Dr. Adam Tierney (Birkbeck, University of London) |
| Organisation | Birkbeck, University of London |
| Department | Department of Psychological Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Joint collaboration on the study of temporal attention mechanisms in deaf individuals. The research team has contributed to all aspects of the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint collaboration on the study of temporal attention mechanisms in deaf individuals. Dr Tierney has provided expert advice on experimental design and theoretical framework for the study of temporal attention. |
| Impact | N/A |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Use of scanning services at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) |
| Organisation | Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | My team is using the MRI scanning facilities at NNUH for data acquisition in relation to the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NNUH is providing scanning facilities and related professional services, including checking MRI images for potential abnormalities (performed by Dr. Janak Saada) |
| Impact | Abstract OHBM 2019 |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | "Deaf Brain" episode for See Hear, Series 39, Episode 8. BBC 2/ |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In this episode, the programme explores new findings from our research group, showing that people born deaf can use their auditory cortex for working memory - a component of higher-order thinking. The SeeHear team visited our lab and the presenter took part in one of our fMRI experiments. We explained the aim of our research and invited volunteers to take part. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000b33h |
| Description | Article in Action on Hearing Loss Magazine "Brain Changer" - Autumn 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A summary of a recent research paper of Dr. Cardin was published on the "Action on Hearing Loss" megazine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Blog for Action on Hearing Loss. "How does the brain change in people who are deaf?". May, 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A summary of a recent research paper of Dr. Cardin was published as a blog on "Action on Hearing Loss" website (both in English and BSL). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Contribution to the eNewsletter of the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination of information on the project by means of the E-Newsletter of the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL), which is sent to around 1400 subscribers, including health practitioners and 3rd sector organisations, and to people and organisations on the project mailing list. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | DCAL 2019 Christmas Newsletter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | DCAL's 2019 Christmas Newsletter was sent to a mail list over over 1000 members of the public, practitioners and policy influencers to inform people of our research updates. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/dcal/dcal-newsletters/2019-dcal-christmas-newletter |
| Description | Deaf Brain - CPD event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | MacSweeney and Cardin delivered 2hr CPD information session on the 'Deaf Brain' for 21 Speech and Language Therapists across Ireland (North and South). Excellent feedback received. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/research/deafness-cognition-and-language-dcal/study-dcal/short-courses-an... |
| Description | Deaf Brain Plasticity website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This site serves as a reference point for members of the public, colleagues, and students. Here, information about the research is published and directed to both scientists and the general public. Summary of the ongoing research work is often published as a blog on the website (both in English and BSL). To this date, the website has had more than 2,500 visitors and more than 5,700 views. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018,2019 |
| URL | https://deafbrainplasticity.com/ |
| Description | Deaf Brain Public Engagement Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Organisation and delivery of the 'Deaf Brain' science dissemination event. This event presented and discussed knowledge gained about deafness, language and cognition from research on neuroscience. A panel of national and international deaf and hearing experts presented their work to an international audience of attendants. The presenters were: Dr. Lauren Berger (Gaulladet, DC), Dr. Joanna Atkinson ( NHS), Prof. Mairead MacSweeney (DCAL, UCL), Prof. Bencie Woll (DCAL, UCL), and Dr. Velia Cardin (DCAL, UCL). The event was aimed primarily at deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, but it was also attended by academics, teachers, artists, interpreters and other members of the general public. Presentations were mainly delivered in British Sign Language, American Sign Language and English, and interpreted simultaneosly. This event was also part of a series of events celebrating 15 years of the Deafness, Cognition and Language (DCAL) Research Centre. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Deaf Brain UEA Instagram account |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We have an account on Instagram. We share pictures from the public engagement and science events we take part in. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
| URL | https://www.instagram.com/deafbrainuea/ |
| Description | Deafness and Neural plasticity lab Facebook page |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The lab has Facebook page reporting news about the research activities and engaging the local Deaf community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019,2020,2021,2022 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/deafandneuralplasticitylab/ |
| Description | Developing minds: Child scientist day at UEA - Norwich 10/11/18 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We had a lab stand where families could take part in a simple memory game to learn basic sign language signs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.uea.ac.uk/psychology/events/-/asset_publisher/FeLHDVzVP1g2/blog/child-scientist-morning-... |
| Description | Dr Velia Cardin - Dissociating Cognitive and Sensory Neural Plasticity in the Brain |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr Velia Cardin produced a lay summary of a paper 'Dissociating Cognitive and Sensory Neural Plasticity in the Brain' which sparked discussion and questions afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8guOwSsuO8Y&t=18s |
| Description | Event, workshop or similar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | During this event, we had a lab stand for the whole day, where people could ask information about our research or volunteer to take part in it. Most part of the participants to the event where deaf individuals, or people engaged in activities with deaf individuals. This event permitted to create a positive relationship with the local deaf community and helped to raise the interest in knowing more about our research and in taking part in it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Norfolk Deaf Festival 2018 - 13/7/18 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | During this event, we had a lab stand for the whole day, where people could take part in quizzes and simple games about sign language, deafness, and the brain. Most part of the participants to the event where deaf individuals, or people engaged in activities with deaf individuals. This event permitted to create a positive relationship with the local deaf community and helped to raise the interest in knowing more about our research and in taking part in it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Norwich Science Festival -26/10/18 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | In October 2018, we took part in the Norwich Science Festival. During this event, we had a lab stand for the whole day, where people could take part in quizzes and simple games about sign language, deafness, and the brain. This was especially popular with children, who were playing a memory game to learn basic sign language signs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Stand at Deaffest 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | During this event, we had a lab stand for the whole day at Deaffest, annual event for the Deaf community. In our stand, people could take part in quizzes and simple games about sign language, deafness, and the brain. People could also find out about our current research and how to get involved. Most participants where deaf individuals, or professionals working with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This event strengthened our links with the Deaf community, helped to raise interest in our research and neuroscience, and allowed people to get involved in future research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Stand at the Norwich and Norfolk Summer deaf festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | During this event, we had a lab stand for two days at the Norfolk and Norwich summer deaf festival, annual event for the local Deaf community. In our stand, people could take part in quizzes and simple games about sign language, deafness, and the brain. People could also find out about our current research and how to get involved. Most participants where deaf individuals, or professionals working with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This event strengthened our links with the Deaf community, helped to raise interest in our research and neuroscience, and allowed people to get involved in future research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk at Deaf Connexion, Norwich February 20, 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Cardin gave a talk to the local organization for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, Deaf Connexion. The title of the talk was "Deafness and Language in Children and Adults" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk at Deaf Connexion, Norwich February 20, 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Cardin gave a talk to the local organization for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, Deaf Connexion. The title of the talk was "Deafness and Language in Children and Adults" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk at the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, Peterborough, March 6, 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Barbara Manini and Konstantin Grin (Ph.D. student) gave a talk to the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, in Peterborough. The talk resulted in a positive discussion and several of the attendees showed interest in taking part in our study. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk at the Norfolk Summer deaf festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Barbara Manini gave a talk at the Norwich and Norfolk Deaf festival, in Norwich. The talk resulted in a positive discussion and several of the attendees showed interest in taking part in our study. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk at the Norwich Science Festival 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Cardin disseminated her research in a talk during the Norwich Science Festival, a BSL interpreter was present during the talk. This helped to attract both deaf and hearing members of the public. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk at the Norwich Science Festival 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Cardin disseminated her research in a talk during the Norwich Science Festival, a BSL interpreter was present during the talk. This helped to attract both deaf and hearing members of the public. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk at the West Norfolk Deaf association |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Barbara Manini and Valeria Vinogradova (Ph.D. student) gave a talk to the West Norfolk Deaf association, in Kings Lynn. The talk resulted in a positive discussion and several of the attendees showed interest in taking part in our study. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |