Plastic changes in the auditory cortex of congenitally deaf cats followingcochlear implantation

Congenitally deaf cats were used as a model for human inborn deafness and a uditory deprivation. The deaf cats were supplied with a cochlear implant, c hronically exposed to an acoustic environment and conditioned to acoustic s timuli. In case of early implantation the cats learned to make use of the n ewly gained auditory channel behaviourally. Neurophysiological and fMRI dat a showed that the central auditory system was recruited, if implantation to ok place within a sensitive period of <6 months. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karg er AG, Basel.