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Integration of Auditory and Visual Sensory Processing in Children with Cochlear Implants: Implications for Spoken Language Processing
Poster Session C, Thursday, October 1, 10:45 am - 12:45 pm, Wangari Maathai
David Corina1, Sharon Coffey-Corina1, Elizabeth Pierotti1, Lee Miller1,2; 1Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 2Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis
Introduction. Cochlear implantation (CI) provides access to auditory input for children with congenital deafness, yet atypical sensory and language outcomes are often reported despite early intervention. Electrophysiological studies suggest that auditory deprivation may alter both auditory and visual cortical organization, potentially affecting multisensory processing mechanisms that support spoken language comprehension. The present study examined auditory and visual sensory processing in children with CIs relative to typically hearing (TH) peers, with a particular focus on how altered sensory responses may relate to language-relevant attentional and multisensory mechanisms. Methods. Twenty-eight children with congenital deafness who received cochlear implant(s) prior to 31 months and 28 age-matched typically hearing controls participated. High-density EEG was recorded during a novel audiovisual paradigm designed to assess concurrent visual stimulation during auditory sensory processing. Event-related potentials (ERPs) and temporal response dynamics were analyzed to characterize cortical responses to auditory and visual input. Measures included auditory and visual evoked responses and current source density analyses to examine the spatial organization of sensory processing networks. Analyses focused on early sensory processing windows associated with sensory registration, attentional allocation and multisensory integration. Results. Children with CIs demonstrated atypical sensory processing across both auditory and visual domains compared with TH controls. CI users showed reduced amplitudes and latency differences in cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in 80-200 ms and 200-300 ms time windows. During visual processing we observe amplitude enhancements and in some cases latency differences in occipitally expressed P1 and N1 visual evoked potential (VEPs) in 100-200 ms and 200-300 ms time windows as well as an early frontal negativity, N1a (50-150-ms). Current source density analyses further demonstrated muted specialization and reduced distinction between auditory and visual processing networks in the CI group, consistent with altered cortical organization following auditory deprivation. Importantly, audiovisual interactions differed substantially between groups. Whereas TH children showed evidence of coordinated sensory integration and modality-specific processing, children with CIs exhibited reduced modulation of auditory responses by concurrent visual stimulation and less differentiated sensory system interactions overall. Discussion. These findings suggest that early auditory deprivation may disrupt the normal development of multisensory processing pathways that support efficient spoken language perception. Because language comprehension in everyday environments depends heavily on the integration of auditory and visual information—including speech cues, facial movements, and attentional coordination—these atypical neural response patterns may contribute to the language and communication difficulties often observed in pediatric CI populations. Conclusion. The findings indicate that congenital deafness and subsequent cochlear implantation are associated with persistent alterations in both auditory and visual cortical processing, even after early auditory intervention. These disruptions in early sensory and attentional mechanisms may influence the development of language processing systems by limiting efficient audiovisual integration during speech perception. The study highlights the importance of considering multisensory cortical development, rather than auditory function alone, in understanding language outcomes following cochlear implantation.
Topic Areas: Disorders: Developmental, Language Development/Acquisition