Neuroscience: Amateur Hour - Episode 24: The Neuroscience of Deafness

Episode 24: The Neuroscience of Deafness

06/23/22 • 14 min

This episode is part two of my miniseries on the neuroscience of language production and processing and today we're touching on how the brain regions encoding those concepts change in deaf individuals. It turns out that the brain is the literal embodiment of that "its free real estate" meme and vision input takes over the auditory cortex!
If you're curious to know more - come and take a listen!
Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
I really appreciate it!!!
Citations and relevant papers are below!
CDC. Genetics of Hearing Loss | CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published February 18, 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/genetics.html#:~:text=50%25%20to%2060%25%20of%20hearing

Deafness causes before birth | Deafness in childhood. www.ndcs.org.uk. https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/causes-of-deafness/#:~:text=Deafness%20can%20also%20be%20caused

Simon M, Campbell E, Genest F, MacLean MW, Champoux F, Lepore F. The Impact of Early Deafness on Brain Plasticity: A Systematic Review of the White and Gray Matter Changes. Frontiers in Neuroscience . 2020;14. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00206

Sharma A, Dorman MF, Spahr AJ. A Sensitive Period for the Development of the Central Auditory System in Children with Cochlear Implants: Implications for Age of Implantation. Ear and Hearing . 2002;23(6):532-539. https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Abstract/2002/12000/A_Sensitive_Period_for_the_Development_of_the.4.aspx

Voss P, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani É. Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. Frontiers in Psychology . 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657

Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al. The Auditory Cortex. Nih.gov. Published 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/

Bola Ł, Zimmermann M, Mostowski P, et al. Task-specific reorganization of the auditory cortex in deaf humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 2017;114(4):E600-E609. doi:10.1073/pnas.1609000114

‌Fougnie D, Cockhren J, Marois R. A common source of attention for auditory and visual tracking. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics . 2018;80(6):1571-1583. doi:10.3758/s13414-018-1524-9

Campbell R, MacSweeney M, Waters D. Sign Language and the Brain: A Review. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education . 2008;13(1):3-20. doi:10.1093/deafed/enm035

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Previous Episode

Episode 23: The Neuroscience of Smoking Cigarettes

Tobacco has a long and storied history but its effects on the modern world cannot be ignored. It was hailed as a cure to many ailments for years but as we understand more - we understand that its REALLY bad for you. Something like 80-90% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking along with a plethora of other diseases.
Curious? Want to learn more about the receptors and brain areas affected by nicotine, the active ingredient in cigarettes? Come and take a listen!
Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
I really appreciate it!!!
Citations and relevant papers are below!
1907 - Handbook of American Indians north of Mexico, Part I; Frederick Webb Hodge. Internet Archives; Bureau of American Ethnology . Published online January 21, 2019. Accessed June 13, 2022. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/hornbeck_ind_3/3/

Baron JA. Beneficial effects of nicotine and cigarette smoking: the real, the possible and the spurious. British medical bulletin . 1996;52(1):58-73. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a011533

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Effects of Smoking and Tobacco Use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published February 9, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm#:~:text=Smoking%20causes%20cancer%2C%20heart%20disease

Psychopharmacology 3e Web Box 13.1 - Pharmacology in Action: Why Do Tobacco Plants Make Nicotine? learninglink.oup.com. Accessed June 13, 2022. https://learninglink.oup.com/access/content/psychopharmacology-3e-student-resources/psychopharmacology-3e-web-box-13-1-pharmacology-in-action-why-do-tobacco-plants-make-nicotine

PubChem. Nicotine. Nih.gov. Published 2019. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/nicotine

Holz RW, Fisher SK. Synaptic Transmission. Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular and Medical Aspects 6th edition . Published online 1999. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27911/

Hogg RC, Raggenbass M, Bertrand D. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: from structure to brain function. Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology . 2003;147:1-46. doi:10.1007/s10254-003-0005-1

Taly A, Corringer PJ, Guedin D, Lestage P, Changeux JP. Nicotinic receptors: allosteric transitions and therapeutic targets in the nervous system. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery . 2009;8(9):733-750. doi:10.1038/nrd2927

Abuse NI on D. How does tobacco deliver its effects? National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/how-does-tobacco-deliver-its-effects

Chen X, Stacy A, Zheng H, et al. Sensations from initial exposure to nicotine predicting adolescent smoking in China: A potential measure of vulnerability to nicotine. Nicotine & Tobacco Research . 2003;5(4):455-463. doi:10.1080/14622200307239

Laviolette SR, van der Kooy D. The neurobiology of nicotine addiction: bridging the gap from molecules to behaviour. Nature Reviews Neuroscience . 2004;5(1):55-65. doi:10.1038/nrn1298

Marshall AM, Heffernan T. Smoking harms not just your physical health, but your mental health too. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/smoking-harms-not-just-your-physical-health-but-your-mental-health-too-69021#:~:text=Long%2Dterm%20smokin

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Next Episode

Episode 25: The Neuroscience of ... Neurons Firing?

Apologies for the absolute chaos that is this episode.
Today I wanted to cover some foundational background concepts, including how a signal travel within a neuron from dendrites to the tip of the axon and how that neuron then communicates to other neurons and parts of the body.
Curious? Come and listen to find out more!!!
Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at [email protected] or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.
Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
I really appreciate it!!!
Citations and relevant papers are below!
Guy-Evans O. What Is a Neuron? Function, Parts, Structure, and Types | Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org. Published February 15, 2021. https://www.simplypsychology.org/neuron.html

Khan Academy. Neuron action potentials: The creation of a brain signal. Khan Academy. Published 2016. https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/organ-systems/neuron-membrane-potentials/a/neuron-action-potentials-the-creation-of-a-brain-signal

Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al. Increased Conduction Velocity as a Result of Myelination. Neuroscience 2nd edition . Published online 2001. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10921/#:~:text=By%20acting%20as%20an%20electrical

Chen I, Forshing Lui. Neuroanatomy, Neuron Action Potential. Nih.gov. Published August 27, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546639/

Guy-Evans O. Synapse Definition and Function | Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org. Published February 21, 2021. https://www.simplypsychology.org/synapse.html

my brainnnnnnnnn