Functional Connectivity Patterns in the Brains of Deaf Adults During Tone Processing: A 1D CNN Approach

In the context of comparing brain activation differences between deaf adults (DC) and hearing adults (HC) using fMRI, we use 1D CNN to analyze the brain functional connectivity patterns in tone processing of deaf adults. This study recruited 39 deaf adults and 34 hearing adults to perform tone processing tasks using fMRI. Subsequently, the data were preprocessed and analyzed using 1D CNN. The 1D CNN model identified significant differences in brain functional connectivity during tone processing between deaf and hearing adults. The primary brain region activations in deaf adults were in the superior temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and angular gyrus, while hearing adults showed significant activation in the middle frontal gyrus and precuneus. This study identified distinctive brain functional connectivity patterns in deaf adults during tone processing and demonstrated the efficacy of 1D CNN in analyzing complex time-series data. These results offer significant insights for enhancing educational and rehabilitation strategies for the deaf.