Resilience and vulnerability of neural speech tracking after hearing restoration

The role of early auditory experience in the development of neural speech tracking remains an open question. To address this issue, we measured neural speech tracking in children with or without functional hearing during their first year of life after their hearing was restored with cochlear implants (CIs), as well as in hearing controls (HC). Neural tracking in children with CIs is unaffected by the absence of perinatal auditory experience. CI users and HC exhibit a similar neural tracking magnitude at short timescales of brain activity. However, neural tracking is delayed in CI users, and its timing depends on the age of hearing restoration. Conversely, at longer timescales, speech tracking is dampened in participants using CIs, thereby accounting for their speech comprehension deficits. These findings highlight the resilience of sensory processing in speech tracking while also demonstrating the vulnerability of higher-level processing to the lack of early auditory experience.

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Publication Details

Journal
Communications Biology
Published
2025-03-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07788-4
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
7.16
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article

Resilience and vulnerability of neural speech tracking after hearing restoration

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5 citations
Communications Biology
Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation
7.16
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Resilience and vulnerability of neural speech tracking after hearing restoration

Marta Fantoni, Emiliano Ricciardi, Davide Bottari, Benedetta Bianchi, Martina Berto, Franco Trabalzini, Eva Orzan, Alessandra Federici, Alice Martinelli, Evgenia Bednaya, Elena Nava, Francesco Pavani, Giacomo Handjaras
article en
5 citations

Abstract

The role of early auditory experience in the development of neural speech tracking remains an open question. To address this issue, we measured neural speech tracking in children with or without functional hearing during their first year of life after their hearing was restored with cochlear implants (CIs), as well as in hearing controls (HC). Neural tracking in children with CIs is unaffected by the absence of perinatal auditory experience. CI users and HC exhibit a similar neural tracking magnitude at short timescales of brain activity. However, neural tracking is delayed in CI users, and its timing depends on the age of hearing restoration. Conversely, at longer timescales, speech tracking is dampened in participants using CIs, thereby accounting for their speech comprehension deficits. These findings highlight the resilience of sensory processing in speech tracking while also demonstrating the vulnerability of higher-level processing to the lack of early auditory experience.

Communications BiologyVol. 8(1)
IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca (IT), University of Trento (IT), IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo (IT), Meyer Children's Hospital (IT), Fondazione Stella Maris (IT), Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca Per lo Sviluppo sostenibile (IT), University of Milano-Bicocca (IT)
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Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation
7.16
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