(Press-News.org) Hearing impairment may cause difficulties in social interactions, but new research indicates that social struggles experienced by deaf individuals are likely not due to brain alterations but rather due to non-supportive environments. The findings, which are published in Human Brain Mapping, suggest that deafness does not affect the mechanisms and brain circuits supporting social skills.
For the research, investigators analyzed published neuroimaging studies focusing on social perception in deaf versus hearing participants. Results indicated that both deaf and hearing participants recruited the same brain regions when performing different social tasks. Deaf individuals showed greater activation in regions involved in processing social information from visual inputs (such as signs and lip reading).
“Promoting learning of sign language in hearing individuals, as well as providing salient visual cues in social situations, would facilitate social inclusion of deaf individuals,” the authors wrote.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hbm.26444
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About the Journal
Human Brain Mapping is a functional neuroanatomy and neuroimaging journal where all disciplines of neurology collide to advance the field. The journal offers basic, clinical, technical and theoretical research in the rapidly expanding field of human brain mapping. Proudly accessible, every issue is open to the world.
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Wiley is a knowledge company and a global leader in research, publishing, and knowledge solutions. Dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge, Wiley serves the world’s researchers, learners, innovators, and leaders, helping them achieve their goals and solve the world's most important challenges. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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Does deafness alter brain circuits supporting social skills?
2023-08-23
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