Differential cross-modal functional plasticity in deaf individuals: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

Summary: A manifest condition of brain plasticity is cross-modal plasticity in deafness, wherein auditory-deprived cortices are recruited by intact sensory modalities. While cross-modal plasticity is well documented, the underlying principles remain debated, centering on the functional change and functional preservation principles. To quantitatively evaluate these principles, we conducted the largest coordinate-based meta-analysis to date, synthesizing 47 studies (801 deaf and 880 hearing participants) spanning linguistic and non-linguistic tasks. Deaf individuals exhibited consistent cross-modal activation in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG). The left anterior STG was selectively recruited during linguistic tasks, consistent with preserved language function, whereas the left posterior and right STG were engaged across both task types, suggesting a shift toward domain-general visual processing. Cross-modal activation was lateralized, with linguistic tasks engaging the left STG and non-linguistic tasks the right. These findings support a differential cross-modal plasticity framework, wherein functional preservation and change coexist across distinct STG subregions.