Rapid development of cortical auditory evoked potentials after early cochlear implantation.

The aim of our research was to estimate the time course of development and plasticity of the human central auditory pathways following cochlear implantation. We recorded cortical auditory-evoked potentials in 3-year-old congenitally deaf children after they were fitted with cochlear implants. Immediately after implantation cortical response latencies resembled those of normal-hearing newborns. Over the next few months, the cortical evoked responses showed rapid changes in morphology and latency that resulted in age-appropriate latencies by 8 months after implantation. Overall, the development of cortical response latencies for the implanted children was more rapid than for their normal-hearing age-matched peers. Our results demonstrate a high degree of central auditory system plasticity during early human development.