Leading hearing scholar visits
February 2007The Audiology and Deafness group recently hosted a visit from Dr Deb Hall, a leading researcher at the Institute of Hearing Research in Nottingham. It is hoped it will be the first of many meetings fostering collaboration and understanding between the group and IHR.
Dr Hall's presentation was based on her research using fMRI scanning to measure neural responses in the hemispheres of the human brain, when sounds are presented to each ear individually. This has indicated changed responses when one ear is temporarily deprived using an ear-plug and when a deafened ear is stimulated following surgical reconstruction, providing fascinating evidence for neural plasticity within the central auditory system.
