Auditory evoked potentials as measures of plasticity in humans

There is increasing evidence from animal studies for plasticity of auditory function. This has prompted research to determine whether such plastic changes occur in adults and children with hearing disorders. Behavioural measures such as speech perception scores do show improvements after hearing aid fitting and cochlear implantation. Several studies have also shown changes in cortical auditory evoked potentials after cochlear implantation and after auditory training. These studies indicate that improvements in speech perception ability are associated with changes in the central auditory system, particularly at the cortical level.