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Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

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Published on: October 13, 2023

Hierarchical Network Adaptations and Structure-Function Scaffolding in the Deaf Adult Brain.

Uttam Kumar¹, Kalpana Dhanik², Himanshu R Pandey²

¹Centre of Bio-Medical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226014, India. dr.uttam.kumar@gmail.com.

Brain Topography

|June 9, 2026

Summary

Congenital deafness alters brain networks, shifting towards distributed integration and reduced regional specialization. This reorganization is linked to specific white-matter changes, particularly in auditory regions.

Keywords:

Brain plasticity Congenital deafness Global efficiency Local efficiency fMRI-Graph theory

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Published on: March 10, 2026

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Neuroimaging
Systems Neuroscience

Background:

Early sensory deprivation, such as congenital deafness, is known to induce cortical network reorganization.
The precise relationship between the brain's structural architecture and its large-scale functional organization following sensory loss is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the connectome organization in congenitally deaf adults compared to hearing controls.
To explore the relationship between structural white-matter architecture and functional network topology in the context of congenital deafness.

Main Methods:

Utilized resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 54 congenitally deaf adults and matched hearing controls.
Applied graph-theoretical analysis to examine global and local network efficiency and white-matter integrity (fractional anisotropy).

Main Results:

Deaf individuals showed higher global efficiency and lower local efficiency, indicating a shift towards distributed integration and reduced regional segregation.
These topological changes were most pronounced in auditory, multisensory, and associative cortices.
Reduced fractional anisotropy was observed in auditory pathways, while visual and parietal white-matter organization remained relatively preserved, with regionally specific structure-function alignment.

Conclusions:

Congenital deafness is associated with a large-scale reconfiguration of cortical network topology.
This reorganization is accompanied by spatially selective variations in white-matter architecture, suggesting coordinated, regionally specific adaptations.
Early sensory experience significantly shapes intrinsic brain connectome organization.