Deaf people sense vibration in the part of the brain that other people use for hearing, according to the results of a recent study.
This may explain how deaf musicians can sense music, and how deaf people can enjoy concerts and other musical events.
The study was presented at the 87th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America this week.

"These findings suggest that the experience deaf people have when 'feeling' music is similar to the experience other people have when hearing music," said study author Dr Dean Shibata, from the radiology department at the University of Washington.

Dr Shibata compared the brain activity of 11 volunteers with normal hearing with that of 10 volunteers from the US National Technical Institute for the Deaf while subjecting their hands to intermittent vibrations.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of both groups' brains showed activity in the brain region that normally processes vibrations. But the deaf subjects also showed brain activity in the auditory cortex, usually only active during auditory stimulation.
Dr Shibata says the research indicated that exposing deaf children to music early may give their brain's 'music centre' the stimulus to develop.

"The brain is incredibly adaptable," explained Dr Shibata.

"In someone who is deaf, the young brain takes advantage of valuable real estate in the brain by processing vibrations in the part of the brain that would otherwise be used to process sound."

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf consider musical productions an important part of deaf culture. Audience members are given balloons to hold so they can 'feel' the musical vibrations with their fingertips.

"The perception of the musical vibrations by the deaf is likely every bit as real as the equivalent sounds, since they are ultimately processed in the same part of the brain," Dr Shibata said.

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