Functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that following deafness, auditory regions can respond to tactile stimuli. However, research to date has not conclusively demonstrated the behavioral correlates of these functional changes, with most studies showing normal-like tactile capabilities in the deaf. It has recently been suggested that more cognitive and complex tactile processes, such as music perception, could help to uncover superior tactile capabilities in the deaf. Indeed, following deafness music seems to be perceived through vibration, but the extent to which they can perceive musical features though the tactile modality remains undetermined. The goal of this study was to investigate tactile identification of musical emotion in the deaf. Participants had to rate melodies based on their emotional perception. Stimuli were presented through an haptic glove. Data suggest that deaf and control participants were comparable in the identification of three of the four emotions tested (sad, fear/threat, peacefulness). However and most importantly, for the simplest emotion (happiness), significant differences emerged between groups, suggesting an improved tactile identification of musical emotion in the deaf. Results support the hypothesis that brain plasticity following deafness can lead to improved complex tactile ability.

中文翻译：

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增强聋人音乐情感的触觉识别。

功能性神经影像学研究表明，耳聋后，听觉区域可对触觉刺激作出反应。然而，迄今为止的研究尚未最终证明这些功能改变的行为相关性，大多数研究表明聋人具有正常的触觉能力。最近有人提出，更多的认知和复杂的触觉过程，例如音乐感知，可以帮助发现聋人的卓越触觉能力。的确，听觉上耳聋的音乐似乎是通过振动来感知的，但是尽管触觉方式尚不清楚，但是他们能否感知音乐特征。这项研究的目的是调查聋人音乐情感的触觉识别。参加者必须根据自己的情感感知来评价旋律。通过触觉手套呈现刺激。数据表明，在测试的四种情绪（悲伤，恐惧/威胁，安宁）中，三种与聋人和对照组的参与者具有可比性。但是，最重要的是，对于最简单的情感（幸福），各组之间出现了显着差异，这表明聋人中音乐情感的触觉识别得到了改善。结果支持以下假设：耳聋后大脑可塑性可导致复杂的触觉能力提高。建议改善聋人的音乐情感的触觉识别。结果支持以下假设：耳聋后大脑可塑性可导致复杂的触觉能力提高。建议改善聋人的音乐情感的触觉识别。结果支持以下假设：耳聋后大脑可塑性可导致复杂的触觉能力提高。