In cross-modal plasticity, which scenario illustrates this phenomenon?

• A. Diminished hearing due to loud noise exposure
• B. Loss of smell after a cold
• C. No changes in sensory processing
• D. Enhanced peripheral vision in a person who is deaf

Answer: (D)

Cross-modal plasticity is about the brain reorganizing when one sensory input is reduced or lost, so other senses take on greater processing power. When someone is deaf, the brain can repurpose auditory areas to help with visual processing, leading to improvements in how visual information is detected, especially in the peripheral field. This shows the brain adapting by reallocating resources to enhance remaining senses, rather than simply losing function or staying the same. The other scenarios involve sensory loss or no change but don’t illustrate this reallocation of neural resources across modalities.