Deaf animals `learn' to hear

Washington - The brains of completely deaf animals - and probably humans, as well - can be trained to "hear", but only very early in life, German researchers said. They said their findings show how important it is to test babies for hearing difficulties. Dr Rainer Klinke of the Physiologisches Institut III in Frankfurt, Germany, and colleagues said deaf kittens who had special implants put into their ears could "learn" to hear.