Alterations of the visual pathways in congenital blindness
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › fagfællebedømt
Standard
Alterations of the visual pathways in congenital blindness. / Ptito, Maurice; Schneider, Fabien C G; Paulson, Olaf B; Kupers, Ron.
I: Experimental Brain Research, Bind 187, Nr. 1, 01.05.2008, s. 41-9.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › fagfællebedømt
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Alterations of the visual pathways in congenital blindness
AU - Ptito, Maurice
AU - Schneider, Fabien C G
AU - Paulson, Olaf B
AU - Kupers, Ron
PY - 2008/5/1
Y1 - 2008/5/1
N2 - We used whole brain MRI voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to study the anatomical organization of the visual system in congenitally blind (CB) adults. Eleven CB without a history of visual perception were compared with 21 age- and sex-matched normal-sighted controls (NS). CB showed significant atrophy of the geniculo-striate system, encompassing the optic nerves, the optic chiasm, the optic radiations and the primary visual cortex (BA17). The volume decrease in BA17 reached 25% in both hemispheres. The pulvinar and its projections to the associative visual areas were also dramatically altered, BA18/19 and the middle temporal cortex (MT) showing volume reductions of up to 20%. Additional significant white matter alterations were observed in the inferior longitudinal tract and in the posterior part of the corpus callosum, which links the visual areas of both hemispheres. Our data indicate that the afferent projections to the visual cortex in CB are largely atrophied. Despite the massive volume reductions in the occipital lobes, there is compelling evidence from the literature (reviewed in Noppeney 2007; Ptito and Kupers 2005) that blind subjects activate their visual cortex when performing tasks that involve somatosensory or auditory inputs, suggesting a reorganization of the neural pathways that transmit sensory information to the visual cortex.
AB - We used whole brain MRI voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to study the anatomical organization of the visual system in congenitally blind (CB) adults. Eleven CB without a history of visual perception were compared with 21 age- and sex-matched normal-sighted controls (NS). CB showed significant atrophy of the geniculo-striate system, encompassing the optic nerves, the optic chiasm, the optic radiations and the primary visual cortex (BA17). The volume decrease in BA17 reached 25% in both hemispheres. The pulvinar and its projections to the associative visual areas were also dramatically altered, BA18/19 and the middle temporal cortex (MT) showing volume reductions of up to 20%. Additional significant white matter alterations were observed in the inferior longitudinal tract and in the posterior part of the corpus callosum, which links the visual areas of both hemispheres. Our data indicate that the afferent projections to the visual cortex in CB are largely atrophied. Despite the massive volume reductions in the occipital lobes, there is compelling evidence from the literature (reviewed in Noppeney 2007; Ptito and Kupers 2005) that blind subjects activate their visual cortex when performing tasks that involve somatosensory or auditory inputs, suggesting a reorganization of the neural pathways that transmit sensory information to the visual cortex.
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Atrophy
KW - Blindness
KW - Brain
KW - Corpus Callosum
KW - Female
KW - Geniculate Bodies
KW - Humans
KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Neuronal Plasticity
KW - Optic Nerve
KW - Pulvinar
KW - Sensory Deprivation
KW - Temporal Lobe
KW - Visual Cortex
KW - Visual Pathways
U2 - 10.1007/s00221-008-1273-4
DO - 10.1007/s00221-008-1273-4
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 18224306
VL - 187
SP - 41
EP - 49
JO - Experimental Brain Research
JF - Experimental Brain Research
SN - 0014-4819
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 33434955