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Senna I, Piller S, Martolini C, Cocchi E, Gori M, Ernst MO. Multisensory training improves the development of spatial cognition after sight restoration from congenital cataracts. iScience 2024; 27:109167. [PMID: 38414862 PMCID: PMC10897914 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial cognition and mobility are typically impaired in congenitally blind individuals, as vision usually calibrates space perception by providing the most accurate distal spatial cues. We have previously shown that sight restoration from congenital bilateral cataracts guides the development of more accurate space perception, even when cataract removal occurs years after birth. However, late cataract-treated individuals do not usually reach the performance levels of the typically sighted population. Here, we developed a brief multisensory training that associated audiovisual feedback with body movements. Late cataract-treated participants quickly improved their space representation and mobility, performing as well as typically sighted controls in most tasks. Their improvement was comparable with that of a group of blind participants, who underwent training coupling their movements with auditory feedback alone. These findings suggest that spatial cognition can be enhanced by a training program that strengthens the association between bodily movements and their sensory feedback (either auditory or audiovisual).
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Senna
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
| | - Sophia Piller
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Chiara Martolini
- Unit for Visually Impaired People (U-VIP), Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16152 Genova, Italy
| | - Elena Cocchi
- Istituto David Chiossone per Ciechi ed Ipovedenti ONLUS, 16145 Genova, Italy
| | - Monica Gori
- Unit for Visually Impaired People (U-VIP), Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16152 Genova, Italy
| | - Marc O. Ernst
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
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2
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Amaral L, Thomas P, Amedi A, Striem-Amit E. Longitudinal stability of individual brain plasticity patterns in blindness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.01.565196. [PMID: 37986779 PMCID: PMC10659359 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.01.565196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The primary visual cortex (V1) in individuals born blind is engaged in a wide spectrum of tasks and sensory modalities, including audition, touch, language, and memory. This widespread involvement raises questions regarding the constancy of its role and whether it might exhibit flexibility in its function over time, connecting to diverse network functions in response to task-specific demands. This would suggest that reorganized V1 takes on a role similar to cognitive multiple-demand system regions. Alternatively, it is possible that the varying patterns of plasticity observed in the blind V1 can be attributed to individual factors, whereby different blind individuals recruit V1 for different functions, highlighting the immense idiosyncrasy of plasticity. In support of this second account, we have recently shown that V1 functional connectivity varies greatly across blind individuals. But do these represent stable individual patterns of plasticity or merely instantaneous changes, for a multiple-demand system now inhabiting V1? Here we tested if individual connectivity patterns from the visual cortex of blind individuals are stable over time. We show that over two years, fMRI functional connectivity from the primary visual cortex is unique and highly stable in a small sample of repeatedly sampled congenitally blind individuals. Further, using multivoxel pattern analysis, we demonstrate that the unique reorganization patterns of these individuals allow decoding of participant identity. Together with recent evidence for substantial individual differences in visual cortex connectivity, this indicates there may be a consistent role for the visual cortex in blindness, which may differ for each individual. Further, it suggests that the variability in visual reorganization in blindness across individuals could be used to seek stable neuromarkers for sight rehabilitation and assistive approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lénia Amaral
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Peyton Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Amir Amedi
- Ivcher School of Psychology, The Institute for Brain, Mind and Technology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
- The Ruth & Meir Rosenthal Brain Imaging Center, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Ella Striem-Amit
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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3
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Piller S, Senna I, Wiebusch D, Ben-Zion I, Ernst MO. Grasping behavior does not recover after sight restoration from congenital blindness. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2104-2110.e4. [PMID: 37130520 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigated whether early visual input is essential for establishing the ability to use predictions in the control of actions and for perception. To successfully interact with objects, it is necessary to pre-program bodily actions such as grasping movements (feedforward control). Feedforward control requires a model for making predictions, which is typically shaped by previous sensory experience and interaction with the environment.1 Vision is the most crucial sense for establishing such predictions.2,3 We typically rely on visual estimations of the to-be-grasped object's size and weight in order to scale grip force and hand aperture accordingly.4,5,6 Size-weight expectations play a role also for perception, as evident in the size-weight illusion (SWI), in which the smaller of two equal-weight objects is misjudged to be heavier.7,8 Here, we investigated predictions for action and perception by testing the development of feedforward controlled grasping and of the SWI in young individuals surgically treated for congenital cataracts several years after birth. Surprisingly, what typically developing individuals do easily within the first years of life, namely to adeptly grasp new objects based on visually predicted properties, cataract-treated individuals did not learn after years of visual experience. Contrary, the SWI exhibited significant development. Even though the two tasks differ in substantial ways, these results may suggest a potential dissociation in using visual experience to make predictions about an object's features for perception or action. What seems a very simple task-picking up small objects-is in truth a highly complex computation that necessitates early structured visual input to develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Piller
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 43, 89081 Ulm, Germany; Transfer Center for Neuroscience and Education (ZNL), Ulm University, Parkstraße 11, 89073 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Irene Senna
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 43, 89081 Ulm, Germany; Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
| | - Dennis Wiebusch
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 43, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Itay Ben-Zion
- Pediatric Ophthalmology Service, Padeh Medical Center, Tiberias 1528001, Israel
| | - Marc O Ernst
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 43, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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4
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Ossandón JP, Zerr P, Shareef I, Kekunnaya R, Röder B. Active vision in sight recovery individuals with a history of long-lasting congenital blindness. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0051-22.2022. [PMID: 36163106 PMCID: PMC9532021 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0051-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
What we see is intimately linked to how we actively and systematically explore the world through eye movements. However, it is unknown to what degree visual experience during early development is necessary for such systematic visual exploration to emerge. The present study investigated visual exploration behavior in ten human participants whose sight had been restored only in childhood or adulthood, after a period of congenital blindness due to dense bilateral congenital cataracts. Participants freely explored real-world images while their eye movements were recorded. Despite severe residual visual impairments and gaze instability (nystagmus), visual exploration patterns were preserved in individuals with reversed congenital cataract. Modelling analyses indicated that similar to healthy controls, visual exploration in individuals with reversed congenital cataract was based on the low-level (luminance contrast) and high-level (object components) visual content of the images. Moreover, participants used visual short-term memory representations for narrowing down the exploration space. More systematic visual exploration in individuals with reversed congenital cataract was associated with better object recognition, suggesting that active vision might be a driving force for visual system development and recovery. The present results argue against a sensitive period for the development of neural mechanisms associated with visual exploration.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHumans explore the visual world with systematic patterns of eye movements, but it is unknown whether early visual experience is necessary for the acquisition of visual exploration. Here, we show that sight recovery individuals who had been born blind demonstrate highly systematic eye movements while exploring real-world images, despite visual impairments and pervasive gaze instability. In fact, their eye movement patterns were predicted by those of normally sighted controls and models calculating eye movements based on low- and high-level visual features, and they moreover took memory information into account. Since object recognition performance was associated with systematic visual exploration it was concluded that eye movements might be a driving factor for the development of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- José P Ossandón
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul Zerr
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Idris Shareef
- Child Sight Institute, Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Child Sight Institute, Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
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5
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Ben-Ami S, Gupta P, Yadav M, Shah P, Talwar G, Paswan S, Ganesh S, Troje NF, Sinha P. Human (but not animal) motion can be recognized at first sight - After treatment for congenital blindness. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108307. [PMID: 35752267 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The long-standing nativist vs. empiricist debate asks a foundational question in epistemology - does our knowledge arise through experience or is it available innately? Studies that probe the sensitivity of newborns and patients recovering from congenital blindness are central in informing this dialogue. One of the most robust sensitivities our visual system possesses is to 'biological motion' - the movement patterns of humans and other vertebrates. Various biological motion perception skills (such as distinguishing between movement of human and non-human animals, or between upright and inverted human movement) become evident within the first months of life. The mechanisms of acquiring these capabilities, and specifically the contribution of visual experience to their development, are still under debate. We had the opportunity to directly examine the role of visual experience in biological motion perception, by testing what level of sensitivity is present immediately upon onset of sight following years of congenital visual deprivation. Two congenitally blind patients who underwent sight-restorative cataract-removal surgery late in life (at the ages of 7 and 20 years) were tested before and after sight restoration. The patients were shown displays of walking humans, pigeons, and cats, and asked to describe what they saw. Visual recognition of movement patterns emerged immediately upon eye-opening following surgery, when the patients spontaneously began to identify human, but not animal, biological motion. This recognition ability was evident contemporaneously for upright and inverted human displays. These findings suggest that visual recognition of human motion patterns may not critically depend on visual experience, as it was evident upon first exposure to un-obstructed sight in patients with very limited prior visual exposure, and furthermore, was not limited to the typical (upright) orientation of humans in real-life settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomit Ben-Ami
- MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA; Sagol School of Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Minducate Science of Learning Research and Innovation Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Priti Gupta
- The Project Prakash Center, Delhi, India; Amarnath and Shashi Khosla School of Information Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India
| | | | | | | | - Saroj Paswan
- The Project Prakash Center, Delhi, India; Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Suma Ganesh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, Delhi, India
| | | | - Pawan Sinha
- MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
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6
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Rączy K, Hölig C, Guerreiro MJS, Lingareddy S, Kekunnaya R, Röder B. Typical resting state activity of the brain requires visual input during an early sensitive period. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac146. [PMID: 35836836 PMCID: PMC9275761 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory deprivation, following a total loss of one sensory modality e.g. vision, has been demonstrated to result in compensatory plasticity. It is yet not known to which extent neural changes, e.g. higher resting-state activity in visual areas (cross-modal plasticity) as a consequence of blindness, reverse, when sight is restored. Here, we used functional MRI to acquire blood oxygen level-dependent resting-state activity during an eyes open and an eyes closed state in congenital cataract-reversal individuals, developmental cataract-reversal individuals, congenitally permanently blind individuals and sighted controls. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of the blood oxygen level-dependent signal—a neural marker of spontaneous brain activity during rest—was analyzed. In accordance with previous reports, in normally sighted controls we observed an increase in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation during rest with the eyes open compared with rest with eyes closed in visual association areas and in parietal cortex but a decrease in auditory and sensorimotor regions. In congenital cataract-reversal individuals, we found an increase of the amplitude of slow blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations in visual cortex during rest with eyes open compared with rest with eyes closed too but this increase was larger in amplitude than in normally sighted controls. In contrast, congenital cataract-reversal individuals lagged a similar increase in parietal regions and did not show the typical decrease of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in auditory cortex. Congenitally blind individuals displayed an overall higher amplitude in slow blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations in visual cortex compared with sighted individuals and compared with congenital cataract-reversal individuals in the eyes closed condition. Higher amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in visual cortex of congenital cataract-reversal individuals than in normally sighted controls during eyes open might indicate an altered excitatory–inhibitory balance of visual neural circuits. By contrast, the lower parietal increase and the missing downregulation in auditory regions suggest a reduced influence of the visual system on multisensory and the other sensory systems after restoring sight in congenitally blind individuals. These results demonstrate a crucial dependence of visual and multisensory neural system functioning on visual experience during a sensitive phase in human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Rączy
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cordula Hölig
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria J. S. Guerreiro
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg , 26111, Oldenburg, Germany
| | | | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Child Sight Institute, LV Prasad Eye Institute Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, , 500034 Hyderabad, India
| | - Brigitte Röder
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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7
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Zohary E, Harari D, Ullman S, Ben-Zion I, Doron R, Attias S, Porat Y, Sklar AY, Mckyton A. Gaze following requires early visual experience. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2117184119. [PMID: 35549552 PMCID: PMC9171757 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117184119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaze understanding—a suggested precursor for understanding others’ intentions—requires recovery of gaze direction from the observed person's head and eye position. This challenging computation is naturally acquired at infancy without explicit external guidance, but can it be learned later if vision is extremely poor throughout early childhood? We addressed this question by studying gaze following in Ethiopian patients with early bilateral congenital cataracts diagnosed and treated by us only at late childhood. This sight restoration provided a unique opportunity to directly address basic issues on the roles of “nature” and “nurture” in development, as it caused a selective perturbation to the natural process, eliminating some gaze-direction cues while leaving others still available. Following surgery, the patients’ visual acuity typically improved substantially, allowing discrimination of pupil position in the eye. Yet, the patients failed to show eye gaze-following effects and fixated less than controls on the eyes—two spontaneous behaviors typically seen in controls. Our model for unsupervised learning of gaze direction explains how head-based gaze following can develop under severe image blur, resembling preoperative conditions. It also suggests why, despite acquiring sufficient resolution to extract eye position, automatic eye gaze following is not established after surgery due to lack of detailed early visual experience. We suggest that visual skills acquired in infancy in an unsupervised manner will be difficult or impossible to acquire when internal guidance is no longer available, even when sufficient image resolution for the task is restored. This creates fundamental barriers to spontaneous vision recovery following prolonged deprivation in early age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Zohary
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Daniel Harari
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Shimon Ullman
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Itay Ben-Zion
- Department of Ophthalmology, Padeh Medical Center, Poriya 15208, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem 91010, Israel
| | - Sara Attias
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Yuval Porat
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Asael Y. Sklar
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Ayelet Mckyton
- Neurology Department, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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8
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Gupta P, Shah P, Gutnick SG, Vogelsang M, Vogelsang L, Tiwari K, Gandhi T, Ganesh S, Sinha P. Development of Visual Memory Capacity Following Early-Onset and Extended Blindness. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:847-858. [PMID: 35533319 PMCID: PMC9343893 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211056664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It is unknown whether visual memory capacity can develop if onset of pattern vision is delayed for several years following birth. We had an opportunity to address this question through our work with an unusual population of 12 congenitally blind individuals ranging in age from 8 to 22 years. After providing them with sight surgery, we longitudinally evaluated their visual memory capacity using an image-memorization task. Our findings revealed poor visual memory capacity soon after surgery but significant improvement in subsequent months. Although there may be limits to this improvement, performance 1 year after surgery was found to be comparable with that of control participants with matched visual acuity. These findings provide evidence for plasticity of visual memory mechanisms into late childhood but do not rule out vulnerability to early deprivation. Our computational simulations suggest that a potential mechanism to account for changes in memory performance may be progressive representational elaboration in image encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priti Gupta
- Amarnath and Shashi Khosla School of Information Technology, Indian Institute of Technology
| | - Pragya Shah
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences
| | - Sharon Gilad Gutnick
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| | - Marin Vogelsang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.,School of Computer and Communication Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
| | - Lukas Vogelsang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.,Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
| | - Kashish Tiwari
- Dr. R. P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
| | - Tapan Gandhi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology
| | - Suma Ganesh
- Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Pawan Sinha
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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9
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Visual perspective taking is not automatic in a simplified dot task: Evidence from newly sighted children, primary school children and adults. Neuropsychologia 2022; 172:108256. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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10
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Abstract
For four decades, investigations of the biological basis of critical periods in the developing mammalian visual cortex were dominated by study of the consequences of altered early visual experience in cats and nonhuman primates. The neural deficits thus revealed also provided insight into the origin and neural basis of human amblyopia that in turn motivated additional studies of humans with abnormal early visual input. Recent human studies point to deficits arising from alterations in all visual cortical areas and even in nonvisual cortical regions. As the new human data accumulated in parallel with a near-complete shift toward the use of rodent animal models for the study of neural mechanisms, it is now essential to review the human data and the earlier animal data obtained from cats and monkeys to infer general conclusions and to optimize future choice of the most appropriate animal model. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald E Mitchell
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada;
| | - Daphne Maurer
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada;
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11
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Benowitz LI, Dowling JE, Giger RJ, Johnson TV, Zack DJ. Restoring partial vision to a blind patient. Fac Rev 2022; 11:17. [PMID: 35812361 PMCID: PMC9239363 DOI: 10.12703/r-01-0000012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports an important breakthrough in partially restoring sight to a man who had lost his vision due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a heritable retinal degenerative disease that affects approximately 1 in 4000 people. Long considered an insurmountable challenge, a stellar team of vision scientists, engineers, basic biologists, and others, working together for many years, has enabled a man who had been legally blind for decades to begin distinguishing objects and navigating his environment1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Thomas V Johnson
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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12
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Development of multisensory integration following prolonged early-onset visual deprivation. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4879-4885.e6. [PMID: 34534443 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Adult humans make effortless use of multisensory signals and typically integrate them in an optimal fashion.1 This remarkable ability takes many years for normally sighted children to develop.2,3 Would individuals born blind or with extremely low vision still be able to develop multisensory integration later in life when surgically treated for sight restoration? Late acquisition of such capability would be a vivid example of the brain's ability to retain high levels of plasticity. We studied the development of multisensory integration in individuals suffering from congenital dense bilateral cataract, surgically treated years after birth. We assessed cataract-treated individuals' reliance on their restored visual abilities when estimating the size of an object simultaneously explored by touch. Within weeks to months after surgery, when combining information from vision and touch, they developed a multisensory weighting behavior similar to matched typically sighted controls. Next, we tested whether cataract-treated individuals benefited from integrating vision with touch by increasing the precision of size estimates, as it occurs when integrating signals in a statistically optimal fashion.1 For participants retested multiple times, such a benefit developed within months after surgery to levels of precision indistinguishable from optimal behavior. To summarize, the development of multisensory integration does not merely depend on age, but requires extensive multisensory experience with the world, rendered possible by the improved post-surgical visual acuity. We conclude that early exposure to multisensory signals is not essential for the development of multisensory integration, which can still be acquired even after many years of visual deprivation.
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13
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Resilience of temporal processing to early and extended visual deprivation. Vision Res 2021; 186:80-86. [PMID: 34062374 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Early visual deprivation is known to have profound consequences on the subsequent development of spatial visual processing. However, its impact on temporal processing is not well characterized. We have examined spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity functions following treatment for early and extended bilateral visual deprivation in fifteen children born with congenital cataracts in rural India. The results reveal a marked difference in post-treatment spatial and temporal sensitivities. Whereas spatial processing in newly sighted children is significantly impaired relative to age-matched controls, temporal processing exhibits remarkable resilience and is comparable to that in the control group. This difference in spatial and temporal outcomes is especially surprising given our computational analyses of video sequences which indicate a strong linkage between the spatial and temporal spectral content of natural visual inputs. We consider possible explanations for this discrepancy.
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14
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Hamm LM, Chen Z, Li J, Dai S, Black J, Yuan J, Yu M, Thompson B. Contrast‐balanced binocular treatment in children with deprivation amblyopia. Clin Exp Optom 2021; 101:541-552. [DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Hamm
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
| | - Zidong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Jinrong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Shuan Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
| | - Joanna Black
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
| | - Junpeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Minbin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,
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Heimler B, Amedi A. Are critical periods reversible in the adult brain? Insights on cortical specializations based on sensory deprivation studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:494-507. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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16
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Zerr P, Ossandón JP, Shareef I, Van der Stigchel S, Kekunnaya R, Röder B. Successful visually guided eye movements following sight restoration after congenital cataracts. J Vis 2020; 20:3. [PMID: 38755792 PMCID: PMC7424140 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.7.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive periods have previously been identified for several human visual system functions. Yet, it is unknown to what degree the development of visually guided oculomotor control depends on early visual experience-for example, whether and to what degree humans whose sight was restored after a transient period of congenital visual deprivation are able to conduct visually guided eye movements. In the present study, we developed new calibration and analysis techniques for eye tracking data contaminated with pervasive nystagmus, which is typical for this population. We investigated visually guided eye movements in sight recovery individuals with long periods of visual pattern deprivation (3-36 years) following birth due to congenital, dense, total, bilateral cataracts. As controls we assessed (1) individuals with nystagmus due to causes other than cataracts, (2) individuals with developmental cataracts after cataract removal, and (3) individuals with normal vision. Congenital cataract reversal individuals were able to perform visually guided gaze shifts, even when their blindness had lasted for decades. The typical extensive nystagmus of this group distorted eye movement trajectories, but measures of latency and accuracy were as expected from their prevailing nystagmus-that is, not worse than in the nystagmus control group. To the best of our knowledge, the present quantitative study is the first to investigate the characteristics of oculomotor control in congenital cataract reversal individuals, and it indicates a remarkable effectiveness of visually guided eye movements despite long-lasting periods of visual deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Zerr
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - José Pablo Ossandón
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Idris Shareef
- Child Sight Institute, Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Child Sight Institute, Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
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17
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Mechanisms underlying simultaneous brightness contrast: Early and innate. Vision Res 2020; 173:41-49. [PMID: 32464426 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2020.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In the phenomenon of simultaneous brightness contrast, two patches, one on a dark background and the other on a light one, appear to have different brightness despite being physically equi-luminant. Elucidating the phenomenon's underlying mechanisms is relevant for the larger question of how the visual system makes photometric judgments in images. Accounts over the past century have spanned low-, mid- and high-level visual processes, but a definitive resolution has not emerged. We present three studies that collectively demonstrate that the computations underlying this phenomenon are low-level, instantiated prior to binocular fusion, and available innately, without need for inferential learning via an individual's visual experience. In our first two studies, we find that strong brightness induction is obtained even when observers are unaware of any luminance differences in the neighborhoods of the probe patches. Results with dichoptic displays reveal that eye of origin, although not evident consciously, has a marked influence on the eventual brightness percept of the probe patches, thereby localizing brightness estimation to a site preceding binocular fusion. The third study uses conventional simultaneous brightness contrast displays, but an unusual group of participants: Congenitally blind children whom we were able to treat surgically. The results demonstrate an immediate susceptibility to the simultaneous brightness illusion after sight onset. Together, these data strongly constrain the search for mechanisms underlying a fundamental brightness phenomenon.
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Abstract
Children who are treated for congenital cataracts later exhibit impairments in configural face analysis. This has been explained in terms of a critical period for the acquisition of normal face processing. Here, we consider a more parsimonious account according to which deficits in configural analysis result from the abnormally high initial retinal acuity that children treated for cataracts experience, relative to typical newborns. According to this proposal, the initial period of low retinal acuity characteristic of normal visual development induces extended spatial processing in the cortex that is important for configural face judgments. As a computational test of this hypothesis, we examined the effects of training with high-resolution or blurred images, and staged combinations, on the receptive fields and performance of a convolutional neural network. The results show that commencing training with blurred images creates receptive fields that integrate information across larger image areas and leads to improved performance and better generalization across a range of resolutions. These findings offer an explanation for the observed face recognition impairments after late treatment of congenital blindness, suggest an adaptive function for the acuity trajectory in normal development, and provide a scheme for improving the performance of computational face recognition systems.
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Abstract
Restoring vision to the blind by retinal repair has been a dream of medicine for centuries, and the first successful procedures have recently been performed. Although we are still far from the restoration of high-resolution vision, step-by-step developments are overcoming crucial bottlenecks in therapy development and have enabled the restoration of some visual function in patients with specific blindness-causing diseases. Here, we discuss the current state of vision restoration and the problems related to retinal repair. We describe new model systems and translational technologies, as well as the clinical conditions in which new methods may help to combat blindness.
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20
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Nihalani BR, VanderVeen DK. Response to: ’Unmet needs of cataract blind children in special schools in Southeast Nigeria’. Eye (Lond) 2018; 32:471. [DOI: 10.1038/eye.2017.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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21
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McKyton A, Ben-Zion I, Zohary E. Lack of Automatic Imitation in Newly Sighted Individuals. Psychol Sci 2017; 29:304-310. [PMID: 29231786 DOI: 10.1177/0956797617731755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Viewing a hand action performed by another person facilitates a response-compatible action and slows a response-incompatible one, even when the viewed action is irrelevant to the task. This automatic imitation effect is taken as the clearest evidence for a direct mapping between action viewing and motor performance. But there is an ongoing debate whether this effect is innate or experience dependent. We tackled this issue by studying a unique group of newly sighted children who suffered from dense bilateral cataracts from early infancy and were surgically treated only years later. The newly sighted children were less affected by viewing task-irrelevant actions than were control children, even 2 years after the cataract-removal surgery. This strongly suggests that visually guided motor experience is necessary for the development of automatic imitation. At the very least, our results indicate that if imitation is based on innate mechanisms, these are clearly susceptible to long periods of visual deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet McKyton
- 1 The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.,2 Neurobiology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
| | - Itay Ben-Zion
- 3 The Goldschleger Eye Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer, Israel.,4 Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University
| | - Ehud Zohary
- 1 The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.,2 Neurobiology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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22
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Emergence of categorical face perception after extended early-onset blindness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:6139-6143. [PMID: 28533387 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1616050114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is unknown whether the ability to visually distinguish between faces and nonfaces is subject to a critical period during development. Would a congenitally blind child who gains sight several years after birth be able to acquire this skill? This question has remained unanswered because of the rarity of cases of late sight onset. We had the opportunity to work with five early-blind individuals who gained sight late in childhood after treatment for dense bilateral cataracts. We tested their ability to categorize patterns as faces, using natural images that spanned a spectrum of face semblance. The results show that newly sighted individuals are unable to distinguish between faces and nonfaces immediately after sight onset, but improve markedly in the following months. These results demonstrate preserved plasticity for acquiring face/nonface categorization ability even late in life, and set the stage for investigating the informational and neural basis of this skill acquisition.
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Crockett C, Camero KA, Kong L, Yen KG. Visual outcomes of patients presenting with bilateral infantile cataracts and nystagmus. Can J Ophthalmol 2017; 52:203-206. [PMID: 28457292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjo.2016.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the outcomes of cataract surgery in pediatric patients presenting with bilateral infantile cataracts and nystagmus. DESIGN Retrospective case study. PARTICIPANTS Thirteen pediatric patients who presented between September 2002 and February 2014 at a single tertiary care institution. METHODS Patients were included if they presented with bilateral visually significant cataracts and preoperative manifest nystagmus and had no other systemic or ocular condition that could explain the presence of the nystagmus. Data collected included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), etiology of cataracts, associated systemic/ocular conditions, status of strabismus, surgical complications, and presence of nystagmus. RESULTS Mean age at diagnosis of the cataracts was 8.1 ± 10.6 months. Mean age at surgery was 8.4 ± 10.5 months. Average length of follow-up was 54.3 ± 32.6 months. Twelve patients were left aphakic bilaterally; 1 patient received primary intraocular lenses bilaterally. Ten patients were able to perform visual acuity at the most recent visit, with 5 out of 10 having BCVA ≥20/40 in the better-seeing eye. Two patients had no visible nystagmus and 3 patients had latent nystagmus only at the most recent visit. CONCLUSIONS The presence of preoperative nystagmus does not preclude good visual outcomes in pediatric patients with cataracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene Crockett
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Lingkun Kong
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
| | - Kimberly G Yen
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas..
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24
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Kalia A, Gandhi T, Chatterjee G, Swami P, Dhillon H, Bi S, Chauhan N, Gupta SD, Sharma P, Sood S, Ganesh S, Mathur U, Sinha P. Assessing the impact of a program for late surgical intervention in early-blind children. Public Health 2017; 146:15-23. [PMID: 28404468 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2016.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many blind children in the developing world are unable to obtain timely treatment due to lack of financial and medical resources. Can public health programs that identify and treat such children several years after the onset of blindness enhance their quality of life? The notion that visual development is subject to an early 'critical period' argues against this possibility. However, there are inadequate empirical data from humans on this issue. To address this need, we examined the quality of life of children living in India and who were treated for early-onset blindness (before one year of age), due to cataracts or corneal opacities. STUDY DESIGN Survey study. METHODS As part of an ongoing scientific effort named Project Prakash, we screened over 40,000 children in rural northern India to identify those suffering from early-onset blindness. They were provided eye surgeries in a tertiary care ophthalmic center in New Delhi. We subsequently surveyed 64 Prakash children, ranging in age from 5 to 22 years and obtained their responses on a multi-dimensional quality of life questionnaire. RESULTS Nearly all of the subjects indicated that their quality of life had improved after treatment. Children reported marked enhancement in their mobility, independence, and safety, and also in social integration. Surprisingly, we found no significant correlations between quality of life metrics and factors such as age at treatment, gender, time since treatment, and pre-surgery and post-surgery acuity. CONCLUSIONS A key question for public health policy makers is whether a program of surgical intervention for older blind children is likely to be beneficial, or if the resources are better spent on rehabilitation via vocational training and assistive devices. The marked improvements in quality of life we find in our data strongly argue for the provision of surgical care regardless of a child's age.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kalia
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA.
| | - T Gandhi
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - G Chatterjee
- Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - P Swami
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - H Dhillon
- Community Outreach Department, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - S Bi
- Community Outreach Department, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - N Chauhan
- Community Outreach Department, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - S D Gupta
- Community Outreach Department, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - P Sharma
- Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - S Sood
- Lexington High School Lexington, USA
| | - S Ganesh
- Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - U Mathur
- Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - P Sinha
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
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25
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Guerreiro MJ, Putzar L, Röder B. Persisting Cross-Modal Changes in Sight-Recovery Individuals Modulate Visual Perception. Curr Biol 2016; 26:3096-3100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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26
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27
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Gilbert CE, Lepvrier-Chomette N. Gender Inequalities in Surgery for Bilateral Cataract among Children in Low-Income Countries. Ophthalmology 2016; 123:1245-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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28
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Comparison between Limbal and Pars Plana Approaches Using Microincision Vitrectomy for Removal of Congenital Cataracts with Primary Intraocular Lens Implantation. J Ophthalmol 2016; 2016:8951053. [PMID: 27313872 PMCID: PMC4904112 DOI: 10.1155/2016/8951053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose. To compare the surgical outcomes of limbal versus pars plana vitrectomy using the 23-gauge microincision system for removal of congenital cataracts with primary intraocular lens implantation. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed all eyes that underwent cataract removal through limbal or pars plana incision. Main outcome measures included visual outcomes and complications. Results. We included 40 eyes (26 patients) in the limbal group and 41 eyes (30 patients) in the pars plana group. The mean age was 46 months. There was no significant difference in best-corrected visual acuity between the two groups (P = 0.64). Significantly, more eyes had at least one intraoperative complication in the limbal group than in the pars plana group (P = 0.03) that were mainly distributed at 1.5-3 years of age (P = 0.01). The most common intraoperative complications were iris aspiration, iris prolapse, and iris injury. More eyes in the limbal group had postoperative complications and required additional intraocular surgery, but the difference was not significant (P = 0.19). Conclusions. The visual results were encouraging in both approaches. We recommend the pars plana approach for lower incidence of complications. The limbal approach should be reserved for children older than 3 years of age and caution should be exercised to minimize iris disturbance.
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29
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Bottari D, Troje NF, Ley P, Hense M, Kekunnaya R, Röder B. Sight restoration after congenital blindness does not reinstate alpha oscillatory activity in humans. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24683. [PMID: 27080158 PMCID: PMC4832338 DOI: 10.1038/srep24683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional brain development is characterized by sensitive periods during which experience must be available to allow for the full development of neural circuits and associated behavior. Yet, only few neural markers of sensitive period plasticity in humans are known. Here we employed electroencephalographic recordings in a unique sample of twelve humans who had been blind from birth and regained sight through cataract surgery between four months and 16 years of age. Two additional control groups were tested: a group of visually impaired individuals without a history of total congenital blindness and a group of typically sighted individuals. The EEG was recorded while participants performed a visual discrimination task involving intact and scrambled biological motion stimuli. Posterior alpha and theta oscillations were evaluated. The three groups showed indistinguishable behavioral performance and in all groups evoked theta activity varied with biological motion processing. By contrast, alpha oscillatory activity was significantly reduced only in individuals with a history of congenital cataracts. These data document on the one hand brain mechanisms of functional recovery (related to theta oscillations) and on the other hand, for the first time, a sensitive period for the development of alpha oscillatory activity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Bottari
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 11 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus F Troje
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, K7L 3N6 Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1400, M5G 1Z8 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pia Ley
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 11 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marlene Hense
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 11 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Kallam Anji Reddy Campus, L V Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, 500 034 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 11 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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McKyton A, Ben-Zion I, Doron R, Zohary E. The Limits of Shape Recognition following Late Emergence from Blindness. Curr Biol 2015; 25:2373-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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