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Occipito-parietal cortex activation during visuo-spatial imagery in early blind humans
Annick Vanlierde1, Anne G De Volder, Marie-Chantal Wanet-Defalque
1Neural Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Neuroimage
|July 26, 2003
Summary
Early blind individuals utilize the same brain regions for visuo-spatial imagery as sighted individuals. The dorsal pathway is active in the absence of vision, suggesting its development is independent of sight.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Visuo-spatial imagery relies on occipito-parietal areas in sighted individuals.
- The role of these areas and the dorsal pathway in early blind individuals is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cerebral blood flow during visuo-spatial imagery in early blind and sighted individuals.
- To compare brain activation patterns between groups during spatial tasks and verbal memory tasks.
Main Methods:
- Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure regional cerebral blood flow.
- Five early blind and five control volunteers performed visuo-spatial imagery and verbal memory tasks.
Main Results:
- Both early blind and sighted groups showed similar cerebral activation during visuo-spatial imagery.
- Activation was observed in the precuneus (BA 7), superior parietal lobule (BA 7), and occipital gyrus (BA 19).
Conclusions:
- The dorsal pathway is involved in visuo-spatial imagery in early blind subjects.
- This indicates the dorsal pathway develops and functions even without visual input.