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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the Visual Cortex with Wide-View Retinotopic Stimulation
Published on: December 8, 2023
[Functional magnetic imaging of brain cortical activities in minimally conscious patients stimulated by visual
Xue-hai Wu1, Jian-hong Zhu, Liang Gao
1Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, National Key Laboratory for Medical Neurobiology, Biomedical Science Institutes, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
Objective:
To investigate whether a large-scale visual network and visual consciousness are still retained in the patients with minimally conscious state (MCT) and the possibility of promoting the rehabilitation of brain function by visual stimulation.
Methods:
Fifteen standardized pictures provided by the International Affective Picture System (IAPS2005) were passively presented to 10 normal adult controls and 9 patients in MCT recovering from severe craniocerebral injury or cerebral hemorrhage. Functional magnetic imaging was conducted. The AFNI software was used to process the images thus collected.
Results:
The primary visual cortex, occipital lobe, and the secondary visual cortexes, including temporal lobe, parietal lobe, fusiform gyrus, orbital gyrus, and prefrontal lobe were all activated in the 10 normal persons. Similar visual activation was found in 2 of the patients in MCS, however, with a smaller activation volume. Activation of partial visual network was found in 3 patients and the other 4 failed to be activated.
Conclusion:
It is feasible to promote the rehabilitation of brain function by visual stimulation in the patients in MCS.
