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Assessing Binocular Central Visual Field and Binocular Eye Movements in a Dichoptic Viewing Condition
Published on: July 21, 2020
The newly sighted fail to match seen with felt
Richard Held1, Yuri Ostrovsky, Beatrice de Gelder
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. heldd@neco.edu
Nature Neuroscience
|April 12, 2011
Summary
Newly sighted individuals cannot immediately visually recognize objects known only by touch. However, the ability for cross-modal visual-haptic mapping develops quickly after sight restoration in these individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- The Molyneux problem questions whether sight restoration allows immediate visual recognition of haptically known objects.
- Congenital blindness presents a unique opportunity to study cross-modal sensory development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate immediate visual recognition of objects after sight restoration in individuals with congenital blindness.
- To determine if cross-modal transfer between touch and vision occurs spontaneously or requires learning.
Main Methods:
- Working with individuals with treatable congenital blindness.
- Testing visual matching of objects previously identified through tactile sensation post-sight restoration.
Main Results:
- Immediate visual recognition of haptically known objects was not observed.
- Cross-modal mappings between haptic and visual experiences developed rapidly after sight restoration.
Conclusions:
- The brain does not automatically map tactile object knowledge to visual perception upon sight restoration.
- Learning and experience are crucial for developing visual-haptic cross-modal correspondences.
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