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Increased visual cortical thickness in sight-recovery individuals.
Maria J S Guerreiro1, Maria V Erfort1,2, Jonathan Henssler1,3
1Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute for Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, D-20146, Germany.
Human Brain Mapping
|September 30, 2015
Summary
Early blindness from cataracts impacts brain structure. Congenital visual deprivation leads to increased occipital cortical thickness, potentially hindering visual recovery but aiding auditory processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Human Brain Imaging
Background:
- Congenital cataracts cause early blindness, offering a unique model to study sensory experience effects on human brain development.
- Previous research identified behavioral impairments in individuals with early visual deprivation.
- The impact of transient congenital visual deprivation on brain structure remained largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural impact of transient congenital visual deprivation on occipital cortical thickness.
- To correlate occipital cortical thickness with behavioral performance in visual and auditory tasks.
Main Methods:
- Cortical thickness analysis of occipital areas was performed.
- A group of six individuals with cataract-induced early blindness (cataract-reversal) were compared to six age-matched normally sighted controls.
Main Results:
- Cataract-reversal individuals exhibited significantly higher cortical thickness in specific left and bilateral occipital regions (calcarine sulcus, superior occipital gyrus, transverse occipital sulcus).
- Occipital cortical thickness negatively correlated with audio-visual task performance where vision was critical.
- Occipital cortical thickness positively correlated with auditory task performance.
Conclusions:
- Early sensory experience critically shapes brain structure.
- Increased occipital cortical thickness in individuals with early visual deprivation may represent a compensatory mechanism for auditory processing.
- This structural change might be maladaptive for optimal visual recovery after sight restoration.
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