A positron emission tomography study during auditory localization by late-onset blind individuals

Neuroreport. 2006 Mar 20;17(4):383-8. doi: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000204983.21748.2d.

Abstract

Individuals deprived of vision early in life often demonstrate exceptional abilities in their remaining sensory modalities in order to compensate for their handicap. Recent studies have shown that some of these abilities also extend to those who have lost their sight later in life. It is not clear, however, what mechanisms underlie these abilities. Here, we examined cortical activation using positron emission tomography in late-onset blind participants during a free-field auditory localization task. Even though no behavioral enhancements were observed in this testing condition relative to sighted controls, the results revealed that the occipital cortex was nonetheless activated during task execution. We conclude that late-onset blind individuals do manifest cerebral reorganization, although its functional relevance to the task is less clear.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Auditory Pathways / anatomy & histology
  • Auditory Pathways / diagnostic imaging
  • Auditory Pathways / physiology*
  • Blindness / diagnostic imaging
  • Blindness / physiopathology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Sound Localization / physiology*
  • Visual Cortex / anatomy & histology
  • Visual Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Visual Cortex / physiology*