Activation of the primary visual cortex by Braille reading in blind subjects

Article Abstract:

Blind subjects exhibit activation of primary and secondary visual cortical areas during tactile discrimination tasks. Analysis on the visual cortex of blind people using positron emission tomography shows that non-visual sensory modalities can activate cortical areas generally reserved for vision. Activation is more during Braille reading and the somatosensory input can be transferred through the visual association areas. Selective attention in the primary visual cortex is stronger in sighted subjects, causing deactivation when subjected to non-visual stimuli, while subjects blinded from birth showed activation.

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Functional relevance of cross-modal plasticity in blind humans

Article Abstract:

Medical research using transcranial magnetic stimulation indicates thatblind human beings who lost their sight when they were very young have a visual cortex which processes somato-sensory input. Evidence suggests that cross-modal plasticity helps blind people to develop very good tactile perceptual skills. The clinical characteristics of blind people are shown.

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The relative metabolic demand of inhibition and excitation

Article Abstract:

Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to demonstrate the relative metabolic demand of inhibition and excitation.

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