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Sacco A, Gordon SG, Lomber SG. Gray matter volume of the feline cerebral cortex and structural plasticity following perinatal deafness. Neuroimage 2024; 299:120813. [PMID: 39182711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In response to sensory deprivation, the brain adapts according to contemporary demands to efficiently navigate a modified perceptual environment. This reorganization may result in improved processing of the remaining senses-a phenomenon referred to as compensatory crossmodal plasticity. One approach to explore this neuroplasticity is to consider the macrostructural changes in neural tissue that mirror this functional optimization. The current study is the first of its kind to measure MRI-derived gray matter (GM) volumes of control felines (n=30), while additionally identifying volumetric differences in response to perinatal deafness (30 ototoxically-deafened cats). To accomplish this purpose, regional and morphometric methods were performed in parallel. The regional analysis evaluated volumetric alterations of global GM, as well as the volumes of 146 regions of interest (ROIs) and 12 functional subgroupings of these ROIs. Results revealed whole-brain GM preservation; however, somatosensory and visual cortices exhibited an overall increase in volume. On a smaller scale, this analysis uncovered two auditory ROIs (second auditory cortex, A2, and ventral auditory field, VAF) that decreased in volume alongside two visual regions (anteromedial lateral suprasylvian area, AMLS and splenial visual area, SVA) that increased-all localized within the right hemisphere. Comparatively, the findings of tensor-based morphometry (TBM) generally aligned with those of the ROI-based method, as this voxel-wise approach demonstrated clusters of expansion coincident with visual- and somatosensory-related loci; although, it failed to detect any GM reductions following deafness. As distinct differences were identified in each analysis, the current study highlights the importance of employing multiple methods when exploring MRI volumetry. Overall, this study proposes that volumetric alterations within sensory loci allude to a redistribution of cortical space arising from modified perceptual demands following auditory deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Sacco
- Integrated Program in Nseuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephen G Gordon
- Integrated Program in Nseuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephen G Lomber
- Integrated Program in Nseuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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2
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Stroh AL, Radziun D, Korczyk M, Crucianelli L, Ehrsson HH, Szwed M. Blind individuals' enhanced ability to sense their own heartbeat is related to the thickness of their occipital cortex. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae324. [PMID: 39152673 PMCID: PMC11329624 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Blindness is associated with heightened sensory abilities, such as improved hearing and tactile acuity. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that blind individuals are better than sighted individuals at perceiving their own heartbeat, suggesting enhanced interoceptive accuracy. Structural changes in the occipital cortex have been hypothesized as the basis of these behavioral enhancements. Indeed, several studies have shown that congenitally blind individuals have increased cortical thickness within occipital areas compared to sighted individuals, but how these structural differences relate to behavioral enhancements is unclear. This study investigated the relationship between cardiac interoceptive accuracy and cortical thickness in 23 congenitally blind individuals and 23 matched sighted controls. Our results show a significant positive correlation between performance in a heartbeat counting task and cortical thickness only in the blind group, indicating a connection between structural changes in occipital areas and blind individuals' enhanced ability to perceive heartbeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Stroh
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| | - Dominika Radziun
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maksymilian Korczyk
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| | - Laura Crucianelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - H Henrik Ehrsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcin Szwed
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
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3
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Peter MG, Darki F, Thunell E, Mårtensson G, Postma EM, Boesveldt S, Westman E, Lundström JN. Lifelong olfactory deprivation-dependent cortical reorganization restricted to orbitofrontal cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6459-6470. [PMID: 37915233 PMCID: PMC10681638 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged sensory deprivation has repeatedly been linked to cortical reorganization. We recently demonstrated that individuals with congenital anosmia (CA, complete olfactory deprivation since birth) have seemingly normal morphology in piriform (olfactory) cortex despite profound morphological deviations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a finding contradictory to both the known effects of blindness on visual cortex and to the sparse literature on brain morphology in anosmia. To establish whether these unexpected findings reflect the true brain morphology in CA, we first performed a direct replication of our previous study to determine if lack of results was due to a deviant control group, a confound in cross sectional studies. Individuals with CA (n = 30) were compared to age and sex matched controls (n = 30) using voxel- and surface-based morphometry. The replication results were near identical to the original study: bilateral clusters of group differences in the OFC, including CA atrophy around the olfactory sulci and volume increases in the medial orbital gyri. Importantly, no group differences in piriform cortex were detected. Subsequently, to assess any subtle patterns of group differences not detectable by our mass-univariate analysis, we explored the data from a multivariate perspective. Combining the newly collected data with data from the replicated study (CA = 49, control = 49), we performed support vector machine classification based on gray matter volume. In line with the mass-univariate analyses, the multivariate analysis could accurately differentiate between the groups in bilateral OFC, whereas the classification accuracy in piriform cortex was at chance level. Our results suggest that despite lifelong olfactory deprivation, piriform (olfactory) cortex is morphologically unaltered and the morphological deviations in CA are confined to the OFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moa G. Peter
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Fahimeh Darki
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Evelina Thunell
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Gustav Mårtensson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and SocietyKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Elbrich M. Postma
- Smell and Taste Centre, Hospital Gelderse ValleiEdethe Netherlands
- Division of Human Nutrition and HealthWageningen UniversityWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Sanne Boesveldt
- Division of Human Nutrition and HealthWageningen UniversityWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Eric Westman
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and SocietyKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Johan N. Lundström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Monell Chemical Senses CenterPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Stockholm University Brain Imaging CenterStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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4
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Jiao S, Wang K, Zhang L, Luo Y, Lin J, Han Z. Developmental plasticity of the structural network of the occipital cortex in congenital blindness. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11526-11540. [PMID: 37851850 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The occipital cortex is the visual processing center in the mammalian brain. An unanswered scientific question pertains to the impact of congenital visual deprivation on the development of various profiles within the occipital network. To address this issue, we recruited 30 congenitally blind participants (8 children and 22 adults) as well as 31 sighted participants (10 children and 21 adults). Our investigation focused on identifying the gray matter regions and white matter connections within the occipital cortex, alongside behavioral measures, that demonstrated different developmental patterns between blind and sighted individuals. We discovered significant developmental changes in the gray matter regions and white matter connections of the occipital cortex among blind individuals from childhood to adulthood, in comparison with sighted individuals. Moreover, some of these structures exhibited cognitive functional reorganization. Specifically, in blind adults, the posterior occipital regions (left calcarine fissure and right middle occipital gyrus) showed reorganization of tactile perception, and the forceps major tracts were reorganized for braille reading. These plastic changes in blind individuals may be attributed to experience-dependent neuronal apoptosis, pruning, and myelination. These findings provide valuable insights into the longitudinal neuroanatomical and cognitive functional plasticity of the occipital network following long-term visual deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saiyi Jiao
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ke Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Linjun Zhang
- School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, No. 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yudan Luo
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Junfeng Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zaizhu Han
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
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Molz B, Herbik A, Baseler HA, de Best P, Raz N, Gouws A, Ahmadi K, Lowndes R, McLean RJ, Gottlob I, Kohl S, Choritz L, Maguire J, Kanowski M, Käsmann-Kellner B, Wieland I, Banin E, Levin N, Morland AB, Hoffmann MB. Achromatopsia-Visual Cortex Stability and Plasticity in the Absence of Functional Cones. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:23. [PMID: 37847226 PMCID: PMC10584018 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.13.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Achromatopsia is a rare inherited disorder rendering retinal cone photoreceptors nonfunctional. As a consequence, the sizable foveal representation in the visual cortex is congenitally deprived of visual input, which prompts a fundamental question: is the cortical representation of the central visual field in patients with achromatopsia remapped to take up processing of paracentral inputs? Such remapping might interfere with gene therapeutic treatments aimed at restoring cone function. Methods We conducted a multicenter study to explore the nature and plasticity of vision in the absence of functional cones in a cohort of 17 individuals affected by autosomal recessive achromatopsia and confirmed biallelic disease-causing CNGA3 or CNGB3 mutations. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis of foveal remapping in human achromatopsia. For this purpose, we applied two independent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-based mapping approaches, i.e. conventional phase-encoded eccentricity and population receptive field mapping, to separate data sets. Results Both fMRI approaches produced the same result in the group comparison of achromatopsia versus healthy controls: sizable remapping of the representation of the central visual field in the primary visual cortex was not apparent. Conclusions Remapping of the cortical representation of the central visual field is not a general feature in achromatopsia. It is concluded that plasticity of the human primary visual cortex is less pronounced than previously assumed. A pretherapeutic imaging workup is proposed to optimize interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Molz
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anne Herbik
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Heidi A. Baseler
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Peter de Best
- fMRI Unit, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Noa Raz
- fMRI Unit, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Andre Gouws
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- York Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Khazar Ahmadi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Lowndes
- York Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. McLean
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Gottlob
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Kohl
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Clinics Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lars Choritz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - John Maguire
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurophysiology, Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Kanowski
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Käsmann-Kellner
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Ilse Wieland
- Department for Molecular Genetics, Institute for Human Genetics, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eyal Banin
- Center for Retinal and Macular Degenerations, Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Netta Levin
- fMRI Unit, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Antony B. Morland
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- York Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Michael B. Hoffmann
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
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6
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Seydell-Greenwald A, Wang X, Newport EL, Bi Y, Striem-Amit E. Spoken language processing activates the primary visual cortex. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289671. [PMID: 37566582 PMCID: PMC10420367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary visual cortex (V1) is generally thought of as a low-level sensory area that primarily processes basic visual features. Although there is evidence for multisensory effects on its activity, these are typically found for the processing of simple sounds and their properties, for example spatially or temporally-congruent simple sounds. However, in congenitally blind individuals, V1 is involved in language processing, with no evidence of major changes in anatomical connectivity that could explain this seemingly drastic functional change. This is at odds with current accounts of neural plasticity, which emphasize the role of connectivity and conserved function in determining a neural tissue's role even after atypical early experiences. To reconcile what appears to be unprecedented functional reorganization with known accounts of plasticity limitations, we tested whether V1's multisensory roles include responses to spoken language in sighted individuals. Using fMRI, we found that V1 in normally sighted individuals was indeed activated by comprehensible spoken sentences as compared to an incomprehensible reversed speech control condition, and more strongly so in the left compared to the right hemisphere. Activation in V1 for language was also significant and comparable for abstract and concrete words, suggesting it was not driven by visual imagery. Last, this activation did not stem from increased attention to the auditory onset of words, nor was it correlated with attentional arousal ratings, making general attention accounts an unlikely explanation. Together these findings suggest that V1 responds to spoken language even in sighted individuals, reflecting the binding of multisensory high-level signals, potentially to predict visual input. This capability might be the basis for the strong V1 language activation observed in people born blind, re-affirming the notion that plasticity is guided by pre-existing connectivity and abilities in the typically developed brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Seydell-Greenwald
- Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Xiaoying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Elissa L. Newport
- Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Yanchao Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ella Striem-Amit
- Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
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7
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Paré S, Bleau M, Dricot L, Ptito M, Kupers R. Brain structural changes in blindness: a systematic review and an anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105165. [PMID: 37054803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, numerous structural brain imaging studies investigated purported morphometric changes in early (EB) and late onset blindness (LB). The results of these studies have not yielded very consistent results, neither with respect to the type, nor to the anatomical locations of the brain morphometric alterations. To better characterize the effects of blindness on brain morphometry, we performed a systematic review and an Anatomical-Likelihood-Estimation (ALE) coordinate-based-meta-analysis of 65 eligible studies on brain structural changes in EB and LB, including 890 EB, 466 LB and 1257 sighted controls. Results revealed atrophic changes throughout the whole extent of the retino-geniculo-striate system in both EB and LB, whereas changes in areas beyond the occipital lobe occurred in EB only. We discuss the nature of some of the contradictory findings with respect to the used brain imaging methodologies and characteristics of the blind populations such as the onset, duration and cause of blindness. Future studies should aim for much larger sample sizes, eventually by merging data from different brain imaging centers using the same imaging sequences, opt for multimodal structural brain imaging, and go beyond a purely structural approach by combining functional with structural connectivity network analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Paré
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada
| | - Maxime Bleau
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Maurice Ptito
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ron Kupers
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Bruxelles, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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8
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Marins TF, Russo M, Rodrigues EC, Monteiro M, Moll J, Felix D, Bouzas J, Arcanjo H, Vargas CD, Tovar‐Moll F. Reorganization of thalamocortical connections in congenitally blind humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2039-2049. [PMID: 36661404 PMCID: PMC9980890 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-modal plasticity in blind individuals has been reported over the past decades showing that nonvisual information is carried and processed by "visual" brain structures. However, despite multiple efforts, the structural underpinnings of cross-modal plasticity in congenitally blind individuals remain unclear. We mapped thalamocortical connectivity and assessed the integrity of white matter of 10 congenitally blind individuals and 10 sighted controls. We hypothesized an aberrant thalamocortical pattern of connectivity taking place in the absence of visual stimuli from birth as a potential mechanism of cross-modal plasticity. In addition to the impaired microstructure of visual white matter bundles, we observed structural connectivity changes between the thalamus and occipital and temporal cortices. Specifically, the thalamic territory dedicated to connections with the occipital cortex was smaller and displayed weaker connectivity in congenitally blind individuals, whereas those connecting with the temporal cortex showed greater volume and increased connectivity. The abnormal pattern of thalamocortical connectivity included the lateral and medial geniculate nuclei and the pulvinar nucleus. For the first time in humans, a remapping of structural thalamocortical connections involving both unimodal and multimodal thalamic nuclei has been demonstrated, shedding light on the possible mechanisms of cross-modal plasticity in humans. The present findings may help understand the functional adaptations commonly observed in congenitally blind individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo F. Marins
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil,Post‐Graduation Program in Morphological Sciences (PCM) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Maite Russo
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | | | - Marina Monteiro
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Daniel Felix
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Julia Bouzas
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Helena Arcanjo
- Centro de Oftalmologia EspecializadaRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Claudia D. Vargas
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Fernanda Tovar‐Moll
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil,Post‐Graduation Program in Morphological Sciences (PCM) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
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9
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Lin J, Zhang L, Guo R, Jiao S, Song X, Feng S, Wang K, Li M, Luo Y, Han Z. The influence of visual deprivation on the development of the thalamocortical network: Evidence from congenitally blind children and adults. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119722. [PMID: 36323383 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is heavily involved in relaying sensory signals to the cerebral cortex. A relevant issue is how the deprivation of congenital visual sensory information modulates the development of the thalamocortical network. The answer is unclear because previous studies on this topic did not investigate network development, structure-function combinations, and cognition-related behaviors in the same study. To overcome these limitations, we recruited 30 congenitally blind subjects (8 children, 22 adults) and 31 sighted subjects (10 children, 21 adults), and conducted multiple analyses [i.e., gray matter volume (GMV) analysis using the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method, resting-state functional connectivity (FC), and brain-behavior correlation]. We found that congenital blindness elicited significant changes in the development of GMV in visual and somatosensory thalamic regions. Blindness also resulted in significant changes in the development of FC between somatosensory thalamic regions and visual cortical regions as well as advanced information processing regions. Moreover, the somatosensory thalamic regions and their FCs with visual cortical regions were reorganized to process high-level tactile language information in blind individuals. These findings provide a refined understanding of the neuroanatomical and functional plasticity of the thalamocortical network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Linjun Zhang
- School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Runhua Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Saiyi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaomeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Suting Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mingyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yudan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zaizhu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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10
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Arend I, Yuen K, Yizhar O, Chebat DR, Amedi A. Gyrification in relation to cortical thickness in the congenitally blind. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:970878. [DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.970878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Greater cortical gyrification (GY) is linked with enhanced cognitive abilities and is also negatively related to cortical thickness (CT). Individuals who are congenitally blind (CB) exhibits remarkable functional brain plasticity which enables them to perform certain non-visual and cognitive tasks with supranormal abilities. For instance, extensive training using touch and audition enables CB people to develop impressive skills and there is evidence linking these skills to cross-modal activations of primary visual areas. There is a cascade of anatomical, morphometric and functional-connectivity changes in non-visual structures, volumetric reductions in several components of the visual system, and CT is also increased in CB. No study to date has explored GY changes in this population, and no study has explored how variations in CT are related to GY changes in CB. T1-weighted 3D structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired to examine the effects of congenital visual deprivation in cortical structures in a healthy sample of 11 CB individuals (6 male) and 16 age-matched sighted controls (SC) (10 male). In this report, we show for the first time an increase in GY in several brain areas of CB individuals compared to SC, and a negative relationship between GY and CT in the CB brain in several different cortical areas. We discuss the implications of our findings and the contributions of developmental factors and synaptogenesis to the relationship between CT and GY in CB individuals compared to SC. F.
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Abstract
While intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) predominantly damages the periventricular white matter, it induces substantial injury to the cerebral gray matter. IVH destroys the germinal matrix, suppresses neurogenesis, and disrupts corticogenesis, thereby reducing the number of neurons in the upper cortical layer and volume of the cerebral gray matter. The pathogenesis of gray matter injury is attributed to IVH-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and mass effect damaging the germinal matrix as well as to post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilation (PHVD). The IVH-induced cerebral gray matter injury and PHVD contribute to cognitive deficits and neurobehavioral disorders. Neuroimaging has enhanced our understanding of cerebral gray matter injury and is a valuable predictor of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Evidence from therapies tested in preclinical models and clinical trials suggests that strategies to promote neurogenesis, reduce cerebral inflammation and oxidative stress, and remove blood clots from the ventricles might enhance the outcome of these infants. This review offers an integrated view of new insights into the mechanisms underlying gray matter injury in premature infants with IVH and highlights the imminent therapies to restore neurodevelopmental dysfunction in IVH survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deep Sharma
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Alex Agyemang
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Praveen Ballabh
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Tian Q, Wang L, Zhang Y, Fan K, Liang M, Shi D, Qin W, Ding H. Brain Gray Matter Atrophy and Functional Connectivity Remodeling in Patients With Chronic LHON. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:885770. [PMID: 35645726 PMCID: PMC9135140 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.885770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the brain gray matter volume (GMV) and spontaneous functional connectivity (FC) changes in patients with chronic Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), and their relations with clinical measures. Methods A total of 32 patients with chronic LHON and matched sighted healthy controls (HC) underwent neuro-ophthalmologic examinations and multimodel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to detect the GMV differences between the LHON and HC. Furthermore, resting-state FC analysis using the VBM-identified clusters as seeds was carried out to detect potential functional reorganization in the LHON. Finally, the associations between the neuroimaging and clinical measures were performed. Results The average peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of the chronic LHON was significantly thinner (T = −16.421, p < 0.001), and the mean defect of the visual field was significantly higher (T = 11.28, p < 0.001) than the HC. VBM analysis demonstrated a significantly lower GMV of bilateral calcarine gyri (CGs) in the LHON than in the HC (p < 0.05). Moreover, in comparison with the HC, the LHON had significantly lower FC between the centroid of the identified left CG and ipsilateral superior occipital gyrus (SOG) and higher FC between this cluster and the ipsilateral posterior cingulate gyrus (p < 0.05, corrected). Finally, the GMV of the left CG was negatively correlated with the LHON duration (r = −0.535, p = 0.002), and the FC between the left CG and the ipsilateral posterior cingulate gyrus of the LHON was negatively correlated with the average peripapillary RNFL thickness (r = −0.522, p = 0.003). Conclusion The atrophied primary visual cortex of the chronic LHON may be caused by transneuronal degeneration following the retinal damage. Moreover, our findings suggest that the functional organization of the atrophied primary visual cortex has been reshaped in the chronic LHON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Tian
- Department of Medical Imaging, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Ke Fan
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Meng Liang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dapeng Shi
- Department of Medical Imaging, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Dapeng Shi
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Wen Qin
| | - Hao Ding
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Hao Ding
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Grey Matter Hypertrophy and Atrophy in Early-Blind Adolescents: A Surface-Based Morphometric Study. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:8550714. [PMID: 35557871 PMCID: PMC9090530 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8550714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Objective This study is aimed at exploring the regional changes in brain cortical morphology (thickness, volume, and surface area) in the early-blind adolescents (EBAs) by using the surface-based morphometric (SBM) method. Methods High-resolution structural T1-weighted images (T1WI) of 23 early-blind adolescents (EBAs) and 21 age- and gender-matched normal-sighted controls (NSCs) were acquired. Structural indices, including cortical thickness (CT), cortical volume (CV), and surface area (SA), were analyzed by using FreeSurfer software, and the correlations between structural indices and the blindness duration were computed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results Compared to controls, EBAs had significantly reduced CV and SA mainly in the primary visual cortex (V1) and decreased CV in the left vision-related cortices (r-MFC). There were no regions that EBAs had a significantly larger CV or SA than NSCs. EBAs had significantly increased CT in the V1 and strongly involved the visual cortex (right lateral occipital gyrus, LOG.R) and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG.L), while it had decreased CT in the left superior parietal lobule (SPL.L) and the right lingual gyrus (LING.R). Additionally, no correlation was found between cortical morphometric measures and clinical variables in the EBA group. Conclusions SBM is a useful method for detecting human brain structural abnormalities in blindness. The results showed that these structural abnormalities in the visual cortex and visual-related areas outside the occipital cortex in the EBAs not only may be influenced by neurodevelopment, degeneration, plasticity, and so on but also involved the interaction of these factors after the early visual deprivation.
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Grégoire A, Deggouj N, Dricot L, Decat M, Kupers R. Brain Morphological Modifications in Congenital and Acquired Auditory Deprivation: A Systematic Review and Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:850245. [PMID: 35418829 PMCID: PMC8995770 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.850245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity following deafness has been widely demonstrated in both humans and animals, but the anatomical substrate of these changes is not yet clear in human brain. However, it is of high importance since hearing loss is a growing problem due to aging population. Moreover, knowing these brain changes could help to understand some disappointing results with cochlear implant, and therefore could improve hearing rehabilitation. A systematic review and a coordinate-based meta-analysis were realized about the morphological brain changes highlighted by MRI in severe to profound hearing loss, congenital and acquired before or after language onset. 25 papers were included in our review, concerning more than 400 deaf subjects, most of them presenting prelingual deafness. The most consistent finding is a volumetric decrease in gray matter around bilateral auditory cortex. This change was confirmed by the coordinate-based meta-analysis which shows three converging clusters in this region. The visual areas of deaf children is also significantly impacted, with a decrease of the volume of both gray and white matters. Finally, deafness is responsible of a gray matter increase within the cerebellum, especially at the right side. These results are largely discussed and compared with those from deaf animal models and blind humans, which demonstrate for example a much more consistent gray matter decrease along their respective primary sensory pathway. In human deafness, a lot of other factors than deafness could interact on the brain plasticity. One of the most important is the use of sign language and its age of acquisition, which induce among others changes within the hand motor region and the visual cortex. But other confounding factors exist which have been too little considered in the current literature, such as the etiology of the hearing impairment, the speech-reading ability, the hearing aid use, the frequent associated vestibular dysfunction or neurocognitive impairment. Another important weakness highlighted by this review concern the lack of papers about postlingual deafness, whereas it represents most of the deaf population. Further studies are needed to better understand these issues, and finally try to improve deafness rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Grégoire
- Department of ENT, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Naïma Deggouj
- Department of ENT, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Monique Decat
- Department of ENT, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ron Kupers
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Ecole d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Molz B, Herbik A, Baseler HA, de Best PB, Vernon RW, Raz N, Gouws AD, Ahmadi K, Lowndes R, McLean RJ, Gottlob I, Kohl S, Choritz L, Maguire J, Kanowski M, Käsmann-Kellner B, Wieland I, Banin E, Levin N, Hoffmann MB, Morland AB. Structural changes to primary visual cortex in the congenital absence of cone input in achromatopsia. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 33:102925. [PMID: 34959047 PMCID: PMC8718719 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anatomy of primary visual cortex (V1) assessed with surface-based morphmetry in those with congenital achromatopsia (ACHM). Reduction in cortical surface area in foveal, parafoveal and paracentral representations of V1 in those with ACHM. In ACHM a localized thickening in the area of V1 that represents the region of retina occupied solely by cones. V1 changes in ACHM may limit its ability to take on normal properties if retinal function were to be restored. Early intervention, before the development plastic period is over, may offer better restoration of vision in ACHM.
Autosomal recessive Achromatopsia (ACHM) is a rare inherited disorder associated with dysfunctional cone photoreceptors resulting in a congenital absence of cone input to visual cortex. This might lead to distinct changes in cortical architecture with a negative impact on the success of gene augmentation therapies. To investigate the status of the visual cortex in these patients, we performed a multi-centre study focusing on the cortical structure of regions that normally receive predominantly cone input. Using high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans and surface-based morphometry, we compared cortical thickness, surface area and grey matter volume in foveal, parafoveal and paracentral representations of primary visual cortex in 15 individuals with ACHM and 42 normally sighted, healthy controls (HC). In ACHM, surface area was reduced in all tested representations, while thickening of the cortex was found highly localized to the most central representation. These results were comparable to more widespread changes in brain structure reported in congenitally blind individuals, suggesting similar developmental processes, i.e., irrespective of the underlying cause and extent of vision loss. The cortical differences we report here could limit the success of treatment of ACHM in adulthood. Interventions earlier in life when cortical structure is not different from normal would likely offer better visual outcomes for those with ACHM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Molz
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom; Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anne Herbik
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Heidi A Baseler
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom; Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom; York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom
| | - Pieter B de Best
- MRI Unit, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Richard W Vernon
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom
| | - Noa Raz
- MRI Unit, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Andre D Gouws
- York Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Psychology, University of York, YO10 5NY York, United Kingdom
| | - Khazar Ahmadi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Lowndes
- York Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Psychology, University of York, YO10 5NY York, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J McLean
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, LE2 7LX Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Gottlob
- University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, LE2 7LX Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Kohl
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Clinics Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lars Choritz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - John Maguire
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Bradford, BD7 1DP Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Kanowski
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Käsmann-Kellner
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Ilse Wieland
- Department for Molecular Genetics, Institute for Human Genetics, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eyal Banin
- Degenerative Diseases of the Retina Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Netta Levin
- MRI Unit, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael B Hoffmann
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Antony B Morland
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom; York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom; York Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Psychology, University of York, YO10 5NY York, United Kingdom.
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16
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Song C, Yeh PH, Ollinger J, Sours Rhodes C, Lippa SM, Riedy G, Bonavia GH. Altered Metabolic Interrelationships in the Cortico-Limbic Circuitry in Military Service Members with Persistent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Brain Connect 2021; 12:602-616. [PMID: 34428937 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2021.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Comorbid mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in military service members. The aim of this study is to investigate brain metabolic interrelationships in service members with and without persistent PTSD symptoms after mTBI by using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography. Methods: Service members (n = 408) diagnosed with mTBI were studied retrospectively. Principal component analysis was applied to identify latent metabolic systems, and the associations between metabolic latent systems and self-report measures of post-concussive and PTSD symptoms were evaluated. Participants were divided into two groups based on DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition-Text Revision) criteria for PTSD, and structural equation modeling was performed to test a priori hypotheses on metabolic interrelationships among the brain regions in the cortico-limbic circuitry responsible for top-down control and bottom-up emotional processing. The differences in metabolic interrelationships between age-matched PTSD-absent (n = 204) and PTSD-present (n = 204) groups were evaluated. Results: FDG uptake in the temporo-limbic system was positively correlated with post-concussive and hyperarousal symptoms. For the bottom-up emotional processing, the insula and amygdala-hippocampal complex in the PTSD-present group had stronger metabolic interrelationships with the bilateral rostral anterior cingulate, left lingual, right lateral occipital, and left superior temporal cortices, but a weaker relationship with the right precuneus cortex, compared with the PTSD-absent group. For the top-down control, the PTSD-present group had decreased metabolic engagements of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on the amygdala. Discussion: Our results suggest altered metabolic interrelationships in the cortico-limbic circuitry in mTBI subjects with persistent PTSD symptoms, which may underlie the pathophysiological mechanisms of comorbid mTBI and PTSD. Impact statement This is the first 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography study to investigate brain metabolic interrelationships in service members with persistent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We identified that the temporo-limbic metabolic system was associated with post-concussive and hyperarousal symptoms. Further, brain metabolic interrelationships in the cortico-limbic circuitry were altered in mTBI subjects with significant PTSD symptoms compared with those without them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihwa Song
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ping-Hong Yeh
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John Ollinger
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chandler Sours Rhodes
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sara M Lippa
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gerard Riedy
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Grant H Bonavia
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Lubinus C, Orpella J, Keitel A, Gudi-Mindermann H, Engel AK, Roeder B, Rimmele JM. Data-Driven Classification of Spectral Profiles Reveals Brain Region-Specific Plasticity in Blindness. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2505-2522. [PMID: 33338212 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital blindness has been shown to result in behavioral adaptation and neuronal reorganization, but the underlying neuronal mechanisms are largely unknown. Brain rhythms are characteristic for anatomically defined brain regions and provide a putative mechanistic link to cognitive processes. In a novel approach, using magnetoencephalography resting state data of congenitally blind and sighted humans, deprivation-related changes in spectral profiles were mapped to the cortex using clustering and classification procedures. Altered spectral profiles in visual areas suggest changes in visual alpha-gamma band inhibitory-excitatory circuits. Remarkably, spectral profiles were also altered in auditory and right frontal areas showing increased power in theta-to-beta frequency bands in blind compared with sighted individuals, possibly related to adaptive auditory and higher cognitive processing. Moreover, occipital alpha correlated with microstructural white matter properties extending bilaterally across posterior parts of the brain. We provide evidence that visual deprivation selectively modulates spectral profiles, possibly reflecting structural and functional adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lubinus
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joan Orpella
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Anne Keitel
- Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Helene Gudi-Mindermann
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Social Epidemiology, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Roeder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johanna M Rimmele
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Bridge H, Coullon GSL, Morjaria R, Trossman R, Warnaby CE, Leatherbarrow B, Foster RG, Downes SM. The Effect of Congenital and Acquired Bilateral Anophthalmia on Brain Structure. Neuroophthalmology 2021; 45:75-86. [PMID: 34108778 PMCID: PMC8158038 DOI: 10.1080/01658107.2020.1856143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the pattern of changes in brain structure resulting from congenital and acquired bilateral anophthalmia. Brain structure was investigated using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Oxford (congenital) or Manchester (acquired). T1-weighted structural and diffusion-weighted scans were acquired from people with anophthalmia and sighted control participants. Differences in grey matter between the groups were quantified using voxel-based morphometry and differences in white matter microstructure using tract-based spatial statistics. Quantification of optic nerve volume and cortical thickness in visual regions was also performed in all groups. The optic nerve was reduced in volume in both anophthalmic populations, but to a greater extent in the congenital group and anophthalmia acquired at an early age. A similar pattern was found for the white matter microstructure throughout the occipitotemporal regions of the brain, suggesting a greater reduction of integrity with increasing duration of anophthalmia. In contrast, grey matter volume changes differed between the two groups, with the acquired anophthalmia group showing a decrease in the calcarine sulcus, corresponding to the area that would have been peripheral primary visual cortex. In contrast, the acquired anophthalmia group showed a decrease in grey matter volume in the calcarine sulcus corresponding to the area that would have been peripheral primary visual cortex. There are both qualitative and quantitative differences in structural brain changes in congenital and acquired anophthalmia, indicating differential effects of development and degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Bridge
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Gaelle S L Coullon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Rupal Morjaria
- Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.,Birmingham Midland Eye Centre, Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
| | - Rebecca Trossman
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Catherine E Warnaby
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Russell G Foster
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi) and Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Oxford, UK
| | - Susan M Downes
- Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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Aloufi AE, Rowe FJ, Meyer GF. Behavioural performance improvement in visuomotor learning correlates with functional and microstructural brain changes. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117673. [PMID: 33359355 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of practice-induced functional and structural changes in our brains can help us design more effective learning environments that provide better outcomes. Although there is growing evidence from human neuroimaging that experience-dependent brain plasticity is expressed in measurable brain changes that are correlated with behavioural performance, the relationship between behavioural performance and structural or functional brain changes, and particularly the time course of these changes, is not well characterised. To understand the link between neuroplastic changes and behavioural performance, 15 healthy participants in this study followed a systematic eye movement training programme for 30 min daily at home, 5 days a week and for 6 consecutive weeks. Behavioural performance statistics and eye tracking data were captured throughout the training period to evaluate learning outcomes. Imaging data (DTI and fMRI) were collected at baseline, after two and six weeks of continuous training, and four weeks after training ended. Participants showed significant improvements in behavioural performance (faster task completion time, lower fixation number and fixation duration). Spatially overlapping reductions in microstructural diffusivity measures (MD, AD and RD) and functional activation increases (BOLD signal) were observed in two main areas: extrastriate visual cortex (V3d) and the frontal part of the cerebellum/Fastigial Oculomotor Region (FOR), which are both involved in visual processing. An increase of functional activity was also recorded in the right frontal eye field. Behavioural, structural and functional changes were correlated. Microstructural change is a better predictor for long-term behavioural change than functional activation is, whereas the latter is superior in predicting instantaneous performance. Structural and functional measures at week 2 of the training programme also predict performance at week 6 and 10, which suggests that imaging data at an early stage of training may be useful in optimising practice environments or rehabilitative training programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Aloufi
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK
| | - F J Rowe
- Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - G F Meyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK.
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20
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Touj S, Gallino D, Chakravarty MM, Bronchti G, Piché M. Structural brain plasticity induced by early blindness. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:778-795. [PMID: 33113245 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that early blindness results in behavioural adaptations. While the functional effects of visual deprivation have been well researched, anatomical studies are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate whole brain structural plasticity in a mouse model of congenital blindness. Volumetric analyses were conducted on high-resolution MRI images and histological sections from the same brains. These morphometric measurements were compared between anophthalmic and sighted ZRDBA mice obtained by breeding ZRDCT and DBA mice. Results from MRI analyses using the Multiple Automatically Generated Templates (MAGeT) method showed smaller volume for the primary visual cortex and superior colliculi in anophthalmic compared with sighted mice. Deformation-based morphometry revealed smaller volumes within the dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei and the lateral secondary visual cortex and larger volumes within olfactory areas, piriform cortex, orbital areas and the amygdala, in anophthalmic compared with sighted mice. Histological analyses revealed a larger volume for the amygdala and smaller volume for the superior colliculi, primary visual cortex and medial secondary visual cortex, in anophthalmic compared with sighted mice. The absence of superficial visual layers of the superior colliculus and the thinner cortical layer IV of the primary and secondary visual cortices may explain the smaller volume of these areas, although this was observed in a limited sample. The present study shows large-scale brain plasticity in a mouse model of congenital blindness. In addition, the congruence of MRI and histological findings support the use of MRI to investigate structural brain plasticity in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Touj
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada.,CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Gallino
- Computational Brain Anatomy Laboratory, Brain Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Mallar M Chakravarty
- Computational Brain Anatomy Laboratory, Brain Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gilles Bronchti
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada.,CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Piché
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada.,CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
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21
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Özen Ö, Aslan F. Morphometric evaluation of cerebellar structures in late monocular blindness. Int Ophthalmol 2020; 41:769-776. [PMID: 33180280 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-020-01629-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Only a few studies have investigated structural and functional changes in monocular blind individuals. Our aim in this study was to segmentally investigate the cerebellar structures of subjects with late-onset monocular blindness (LMB) using a Voxel-based volumetric analysis system. METHODS The segmental volumetric values, cortical thickness, gray matter volumes and percentage ratios of the cerebellar lobules of individuals with LMB due to trauma and in healthy individuals with bilateral sight as the control group were calculated at the volBrain CERES 1.0 website ( https://volbrain.upv.es/ ) by using brain 3D fast spoiled gradient recall acquisition in steady-state (3D T1 FSPGR) MRI sequence images in our prospective study. RESULTS We studied 11 subjects with LMB (8 males/3 females) and 11 healthy control subjects (8 males/3 females). The mean age was 41.45 ± 14.15 and 40 ± 11.11 years, respectively (p > 0.05). The mean duration of the LMB status was 20.8 ± 11.2 years. Cerebellar lobule crus II volume and cerebellar lobule VIIB/VIIIA volume/percentage were higher in the LMB group, and mean cerebellar cortical thickness, cerebellar lobule VI-cerebellar lobule crus I-II cortical thickness, and cerebellar lobule VI gray matter volume values were lower in the LMB group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION In this study, cerebellar lobule VIIB/VIIIA volume/total percent ratio, cerebellar cortical thickness and cerebellar gray matter volume in the LMB group were found to be different from the control group. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report cerebellar anatomical changes in patients with LMB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özkan Özen
- Department of Radiology, Alaaddin Keykubat University Alanya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, 07400, Turkey
| | - Fatih Aslan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Alaaddin Keykubat University Alanya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, 07400, Turkey.
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22
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Anurova I, Carlson S, Rauschecker JP. Overlapping Anatomical Networks Convey Cross-Modal Suppression in the Sighted and Coactivation of "Visual" and Auditory Cortex in the Blind. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4863-4876. [PMID: 30843062 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present combined DTI/fMRI study we investigated adaptive plasticity of neural networks involved in controlling spatial and nonspatial auditory working memory in the early blind (EB). In both EB and sighted controls (SC), fractional anisotropy (FA) within the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus correlated positively with accuracy in a one-back sound localization but not sound identification task. The neural tracts passing through the cluster of significant correlation connected auditory and "visual" areas in the right hemisphere. Activity in these areas during both sound localization and identification correlated with FA within the anterior corpus callosum, anterior thalamic radiation, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. In EB, FA in these structures correlated positively with activity in both auditory and "visual" areas, whereas FA in SC correlated positively with activity in auditory and negatively with activity in visual areas. The results indicate that frontal white matter conveys cross-modal suppression of occipital areas in SC, while it mediates coactivation of auditory and reorganized "visual" cortex in EB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Anurova
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland.,Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Synnöve Carlson
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo 02150, Finland.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Josef P Rauschecker
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA.,Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Munich 85748, Germany
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23
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Hribar M, Šuput D, Battelino S, Vovk A. Review article: Structural brain alterations in prelingually deaf. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117042. [PMID: 32534128 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional studies show that our brain has a remarkable ability to reorganize itself in the absence of one or more sensory modalities. In this review, we gathered all the available articles investigating structural alterations in congenitally deaf subjects. Some concentrated only on specific regions of interest (e.g., auditory areas), while others examined the whole brain. The majority of structural alterations were observed in the auditory white matter and were more pronounced in the right hemisphere. A decreased white matter volume or fractional anisotropy in the auditory areas were the most common findings in congenitally deaf subjects. Only a few studies observed alterations in the auditory grey matter. Preservation of the grey matter might be due to the cross-modal plasticity as well as due to the lack of sensitivity of methods used for microstructural alterations of grey matter. Structural alterations were also observed in the frontal, visual, and other cerebral regions as well as in the cerebellum. The observed structural brain alterations in the deaf can probably be attributed mainly to the cross-modal plasticity in the absence of sound input and use of sign instead of spoken language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manja Hribar
- Center for Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dušan Šuput
- Center for Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Saba Battelino
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Vovk
- Center for Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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24
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Heimler B, Amedi A. Are critical periods reversible in the adult brain? Insights on cortical specializations based on sensory deprivation studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:494-507. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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25
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Peter MG, Mårtensson G, Postma EM, Nordin LE, Westman E, Boesveldt S, Lundström JN. Morphological changes in secondary, but not primary, sensory cortex in individuals with life-long olfactory sensory deprivation. Neuroimage 2020; 218:117005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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26
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Cerebral Blood Flow Alterations in High Myopia: An Arterial Spin Labeling Study. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:6090262. [PMID: 32399025 PMCID: PMC7199639 DOI: 10.1155/2020/6090262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to explore cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations in subjects with high myopia (HM) using three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pcASL). Methods A total of sixteen patients with bilateral HM and sixteen age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All subjects were right-handed. Image data preprocessing was performed using SPM8 and the DPABI toolbox. Clinical parameters were acquired in the HM group. Two-sample t-tests and Pearson correlation analysis were applied in this study. Results Compared to HCs, patients with HM exhibited significantly increased CBF in the bilateral cerebellum, and no decreases in CBF were detected in the brain. However, no relationship was found between the mean CBF values in the different brain areas and the disease duration (P > 0.05). Conclusions Using ASL analysis, we detected aberrant blood perfusion in the cerebellum in HM patients, contributing to a better understanding of brain abnormalities and brain plasticity through a different perspective.
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27
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Abstract
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided converging descriptions of group-level functional brain organization. Recent work has revealed that functional networks identified in individuals contain local features that differ from the group-level description. We define these features as network variants. Building on these studies, we ask whether distributions of network variants reflect stable, trait-like differences in brain organization. Across several datasets of highly-sampled individuals we show that 1) variants are highly stable within individuals, 2) variants are found in characteristic locations and associate with characteristic functional networks across large groups, 3) task-evoked signals in variants demonstrate a link to functional variation, and 4) individuals cluster into subgroups on the basis of variant characteristics that are related to differences in behavior. These results suggest that distributions of network variants may reflect stable, trait-like, functionally relevant individual differences in functional brain organization.
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28
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Magrou L, Barone P, Markov NT, Killackey HP, Giroud P, Berland M, Knoblauch K, Dehay C, Kennedy H. How Areal Specification Shapes the Local and Interareal Circuits in a Macaque Model of Congenital Blindness. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3017-3034. [PMID: 29850900 PMCID: PMC6041985 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is little understanding of the structural underpinnings of the functional reorganization of the cortex in the congenitally blind human. Taking advantage of the extensive characterization of the macaque visual system, we examine in macaque the influence of congenital blindness resulting from the removal of the retina during in utero development. This effectively removes the normal influence of the thalamus on cortical development leading to an induced hybrid cortex (HC) combining features of primary visual and extrastriate cortex. Retrograde tracers injected in HC reveal a local, intrinsic connectivity characteristic of higher order areas and show that the HC receives a uniquely strong, purely feedforward projection from striate cortex but no ectopic inputs, except from subiculum, and entorhinal cortex. Statistical modeling of quantitative connectivity data shows that HC is relatively high in the cortical hierarchy and receives a reinforced input from ventral stream areas while the overall organization of the functional streams are conserved. The directed and weighted anophthalmic cortical graph from the present study can be used to construct dynamic and structural models. These findings show how the sensory periphery governs cortical phenotype and reveal the importance of developmental arealization for understanding the functional reorganization in congenital blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Magrou
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Pascal Barone
- Université De Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.,Centre De Recherche Cerveau & Cognition, CNRS, UMR 5549, Toulouse, France
| | - Nikola T Markov
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Herbert P Killackey
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Pascale Giroud
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Michel Berland
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Kenneth Knoblauch
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Colette Dehay
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Henry Kennedy
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France.,Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS, Shanghai, China
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29
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Shi W, He Y, Li Q, Tang L, Li B, Lin Q, Min Y, Yuan Q, Zhu P, Liang R, Shao Y. Central network changes in patients with advanced monocular blindness: A voxel-based morphometric study. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01421. [PMID: 31573760 PMCID: PMC6790323 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in patients with advanced monocular blindness (MB) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). METHODS Thirty-one patients with advanced MB (25 males and six females) and 31 normal controls (25 males and six females) were enrolled. The t test was applied to determine the differences in GMV, white matter volume (WMV), and volume of cerebrospinal fluid in different regions of the brain. The local characteristics of spontaneous concentrations of brain tissue were evaluated by the VBM method. The effects of blindness duration on differences in the GMV were evaluated by correlation and regression analyses. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the GMV was decreased in the upper right margin, bilateral insular cortex, right cingulate gyrus, left occipital gyrus, and right suboccipital lobe, and negatively correlated with blindness duration in the upper right posterior margin, bilateral insular cortex, and right cingulate cortex. CONCLUSIONS We found that patients with MB showed abnormal WMV and GMV, as evidenced by local changes in the brain. In addition, reduced GMV in specific parts of the brain was associated with the duration of blindness, which may indicate neuropathological mechanisms of visual loss in patients with MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen‐Qing Shi
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Yin He
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Qing‐Hai Li
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Li‐Ying Tang
- Department of OphthalmologyXiang'an Hospital of Xiamen UniversityFujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceEye Institute of Xiamen UniversityXiamen University School of MedicineXiamenChina
| | - Biao Li
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Qi Lin
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - You‐Lan Min
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Qing Yuan
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Pei‐Wen Zhu
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Rong‐Bing Liang
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of OphthalmologyJiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchangChina
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30
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Alterations of the Brain Microstructure and Corresponding Functional Connectivity in Early-Blind Adolescents. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:2747460. [PMID: 30996726 PMCID: PMC6408999 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2747460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although evidence from studies on blind adults indicates that visual deprivation early in life leads to structural and functional disruption and reorganization of the brain, whether young blind people show similar patterns remains unknown. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the structural and functional alterations of the brain of early-blind adolescents (EBAs) compared to normal-sighted controls (NSCs) and investigating the effects of residual light perception on brain microstructure and function in EBAs. We obtained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 23 EBAs (8 with residual light perception (LPs), 15 without light perception (NLPs)) and 21 NSCs (age range 11-19 years old). Whole-brain voxel-based analyses of diffusion tensor imaging metrics and region-of-interest analyses of resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) were performed to compare patterns of brain microstructure and the corresponding RSFC between the groups. The results showed that structural disruptions of LPs and NLPs were mainly located in the occipital visual pathway. Compared with NLPs, LPs showed increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the superior frontal gyrus and reduced diffusivity in the caudate nucleus. Moreover, the correlations between FA of the occipital cortices or mean diffusivity of the lingual gyrus and age were consistent with the development trajectory of the brain in NSCs, but inconsistent or even opposite in EBAs. Additionally, we found functional, but not structural, reorganization in NLPs compared with NSCs, suggesting that functional neuroplasticity occurs earlier than structural neuroplasticity in EBAs. Altogether, these findings provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying the neural reorganization of the brain in adolescents with early visual deprivation.
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31
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Tomasello R, Wennekers T, Garagnani M, Pulvermüller F. Visual cortex recruitment during language processing in blind individuals is explained by Hebbian learning. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3579. [PMID: 30837569 PMCID: PMC6400975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39864-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In blind people, the visual cortex takes on higher cognitive functions, including language. Why this functional reorganisation mechanistically emerges at the neuronal circuit level is still unclear. Here, we use a biologically constrained network model implementing features of anatomical structure, neurophysiological function and connectivity of fronto-temporal-occipital areas to simulate word-meaning acquisition in visually deprived and undeprived brains. We observed that, only under visual deprivation, distributed word-related neural circuits 'grew into' the deprived visual areas, which therefore adopted a linguistic-semantic role. Three factors are crucial for explaining this deprivation-related growth: changes in the network's activity balance brought about by the absence of uncorrelated sensory input, the connectivity structure of the network, and Hebbian correlation learning. In addition, the blind model revealed long-lasting spiking neural activity compared to the sighted model during word recognition, which is a neural correlate of enhanced verbal working memory. The present neurocomputational model offers a neurobiological account for neural changes following sensory deprivation, thus closing the gap between cellular-level mechanisms, system-level linguistic and semantic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Tomasello
- Brain Language Laboratory, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, WE4 Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Thomas Wennekers
- Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS), University of Plymouth, A311 Portland Square Building, PL4 8AA, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Max Garagnani
- Brain Language Laboratory, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, WE4 Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Computing, Goldsmiths, University of London, SE14 6NW, London, United Kingdom
| | - Friedemann Pulvermüller
- Brain Language Laboratory, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, WE4 Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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32
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Redka IV. Specificities of EEG Activity of the Visual Neocortex in Adolescent Boys with Congenital Visual Dysfunctions. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-018-9737-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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33
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Pasqualotto A, Furlan M, Proulx MJ, Sereno MI. Visual loss alters multisensory face maps in humans. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3731-3738. [PMID: 30043118 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1713-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Topographically organised responses to visual and tactile stimulation are aligned in the ventral intraparietal cortex. The critical biological importance of this region, which is thought to mediate visually guided defensive movements of the head and upper body, suggests that these maps might be hardwired from birth. Here, we investigated whether visual experience is necessary for the creation and positioning of these maps by assessing the representation of tactile stimulation in congenitally and totally blind participants, who had no visual experience, and late and totally blind participants. We used a single-subject approach to the analysis to focus on the potential individual differences in the functional neuroanatomy that might arise from different causes, durations and sensory experiences of visual impairment among participants. The overall results did not show any significant difference between congenitally and late blind participants; however, single-subject trends suggested that visual experience is not necessary to develop topographically organised maps in the intraparietal cortex, whilst losing vision disrupted topographic maps' integrity and organisation. These results discussed in terms of brain plasticity and sensitive periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achille Pasqualotto
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. .,Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK. .,Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sabanci University, 34956, Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Michele Furlan
- SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati), Trieste, Italy
| | - Michael J Proulx
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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Abstract
Early blindness causes fundamental alterations of neural function across more than 25% of cortex-changes that span the gamut from metabolism to behavior and collectively represent one of the most dramatic examples of plasticity in the human brain. The goal of this review is to describe how the remarkable behavioral and neuroanatomical compensations demonstrated by blind individuals provide insights into the extent, mechanisms, and limits of human brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ione Fine
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA;
| | - Ji-Min Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA;
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35
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Benetti S, Novello L, Maffei C, Rabini G, Jovicich J, Collignon O. White matter connectivity between occipital and temporal regions involved in face and voice processing in hearing and early deaf individuals. Neuroimage 2018; 179:263-274. [PMID: 29908936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity following sensory deprivation has long inspired neuroscience research in the quest of understanding how sensory experience and genetics interact in developing the brain functional and structural architecture. Many studies have shown that sensory deprivation can lead to cross-modal functional recruitment of sensory deprived cortices. Little is known however about how structural reorganization may support these functional changes. In this study, we examined early deaf, hearing signer and hearing non-signer individuals using diffusion MRI to evaluate the potential structural connectivity linked to the functional recruitment of the temporal voice area by face stimuli in deaf individuals. More specifically, we characterized the structural connectivity between occipital, fusiform and temporal regions typically supporting voice- and face-selective processing. Despite the extensive functional reorganization for face processing in the temporal cortex of the deaf, macroscopic properties of these connections did not differ across groups. However, both occipito- and fusiform-temporal connections showed significant microstructural changes between groups (fractional anisotropy reduction, radial diffusivity increase). We propose that the reorganization of temporal regions after early auditory deprivation builds on intrinsic and mainly preserved anatomical connectivity between functionally specific temporal and occipital regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Benetti
- Center for Mind/Brain Studies, University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy.
| | - Lisa Novello
- Center for Mind/Brain Studies, University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Chiara Maffei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 01129, USA
| | - Giuseppe Rabini
- Center for Mind/Brain Studies, University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center for Mind/Brain Studies, University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Center for Mind/Brain Studies, University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy; Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and in Neuroscience (IoNS), University of Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Voss P. Brain (re)organization following visual loss. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2018; 10:e1468. [PMID: 29878533 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The study of the neural consequences of sensory loss provides a unique window into the brain's functional and organizational principles. Although the blind visual cortex has been implicated in the cross-modal processing of nonvisual inputs for quite some time, recent research has shown that certain cortical organizational principles are preserved even in the case of complete sensory loss. Furthermore, a growing body of work has shown that markers of neuroplasticity extend to neuroanatomical metrics that include cortical thickness and myelinization. Although our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie sensory deprivation-driven cross-modal plasticity is improving, several critical questions remain unanswered. The specific pathways that underlie the rerouting of nonvisual information, for instance, have not been fully elucidated. The fact that important cross-modal recruitment occurs following transient deprivation in sighted individuals suggests that significant rewiring following blindness may not be required. Furthermore, there are marked individual differences regarding the magnitude and functional relevance of the cross-modal reorganization. It is also not clear to what extent precise environmental factors may play a role in establishing the degree of reorganization across individuals, as opposed to factors that might specifically relate to the cause or the nature of the visual loss. In sum, although many unresolved questions remain, sensory deprivation continues to be an excellent model for studying the plastic nature of the brain. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Brain Function and Dysfunction Psychology > Perception and Psychophysics Neuroscience > Plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice Voss
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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37
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Evidence from Blindness for a Cognitively Pluripotent Cortex. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:637-648. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Gurtubay-Antolin A, Rodríguez-Fornells A. Neurophysiological evidence for enhanced tactile acuity in early blindness in some but not all haptic tasks. Neuroimage 2017; 162:23-31. [PMID: 28843538 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research assessing the presence of enhanced tactile skills in early-blind (EB) population obtained conflicting results. Most of the studies relied on behavioral measures with which different mechanisms leading to the same outcome go unnoticed. Moreover, the scarce electrophysiological research that has been conducted focused exclusively on the processing of microgeometric properties. To clarify the extent of superior tactile abilities in EBs using high-density multichannel electrophysiological recordings, the present study compared the electrophysiological correlates of EBs and sighted controls (CON) in two tactile discrimination tasks that targeted microgeometric (texture) and macrogeometric (shape) properties. After a restricted exploration (haptic glance), participants judged whether a touched stimulus corresponded to an expected stimulus whose name had been previously presented aurally. In the texture discrimination task, differences between groups emerged at ∼75 ms (early perceptual processing stages) whereas we found no between-group differences during shape discrimination. Furthermore, for the first time, we were able to determine the latency at which EBs started to discriminate micro- (EB: 170 ms; CON: 230 ms) and macrogeometric (EB: 250 ms; CON: 270 ms) properties. Altogether, the results suggest different electrophysiological signatures during texture (but not shape) discrimination in EBs, possibly due to cortical reorganization in occipital areas and their increased connectivity with S1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Gurtubay-Antolin
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute- IDIBELL, 08097, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Dept. of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Campus Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08097, Spain.
| | - Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute- IDIBELL, 08097, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Dept. of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Campus Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08097, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, Spain
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39
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Morin-Parent F, de Beaumont L, Théoret H, Lepage JF. Superior non-specific motor learning in the blind. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6003. [PMID: 28729635 PMCID: PMC5519757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04831-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that blindness induces changes in cerebral function and structure, namely affecting the somatomotor regions. However, the behavioural significance of these changes on the motor system, and on motor learning in particular, remains elusive. In this study, we used a modified version of the serial reaction time task (SRTT) with auditory cues to assess sequence specific and non-specific motor learning in blind adults and sighted controls, and compare them with sighted controls performing the classic visual SRTT. Our results show that the auditory SRTT faithfully replicates the typical learning pattern obtained with the visual SRTT. On the auditory SRTT, blind individuals consistently showed faster reaction times than sighted controls, being at par with sighted individuals performing the visual SRTT. On the other hand, blind participants displayed a particular pattern of motor learning in comparison to both sighted groups; while controls improved prominently on sequence specific learning, blind individuals displayed comparable performance on both specific and non-specific learning, markedly outperforming the control groups on non-specific learning. These results show that blindness, in addition to causing long-term changes in cortical organisation, can also influence dynamic neuroplastic mechanisms in systems beyond those typically associated with compensatory sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Morin-Parent
- Sherbrooke University Hospital Research Center, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Sherbrooke University, Department of pharmacology-physiology, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Louis de Beaumont
- Sacré-Coeur Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,University of Montréal, Department of Surgery, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Hugo Théoret
- Université de Montréal, Department of Psychology, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Lepage
- Sherbrooke University Hospital Research Center, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. .,Sherbrooke University, Department of Pediatrics, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
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Reduction of Interhemispheric Functional Brain Connectivity in Early Blindness: A Resting-State fMRI Study. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:6756927. [PMID: 28656145 PMCID: PMC5471583 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6756927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the resting-state interhemispheric functional connectivity in early blindness by using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixteen early blind patients (EB group) and sixteen age- and gender-matched sighted control volunteers (SC group) were recruited in this study. We used VMHC to identify brain areas with significant differences in functional connectivity between different groups and used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to calculate the individual gray matter volume (GMV). RESULTS VMHC analysis showed a significantly lower connectivity in primary visual cortex, visual association cortex, and somatosensory association cortex in EB group compared to sighted controls. Additionally, VBM analysis revealed that GMV was reduced in the left lateral calcarine cortices in EB group compared to sighted controls, while it was increased in the left lateral middle occipital gyri. Statistical analysis showed the duration of blindness negatively correlated with VMHC in the bilateral middle frontal gyri, middle temporal gyri, and inferior temporal gyri. CONCLUSIONS Our findings help elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of EB. The interhemispheric functional connectivity was impaired in EB patients. Additionally, the middle frontal gyri, middle temporal gyri, and inferior temporal gyri may be potential target regions for rehabilitation.
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Cerebral metabolic changes related to clinical parameters in idiopathic anosmic patients during olfactory stimulation: a pilot investigation. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2017; 274:2649-2655. [PMID: 28283789 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-017-4524-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic olfactory loss neural consequences have been studied especially by means of magnetic resonance imaging. Since other functional neuroimaging technique findings are lacking in the literature, present study used a validated 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) functional positron emission tomography procedure under olfactory stimulation (OS) to assess brain changes in idiopathic anosmic patients (IAPs) in comparison with healthy subjects (HS). A voxel-based analysis between these groups was used to evaluate FDG uptake in the brain and perform a correlation analysis between metabolic responses and the Sniffin' stick test as well as intensity visuo-analogue scores and disease duration (DD). A significant relative decrease of glucose metabolism in the right and left frontal lobes, left insula, right parietal lobe, and left occipital, temporal and parietal lobes was found in IAPs during OS. The same condition resulted in a relative higher glucose metabolism in the right cerebellum in IAPs. Moreover, a negative correlation between DD and FDG uptake in the left temporo-parietal joint was found in IAPs. Such a correlation suggested a possible involvement of this area metabolic decrease in self-consciousness impairment, which is known to affect IAPs. Present preliminary functional results could be of interest to further deepen such neural impairments possibly useful for future perspective in pharmaceutical and rehabilitative protocols.
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42
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Aguirre GK, Butt OH, Datta R, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Schwartz SB, Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG. Postretinal Structure and Function in Severe Congenital Photoreceptor Blindness Caused by Mutations in the GUCY2D Gene. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 58:959-973. [PMID: 28403437 PMCID: PMC5308769 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-20413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To examine how severe congenital blindness resulting from mutations of the GUCY2D gene alters brain structure and function, and to relate these findings to the notable preservation of retinal architecture in this form of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Methods Six GUCY2D-LCA patients (ages 20–46) were studied with optical coherence tomography of the retina and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Measurements from this group were compared to those obtained from populations of normally sighted controls and people with congenital blindness of a variety of causes. Results Patients with GUCY2D-LCA had preservation of the photoreceptors, ganglion cells, and nerve fiber layer. Despite this, visual function in these patients ranged from 20/160 acuity to no light perception, and functional MRI responses to light stimulation were attenuated and restricted. This severe visual impairment was reflected in substantial thickening of the gray matter layer of area V1, accompanied by an alteration of resting-state correlations within the occipital lobe, similar to a comparison group of congenitally blind people with structural damage to the retina. In contrast to the comparison blind population, however, the GUCY2D-LCA group had preservation of the size of the optic chiasm, and the fractional anisotropy of the optic radiations as measured with diffusion tensor imaging was also normal. Conclusions These results identify dissociable effects of blindness upon the visual pathway. Further, the relatively intact postgeniculate white matter pathway in GUCY2D-LCA is encouraging for the prospect of recovery of visual function with gene augmentation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey K Aguirre
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Omar H Butt
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ritobrato Datta
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Alejandro J Roman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Alexander Sumaroka
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Sharon B Schwartz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Samuel G Jacobson
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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43
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Cappagli G, Finocchietti S, Cocchi E, Gori M. The Impact of Early Visual Deprivation on Spatial Hearing: A Comparison between Totally and Partially Visually Deprived Children. Front Psychol 2017; 8:467. [PMID: 28443040 PMCID: PMC5385626 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The specific role of early visual deprivation on spatial hearing is still unclear, mainly due to the difficulty of comparing similar spatial skills at different ages and to the difficulty in recruiting young blind children from birth. In this study, the effects of early visual deprivation on the development of auditory spatial localization have been assessed in a group of seven 3–5 years old children with congenital blindness (n = 2; light perception or no perception of light) or low vision (n = 5; visual acuity range 1.1–1.7 LogMAR), with the main aim to understand if visual experience is fundamental to the development of specific spatial skills. Our study led to three main findings: firstly, totally blind children performed overall more poorly compared sighted and low vision children in all the spatial tasks performed; secondly, low vision children performed equally or better than sighted children in the same auditory spatial tasks; thirdly, higher residual levels of visual acuity are positively correlated with better spatial performance in the dynamic condition of the auditory localization task indicating that the more residual vision the better spatial performance. These results suggest that early visual experience has an important role in the development of spatial cognition, even when the visual input during the critical period of visual calibration is partially degraded like in the case of low vision children. Overall these results shed light on the importance of early assessment of spatial impairments in visually impaired children and early intervention to prevent the risk of isolation and social exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cappagli
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
| | - Sara Finocchietti
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
| | - Elena Cocchi
- Istituto David Chiossone per Ciechi ed IpovedentiGenova, Italy
| | - Monica Gori
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
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44
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Qi S, Mu YF, Cui LB, Zhang J, Guo F, Tan QR, Shi M, Liu K, Xi YB, Zhang NY, Zhang XL, He Y, Yang J, Yin H. Anomalous gray matter structural networks in recent onset post-traumatic stress disorder. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 12:390-401. [PMID: 28293804 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9693-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alterations of the topological organization of abnormal regions or network-level structural aberrations are still poorly understood for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Herein, we investigated brain structural networks in recent-onset PTSD patients, all affected by the coalmine-flood disaster. Cortical networks were studied in recent onset PTSD patients (n = 15) and matched healthy controls (n = 25). Cortical networks were constructed by thresholding correlation matrices of 150 regions and quantified using graph theoretical approaches. Contributions of high-degree nodes, and regional and global network measures, including degree and betweenness, were studied. Compared with healthy controls, PTSD patients showed altered quantitative values in global network properties, characterized by shorter path length and higher clustering. Moreover, PTSD patients exhibited decreased connectivity in the right lingual gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, left supramarginal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral superior and inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Nodal centrality decreased predominantly in the occipital regions (lingual gyrus) and default-mode regions, while increased correlations and centralities were observed in the medial temporal lobe and posterior cingulate cortex. PTSD-related networks exhibited a less efficient organization and regional connectivity. According to these findings, we conclude that regional connections involving fear-processing and re-experiential-processing cortex may play a role in maintaining or adapting to PTSD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Qi
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127 West Changle Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China.,Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Yun-Feng Mu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Long-Biao Cui
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127 West Changle Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Fan Guo
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127 West Changle Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China
| | - Qing-Rong Tan
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Mei Shi
- Department of Radiotherapy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Kang Liu
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127 West Changle Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China
| | - Yi-Bin Xi
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127 West Changle Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China
| | - Nan-Yin Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Xiao-Liang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Program in Bioengineering, UC San Francisco, Byers Hall, Room 102D, 1700 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2330, USA
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
| | - Hong Yin
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127 West Changle Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China.
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Thalamocortical Connectivity and Microstructural Changes in Congenital and Late Blindness. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:9807512. [PMID: 28386486 PMCID: PMC5366815 DOI: 10.1155/2017/9807512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence that the occipital cortex of congenitally blind individuals processes nonvisual information. It remains a debate whether the cross-modal activation of the occipital cortex is mediated through the modulation of preexisting corticocortical projections or the reorganisation of thalamocortical connectivity. Current knowledge on this topic largely stems from anatomical studies in animal models. The aim of this study was to test whether purported changes in thalamocortical connectivity in blindness can be revealed by tractography based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. To assess the thalamocortical network, we used a clustering method based on the thalamic white matter projections towards predefined cortical regions. Five thalamic clusters were obtained in each group representing their cortical projections. Although we did not find differences in the thalamocortical network between congenitally blind individuals, late blind individuals, and normal sighted controls, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices revealed significant microstructural changes within thalamic clusters of both blind groups. Furthermore, we find a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) in occipital and temporal thalamocortical projections in both blind groups that were not captured at the network level. This suggests that plastic microstructural changes have taken place, but not in a degree to be reflected in the tractography-based thalamocortical network.
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46
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Rokem A, Takemura H, Bock AS, Scherf KS, Behrmann M, Wandell BA, Fine I, Bridge H, Pestilli F. The visual white matter: The application of diffusion MRI and fiber tractography to vision science. J Vis 2017; 17:4. [PMID: 28196374 PMCID: PMC5317208 DOI: 10.1167/17.2.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual neuroscience has traditionally focused much of its attention on understanding the response properties of single neurons or neuronal ensembles. The visual white matter and the long-range neuronal connections it supports are fundamental in establishing such neuronal response properties and visual function. This review article provides an introduction to measurements and methods to study the human visual white matter using diffusion MRI. These methods allow us to measure the microstructural and macrostructural properties of the white matter in living human individuals; they allow us to trace long-range connections between neurons in different parts of the visual system and to measure the biophysical properties of these connections. We also review a range of findings from recent studies on connections between different visual field maps, the effects of visual impairment on the white matter, and the properties underlying networks that process visual information supporting visual face recognition. Finally, we discuss a few promising directions for future studies. These include new methods for analysis of MRI data, open datasets that are becoming available to study brain connectivity and white matter properties, and open source software for the analysis of these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Rokem
- The University of Washington eScience Institute, Seattle, WA, ://arokem.org
| | - Hiromasa Takemura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and Osaka University, Suita-shi, JapanGraduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita-shi,
| | | | | | | | | | - Ione Fine
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA,
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Ferreira S, Pereira AC, Quendera B, Reis A, Silva ED, Castelo-Branco M. Primary visual cortical remapping in patients with inherited peripheral retinal degeneration. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2016; 13:428-438. [PMID: 28116235 PMCID: PMC5233796 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Human studies addressing the long-term effects of peripheral retinal degeneration on visual cortical function and structure are scarce. Here we investigated this question in patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a genetic condition leading to peripheral visual degeneration. We acquired functional and anatomical magnetic resonance data from thirteen patients with different levels of visual loss and twenty-two healthy participants to study primary (V1) visual cortical retinotopic remapping and cortical thickness. We identified systematic visual field remapping in the absence of structural changes in the primary visual cortex of RP patients. Remapping consisted in a retinotopic eccentricity shift of central retinal inputs to more peripheral locations in V1. Importantly, this was associated with changes in visual experience, as assessed by the extent of the visual loss, with more constricted visual fields resulting in larger remapping. This pattern of remapping is consistent with expansion or shifting of neuronal receptive fields into the cortical regions with reduced retinal input. These data provide evidence for functional changes in V1 that are dependent on the magnitude of peripheral visual loss in RP, which may be explained by rapid cortical adaptation mechanisms or long-term cortical reorganization. This study highlights the importance of analyzing the retinal determinants of brain functional and structural alterations for future visual restoration approaches.
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Key Words
- FPZ, Function Projection Zone
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
- Human
- LE, Left Eye
- LH, Left Hemisphere
- LPZ, Lesion Projection Zone
- MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Plasticity
- Primary visual cortex
- RE, Right Eye
- RH, Right Hemisphere
- RNFL, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer
- RP, Retinitis Pigmentosa
- Reorganization
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Retinotopy
- fMRI, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Affiliation(s)
- Sónia Ferreira
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Andreia Carvalho Pereira
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Bruno Quendera
- Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Brain Imaging Network of Portugal, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Aldina Reis
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; Ophthalmology Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Eduardo Duarte Silva
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Brain Imaging Network of Portugal, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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48
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Cecchetti L, Kupers R, Ptito M, Pietrini P, Ricciardi E. Are Supramodality and Cross-Modal Plasticity the Yin and Yang of Brain Development? From Blindness to Rehabilitation. Front Syst Neurosci 2016; 10:89. [PMID: 27877116 PMCID: PMC5099160 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2016.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in blind individuals has primarily focused for a long time on the brain plastic reorganization that occurs in early visual areas. Only more recently, scientists have developed innovative strategies to understand to what extent vision is truly a mandatory prerequisite for the brain's fine morphological architecture to develop and function. As a whole, the studies conducted to date in sighted and congenitally blind individuals have provided ample evidence that several "visual" cortical areas develop independently from visual experience and do process information content regardless of the sensory modality through which a particular stimulus is conveyed: a property named supramodality. At the same time, lack of vision leads to a structural and functional reorganization within "visual" brain areas, a phenomenon known as cross-modal plasticity. Cross-modal recruitment of the occipital cortex in visually deprived individuals represents an adaptative compensatory mechanism that mediates processing of non-visual inputs. Supramodality and cross-modal plasticity appears to be the "yin and yang" of brain development: supramodal is what takes place despite the lack of vision, whereas cross-modal is what happens because of lack of vision. Here we provide a critical overview of the research in this field and discuss the implications that these novel findings have for the development of educative/rehabilitation approaches and sensory substitution devices (SSDs) in sensory-impaired individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Cecchetti
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care, University of PisaPisa, Italy; Clinical Psychology Branch, Pisa University HospitalPisa, Italy
| | - Ron Kupers
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Maurice Ptito
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Centre CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark; School of Optometry, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Emiliano Ricciardi
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care, University of PisaPisa, Italy; MOMILab, IMT School for Advanced Studies LuccaLucca, Italy
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Aguirre GK, Datta R, Benson NC, Prasad S, Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Bridge H, Watkins KE, Butt OH, Dain AS, Brandes L, Gennatas ED. Patterns of Individual Variation in Visual Pathway Structure and Function in the Sighted and Blind. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164677. [PMID: 27812129 PMCID: PMC5094697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many structural and functional brain alterations accompany blindness, with substantial individual variation in these effects. In normally sighted people, there is correlated individual variation in some visual pathway structures. Here we examined if the changes in brain anatomy produced by blindness alter the patterns of anatomical variation found in the sighted. We derived eight measures of central visual pathway anatomy from a structural image of the brain from 59 sighted and 53 blind people. These measures showed highly significant differences in mean size between the sighted and blind cohorts. When we examined the measurements across individuals within each group we found three clusters of correlated variation, with V1 surface area and pericalcarine volume linked, and independent of the thickness of V1 cortex. These two clusters were in turn relatively independent of the volumes of the optic chiasm and lateral geniculate nucleus. This same pattern of variation in visual pathway anatomy was found in the sighted and the blind. Anatomical changes within these clusters were graded by the timing of onset of blindness, with those subjects with a post-natal onset of blindness having alterations in brain anatomy that were intermediate to those seen in the sighted and congenitally blind. Many of the blind and sighted subjects also contributed functional MRI measures of cross-modal responses within visual cortex, and a diffusion tensor imaging measure of fractional anisotropy within the optic radiations and the splenium of the corpus callosum. We again found group differences between the blind and sighted in these measures. The previously identified clusters of anatomical variation were also found to be differentially related to these additional measures: across subjects, V1 cortical thickness was related to cross-modal activation, and the volume of the optic chiasm and lateral geniculate was related to fractional anisotropy in the visual pathway. Our findings show that several of the structural and functional effects of blindness may be reduced to a smaller set of dimensions. It also seems that the changes in the brain that accompany blindness are on a continuum with normal variation found in the sighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey K. Aguirre
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ritobrato Datta
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Noah C. Benson
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Sashank Prasad
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Samuel G. Jacobson
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Artur V. Cideciyan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Holly Bridge
- FMRIB Centre, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Kate E. Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - Omar H. Butt
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Aleksandra S. Dain
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Lauren Brandes
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Efstathios D. Gennatas
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
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50
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Aubin S, Gacon C, Jennum P, Ptito M, Kupers R. Altered sleep–wake patterns in blindness: a combined actigraphy and psychometric study. Sleep Med 2016; 24:100-108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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