Visual loss alters multisensory face maps in humans

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.

Spatial Competence and Brain Plasticity in Congenital Blindness via Sensory Substitution Devices

“…Despite these anatomical changes, visual experience is not necessary for the development of topographically organized maps of the face in the intraparietal cortex (Pasqualotto et al, 2018), or for the ability to represent the work space (Nelson et al, 2018). CB can form mental representations of the work space via haptic information as efficiently as sighted people, indicating that this ability does not depend on visual experience (Nelson et al, 2018).…”

Late- but not early-onset blindness impairs the development of audio-haptic multisensory integration

“…In support of this hypothesis Gori and colleagues (2012) showed that haptic orientation discrimination performance is impaired in blind children because vision could not calibrate touch on this task (Gori, Tinelli, Sandini, Cioni, & Burr, 2012). Indeed, several other studies demonstrated that perceptual functioning in the remaining senses of blind individuals is severely compromised Cappagli, Finocchietti, Baud-Bovy, Cocchi, & Gori, 2017;Vercillo, Burr, & Gori, 2016;Zwiers, Van Opstal, & Cruysberg, 2001) when accurate performance depends on high resolution visual input (Coluccia, Mammarella, & Cornoldi, 2009;Gori, Sandini, Martinoli, & Burr, 2014;Pasqualotto et al, 2018;Pasqualotto & Proulx, 2012;Vercillo et al, 2016).…”

“…A key method to discover the importance of early sensory input for perceptual development is to compare those who have had a sense, such as vision, impaired at an early developmental stage to those who acquire sensory deprivation later in life. For example, comparing humans who became blind early in life to those who became blind at older ages has revealed the impact of visual experience during development on other aspects of perception and cognition (Bedny et al, 2012;Pasqualotto, Furlan, Proulx, & Sereno, 2018;Wan et al, 2010a, see Scheller, Petrini, & Proulx, 2018 for a review). Reports on early blind individuals with extraordinary auditory or tactile abilities have nurtured the idea that non-visual perceptual mechanisms improve in order to compensate for the lack of visual information (Goldreich & Kanics, 2003;Gougoux et al, 2004a;Kolarik, Cirstea, & Pardhan, 2013;Norman & Bartholomew, 2011;Röder et al, 1999;Vercillo, Milne, Gori, & Goodale, 2015;Voss et al, 2004).…”

Late‐ but not early‐onset blindness impairs the development of audio‐haptic multisensory integration

“…A key method to discover the importance of early sensory input for perceptual development is to compare those who have had a sense, such as vision, impaired at an early developmental age to those who acquire sensory deprivation later in life. For example, comparing humans who became blind early in life to those who became blind at older ages has revealed the impact of visual experience during development on other aspects of perception and cognition (Bedny, Pascual‐Leone, Dravida, & Saxe, 2012; Pasqualotto, Furlan, Proulx, & Sereno, 2018; Wan, Wood, Reutens, & Wilson, 2010, see Scheller, Petrini, & Proulx, 2018 for a review). Reports on early‐blind individuals with extraordinary auditory or tactile abilities have nurtured the idea that non‐visual perceptual mechanisms improve in order to compensate for the lack of visual information (Goldreich & Kanics, 2003; Gougoux et al., 2004; Kolarik, Cirstea, & Pardhan, 2013; Norman & Bartholomew, 2011; Röder et al., 1999; Vercillo, Milne, Gori, & Goodale, 2015; Voss et al., 2004).…”

“…those who became blind at older ages has revealed the impact of visual experience during development on other aspects of perception and cognition (Bedny, Pascual-Leone, Dravida, & Saxe, 2012;Pasqualotto, Furlan, Proulx, & Sereno, 2018;Wan, Wood, Reutens, & Wilson, 2010, see Scheller, Petrini, & Proulx, 2018 for a review).…”