Neural networks for Braille reading by the blind

被引:254
作者
Sadato, N
Pascual-Leone, A
Grafman, J
Deiber, MP
Ibañez, V
Hallett, M
机构
[1] NINDS, Human Motor Control Sect, Med Neurol Branch, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
[2] NINDS, Cognit Neurosci Sect, Med Neurol Branch, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
[3] Beth Israel Hosp, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[4] Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[5] Fukui Med Sch, Biomed Imaging Res Ctr, Fukui 91011, Japan
关键词
blind; Braille; visual cortex; multimodal plasticity; PET;
D O I
10.1093/brain/121.7.1213
中图分类号
R74 [神经病学与精神病学];
学科分类号
摘要
To explore the neural networks used for Braille reading, we measured regional cerebral blood flow with PET during tactile tasks performed both by Braille readers blinded early in life and by sighted subjects. Eight proficient Braille readers were studied during Braille reading with both right and left index fingers. Eight-character, non-contracted Braille-letter strings mere used, and subjects were asked to discriminate between words and non-words. To compare the behaviour of the brain of the blind and the sighted directly, non-Braille tactile tasks were performed by six different blind subjects and 10 sighted control subjects using the right index finger. The tasks included a non-discrimination task and three discrimination tasks (angle, width and character). Irrespective of reading finger (right or left), Braille reading by the blind activated the inferior parietal lobule, primary visual cortex, superior occipital gyri, fusiform gyri, ventral premotor area, superior parietal lobule, cerebellum and primary sensorimotor area bilaterally, also the right dorsal premotor cortex, right middle occipital gyrus and right prefrontal area. During non-Braille discrimination tasks, in blind subjects, the ventral occipital regions, including the primary visual cortex and fusiform gyri bilaterally were activated while the secondary somatosensory area was deactivated. The reverse pattern was found in sighted subjects where the secondary somatosensory area was activated while the ventral occipital regions were suppressed. These findings suggest that the tactile processing pathways usually linked in the secondary somatosensory al:ea are rerouted in blind subjects to the ventral occipital cortical regions originally reserved for visual shape discrimination.
引用
收藏
页码:1213 / 1229
页数:17
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