Ptito et al. (2005)

From Psy3242

“Cross-modal Plasticity Revealed by Electrotactile Stimulation of the Tongue in the Congenitally Blind”

Methodology

Subjects: 6 congenitally blind, five seeing controls, all with “normal” neurological states. TDU (Tongue Display Unit) “Tumbling T” on computer screen, electrical pulses delivered to tongue depending on how much of the T is within the cursor Training (over seven days) Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measured prior to training and tests

Results

Control subjects activated primary somatosensory and motor cortex in completing the test Only blind subjects activated visual cortex

Discussion

In blind subjects the visual cortex was stimulated just as much as in the normal vision subjects. The activation pattern in the blind following training shows remarkable similarities with that observed in normal seeing subjects during the performance of a visual orientation task” (611).