Neural correlates associated with superior tactile symmetry perception in the early blind. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bauer, Corinna; Yazzolino, Lindsay; Hirsch, Gabriella; Cattaneo, Zaira; Vecchi, Tomaso; Merabet, Lotfi B.
• Is Part Of: Cortex. Volume 63(2015)
• Page Start: 104
• Page End: 117
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Blind -- Lateral occipital cortex -- Symmetry -- Striate cortex -- Extrastriate cortex -- Haptic -- Tactile -- Crossmodal -- Plasticity; EPI echo planar imaging -- IPS intraparietal sulcus -- FFA fusiform face area -- FLAME FMRIB's Local Analysis of Mixed Effects -- fMRI functional magnetic resonance imaging -- FWE family-wise error -- FWHM full width at half maximum -- GLM general linear model -- LO lateral occipital -- MT middle temporal -- TE echo time -- TR repetition time -- rTMS repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Behavior -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 612.825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.08.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0010-9452

Abstract

Abstract: Symmetry is an organizational principle that is ubiquitous throughout the visual world. However, this property can also be detected through non-visual modalities such as touch. The role of prior visual experience on detecting tactile patterns containing symmetry remains unclear. We compared the behavioral performance of early blind and sighted (blindfolded) controls on a tactile symmetry detection task. The tactile patterns used were similar in design and complexity as in previous visual perceptual studies. The neural correlates associated with this behavioral task were identified with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In line with growing evidence demonstrating enhanced tactile processing abilities in the blind, we found that early blind individuals showed significantly superior performance in detecting tactile symmetric patterns compared to sighted controls. Furthermore, comparing patterns of activation between these two groups identified common areas of activation (e.g. superior parietal cortex) but key differences also emerged. In particular, tactile symmetry detection in the early blind was also associated with activation that included peri-calcarine cortex, lateral occipital (LO), and middle temporal (MT) cortex, as well as inferior temporal and fusiform cortex. These results contribute to the growing evidence supporting superior behavioral abilities in the blind, and the neural correlates associated with crossmodal neuroplasticity following visual deprivation.