Brain morphometry in blind and sighted subjects

Jerome Joseph Maller; Richard Hilton Siddall Thomson; Amanda Ching Lih Ng; Collette Marie Mann; Michael Eager; Helen Ackland; Paul Bernard Fitzgerald; Gary Francis Egan; Jeffrey Victor Rosenfeld

doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2016.01.040

Brain morphometry in blind and sighted subjects

Jerome Joseph Maller, Richard Hilton Siddall Thomson, Amanda Ching Lih Ng, Collette Marie Mann, Michael Eager, Helen Ackland, Paul Bernard Fitzgerald, Gary Francis Egan, Jeffrey Victor Rosenfeld

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated structural brain alterations in blind subjects, but most have focused on primary open angle glaucoma or retinopathy of prematurity, used low-field scanners, a limited number of receive channels, or have presented uncorrected results. We recruited 10 blind and 10
age and sex-matched controls to undergo high-resolution MRI using a 3T scanner and a 32-channel receive coil. We evaluated whole-brain morphological differences between the groups as well as manual segmentation of regional hippocampal volumes. There were no hippocampal volume differences between
the groups. Whole-brain morphometry showed white matter volume differences between blind and sighted groups including localised larger regions in the visual cortex (occipital gyral volume and thickness) among those with blindness early in life compared to those with blindness later in life. Hence, in our patients, blindness resulted in brain volumetric differences that depend upon duration of blindness.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	89-95
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Clinical Neuroscience
Volume	33
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2016.01.040
Publication status	Published - Nov 2016

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10.1016/j.jocn.2016.01.040

Cite this

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title = "Brain morphometry in blind and sighted subjects",

abstract = "Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated structural brain alterations in blind subjects, but most have focused on primary open angle glaucoma or retinopathy of prematurity, used low-field scanners, a limited number of receive channels, or have presented uncorrected results. We recruited 10 blind and 10age and sex-matched controls to undergo high-resolution MRI using a 3T scanner and a 32-channel receive coil. We evaluated whole-brain morphological differences between the groups as well as manual segmentation of regional hippocampal volumes. There were no hippocampal volume differences betweenthe groups. Whole-brain morphometry showed white matter volume differences between blind and sighted groups including localised larger regions in the visual cortex (occipital gyral volume and thickness) among those with blindness early in life compared to those with blindness later in life. Hence, in our patients, blindness resulted in brain volumetric differences that depend upon duration of blindness.",

author = "Maller, {Jerome Joseph} and Thomson, {Richard Hilton Siddall} and Ng, {Amanda Ching Lih} and Mann, {Collette Marie} and Michael Eager and Helen Ackland and Fitzgerald, {Paul Bernard} and Egan, {Gary Francis} and Rosenfeld, {Jeffrey Victor}",

year = "2016",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jocn.2016.01.040",

language = "English",

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T1 - Brain morphometry in blind and sighted subjects

AU - Maller, Jerome Joseph

AU - Thomson, Richard Hilton Siddall

AU - Ng, Amanda Ching Lih

AU - Mann, Collette Marie

AU - Eager, Michael

AU - Ackland, Helen

AU - Fitzgerald, Paul Bernard

AU - Egan, Gary Francis

AU - Rosenfeld, Jeffrey Victor

PY - 2016/11

Y1 - 2016/11

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AB - Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated structural brain alterations in blind subjects, but most have focused on primary open angle glaucoma or retinopathy of prematurity, used low-field scanners, a limited number of receive channels, or have presented uncorrected results. We recruited 10 blind and 10age and sex-matched controls to undergo high-resolution MRI using a 3T scanner and a 32-channel receive coil. We evaluated whole-brain morphological differences between the groups as well as manual segmentation of regional hippocampal volumes. There were no hippocampal volume differences betweenthe groups. Whole-brain morphometry showed white matter volume differences between blind and sighted groups including localised larger regions in the visual cortex (occipital gyral volume and thickness) among those with blindness early in life compared to those with blindness later in life. Hence, in our patients, blindness resulted in brain volumetric differences that depend upon duration of blindness.

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DO - 10.1016/j.jocn.2016.01.040

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