title: Functional magnetic resonance imaging mirrors recovery of visual perception after repetitive tachistoscopic stimulation in patients with partial cortical blindness.
abstract: We investigated three patients with partial cortical blindness after brain injury by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after the application of a daily visual stimulation-therapy over a period of 6 months. Before therapy, fMRI data showed a severely reduced blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in primary visual cortex when compared to healthy volunteers. Following several months of rehabilitative therapy a neuropsychological improvement of visual functions was accompanied by an increase in BOLD signal of residual perilesional regions whereas fMRI data of the control group remained unchanged. A high capacity of functional recovery and synaptic plasticity of surviving perilesional neuronal structures of primary visual cortex followed by an increased input into post-connected visual areas can be discussed as a basis for the reoccurrence of visual functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, Buerkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, D-44789 Bochum, Germany. burkhard.v.pleger@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pleger
authors.forename: Ann-Freya
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Widdig
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henschel
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nicolas
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schwenkreis
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tegenthoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019575:Blindness, Cortical / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014796:Visual Perception