Short term light deprivation increases tactile spatial acuity in humans.
The effect of short-term light deprivation on tactile spatial acuity was evaluated by asking 28 adult humans to perform a grating orientation task. The 14 subjects who were kept for 90 minutes in complete dark showed, immediately after deprivation, a reversible improvement of tactile spatial acuity. No acuity change was observed in the 14 nondeprived subjects. Results indicate that even a short-term visual deprivation may disclose highly dynamic plastic interactions between visual and tactile systems.
Facchini
Stefano
S
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e della Visione, Sezione di Fisiologia Umana, Università degli studi di Verona, Italy.
Aglioti
Salvatore M
SM
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D003624:Darkness; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*