title: Reorganization of neural circuits in the blind on diffusion direction analysis.
abstract: The neural reorganization of the visual cortex of early blind individuals was evaluated using voxel-by-voxel analysis of diffusion tensor images with regard to the diffusion direction, diffusion anisotropy and diffusivity. Reduced anisotropy and increased diffusivity was found mainly in the visual pathways of 18 early blind individuals as opposed to 25 sighted individuals. Alteration of the diffusion direction was detected not only in the visual pathways but also in nonvisual pathways such as the u fibers of the parietal lobe, the sagittal striatum, the pulvinar and the inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi. The alteration of regional diffusion direction, reduced anisotropy and increased diffusivity in early blind individuals imply the neural reorganization for functional adaptation to the loss of visual input during the early development period.
authors: Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. parkhj@yuhs.ac
authors: Hae-Jeong
authors: HJ
authors: Park
authors: Seok-Oh
authors: SO
authors: Jeong
authors: Eung Yeop
authors: EY
authors: Kim
authors: Joong Il
authors: JI
authors: Kim
authors: Haeil
authors: H
authors: Park
authors: Maeng-Keun
authors: MK
authors: Oh
authors: Dae-Jin
authors: DJ
authors: Kim
authors: Sei Young
authors: SY
authors: Kim
authors: Sung Chul
authors: SC
authors: Lee
authors: Jong Doo
authors: JD
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001766:Blindness / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000473:pathology*