title: Visual Cortex Plasticity Following Peripheral Damage To The Visual System: fMRI Evidence.
abstract: Over the last two decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a powerful research method to investigate cortical visual plasticity. Abnormal fMRI response patterns have been occasionally detected in the visually deprived cortex of patients with bilateral retinal diseases. Controversy remains whether these observations indicate structural reorganization of the visual cortex or unmasking of previously silent cortico-cortical connections. In optic nerve diseases, there is weak evidence showing that early visual cortex seems to lack reorganization, while higher-order visual areas undergo plastic changes which may contribute to optimise visual function. There is however accumulating imaging evidence demonstrating trans-synaptic degeneration of the visual cortex in patients with disease of the anterior visual pathways. This may preclude the use of restorative treatments in these patients. Here, we review and update the body of fMRI evidence on visual cortical plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Coimbra University Hospital Center, Praceta Mota Pinto, 3000-075, Coimbra, Portugal. merrin72@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Department, Coimbra University Hospital Center, Coimbra, Portugal.|Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS)/Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS)/Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.|Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Intact projection zone; Lesion projection zone; Neuronal adaptation; Preferred retinal location; Reorganization; Visual plasticity