#cortical vision impairment

[nonspeakingkiku]

Kiku is moving very soon. And it is scary but also exciting.

One of the things Kiku is planning on doing after Kiku loves is making a CVI friendly calendar/schedule. It's probably gonna be tactile as well as visual, but Kiku isn't exactly sure how Kiku is going to do it. Kiku is excited though. ☺️

#kiku squeaks #special interest #autism #actually autistic #autistic #nonverbal #nonspeaking #aac user #apraxia #dyspraxia #CVI #actuallyblind #cortical visual impairment #cortical vision impairment #cortical blindness #autism visual supports #visual supports

[raccooninapartyhat]

cvi culture is constantly spilling liquids on yourself like all the time. doesn't matter if it's a small cup you're currently drinking out of, or a mug you're carrying in your central vision, you will spill it on yourself somehow

#cerebral visual impairment #cortical visual impairment #actually blind #low vision

[nupalcdc]

What is Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)? Discover how this condition affects visual processing in children and why raising awareness is essential for those impacted.

Book your appointment today! https://tinyurl.com/y6ew4xd8

🤙Call us at [phone]

#cvi #cvi child #cvi awareness #cvi children #visual impairment #vision therapy #blindness #vision care #vision therapy center #brain #cortical visual impairment #cerebral palsy #cerebral visual impairment #special needs #online clinic #child development #online therapy #special education #therapy

[the-delta-quadrant]

reminder:

anyone with any visual impairment can identify as blind ("visual impairment" describes your best possible vision WITH correction, not without, if you have full vision with glasses or contacts this is not for you)

you can't spot a blind person by looking at them from a distance, not all of us use canes or have guide dogs

not all of us have "unusual" looking eyes either

blindness as an identity exceeds legal blindness

blindness is a spectrum; 93% of the people who are considered legally blind have some residual vision, with the percentage being even higher when taking into account all blind people

there are many forms of blindness, from low visual acuity to restricted visual field to low depth perception to cortical visual impairment and so much more, we are not a monolith

blind people can use technology with a variety of accessibility settings and aids, or, depending on their condition, without any help

using braille is becoming less common among blind people, don't assume we can read it

blind people can live independently, having to ask for help sometimes isn't the same as dependence

some blind people carry a short white cane diagonally in front of their upper body, these are known as symbol canes or ID canes and are used to let other people know that they can't see well (note that these aren't used in all countries, some countries have other symbols)

not all blind people wear sunglasses 24/7, but the stereotype comes from the fact that a lot of us have problems with photosensitivity, or are tired of sighted people giving us crap for our eyes

if you feel like you're not "blind enough" to use a cane, audio description, large text, a screen reader or other accessibility aids, trust me that you are and you're not taking away from other blind people by getting your needs met, if you feel like it would make your life easier, it's for you. you don't owe anyone a certain level of suffering to use disability aids

#blind #actually blind #disabled #disability #low vision

[cripplecharacters]

In general, how would you approach writing nonhuman/feral characters with disabilities? How would you balance the symptoms animals usually show vs human symptoms, experiences and available accomodations?

I'm considering giving my Warrior Cats character with TBI-induced blindness (yes, I know, these books are awful about disability rep and yet I can't help but get attached) a guide animal of some sort, but... in real life blind cats can get by just fine using their whiskers, and though realism isn't a concern here, I'm worried that'll come across as nonsensical. However, I'm personally uncomfortable with writing yet another blind character that doesn't need mobility aids despite not being able to distinguish objects from one another "properly". He may not be totally blind, but I feel like I'd be contributing to the misconceptions surrounding my own condition that way. Thoughts?

Thank you for your ask! In real life animals, including cats, have been known to assign themselves as a guide for a blind packmate, usually walking on the side with less vision to help with navigation. Sometimes an animal of another species will act as a guide, but only if they’re bonded. This also occurs more often in domesticated animals, so if you don’t want the guide to be another cat you could do something like a dog, chicken or rat (though I’d imagine the last two would be hard to keep in a cat pack!).

You could also have your character able to move around unassisted in familiar areas that he is often in, but need assistance in unfamiliar areas.

As for writing your character, I’d say research how his injury affects his other senses. Touch, smell, hearing and limb movement can be affected by a traumatic brain injury, and it would definitely affect your character's ability to get around.

As of now, this blog unfortunately doesn’t have any blind mods (applications are still open as of posting this). However, you can check out other blogs for more information on blindness, such as BlindBeta, AskABlindPerson, and Mimzy-Writing-Online.

Have a lovely day!

Mod Rot

Hi!

When talking about TBI induced blindness, you have to keep in mind that it's different from ocular blindness. The brain-based type of blindness is called CVI, or Cortical Visual Impairment, and it's very common!

(Note: I have done a lot of research on CVI, but I don't have it myself. I heavily encourage you to check the blogs that Rot mentioned!)

A CVI will often have different symptoms than ocular blindness. For example, the character's field of view could be severely limited - the left (or right, or top, or bottom...) half of their vision could be non-existent, and the other half could be what is sometimes described as "incomprehensible". It could also present in infinitely different ways from that, as it can be very diverse!

CVI is often fluid and the person (or cat) can function very differently depending on the circumstances like fatigue or stress or even the weather. If he's having a horrible day he will be able to understand the visual input less than when he's doing fantastic.

With CVI, it's important to remember that visual acuity generally won't be the main problem, but the brain's comprehension of the image is. This is where cat-available accommodations can hopefully come in.

Showing him experiencing visual fatigue and how he deals with it could be one of them! During his kitty activities he could prefer to have them spaced out so that he only sees one at a time and makes it easier for his brain to comprehend without tiring him out. A cluttered environment would probably only make it worse, so you can have him make sure that everything is nice and in its place. He could also take longer to recognize new objects or cats.

If he has, for example, very limited field of vision, then he could have his kitty house (I don't know how warrior cats work I'm trying my best here) arranged so that it would work for him; i.e. everything being on a specific height.

I also very much agree with Rot that he should have more symptoms than just blindness! One example of a brain-based cat disability could be cerebellar hypoplasia; it can't be caused by a TBI, but it causes ataxia which can be a result of a TBI (mildly complicated, sorry). Either way you can use it as a reference to visualize how your character could move!

I hope this helps! I really appreciate the effort of trying to include disability accommodations in a character who's a forest cat.

mod Sasza

#mod Rot #mod sasza #blindness #brain damage representation #fantasy species #<- i know cats are real but IDK i think it fits there. four legged fantasy species and all

[blindbeta]

Do you think it could come across as ableist to have most of the elder vampires in a story I’m writing be vision impaired or blind? Within the story vampires can’t really heal from any injury that a human couldn’t, it’s a little more complicated than that but these vampires would have naturally gone blind over time due to their extreme age. There are other blind characters too of course.

Blindness and Old Age

I don’t think it would come across as ableist because age does the same to human eyesight. Some people maintained good eyesight, while some don’t. Generally, eyesight declines over time. Considering genetic factors, environment, eye health, and any vision issues the person had earlier in life, older people can experience a noticeable change in eyesight. If they were already blind before—because remember, most blind people have some vision—this natural decline in vision is going to lead to even less vision and, in some cases, total blindness. This decline in vision can also happen earlier in life with progressive vision loss, disease, or other medical concerns. This means some will enter into older adulthood already blind.

The same would probably be true for vampires depending on the lore and world-building you’re using. Vampires may naturally decline as they age, but at a slower rate. They may also be extra sensitive to sun damage, leading to solar retinopathy and cataracts. Or, they may still be susceptible to diseases or eye conditions they had before being turned into vampires, if your vampires started as humans in the first place. Lastly, while they could live for a very long time, their bodies will still decline, leading to such things macular degeneration.

Another idea may be cortical blindness, which can be caused by a traumatic brain injury to the occipital lobe. There are other causes of cortical blindness, although I don’t know what sort of medical conditions, such as stroke, your vampires would be susceptible to and under what circumstances.

I think having younger blind characters would also help your worry. It be good to show a variety of ages and circumstances if you can.

#blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #ask #blindness and age

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 34, 2023

Mapping thalamic innervation to individual L2/3 pyramidal neurons and modeling their ‘readout’ of visual input. Balcioglu, A., Gillani, R., Doron, M., Burnell, K., Ku, T., Erisir, A., … Nedivi, E. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(3), 470–480.

Inhibition of noradrenergic signalling in rodent orbitofrontal cortex impairs the updating of goal-directed actions. Cerpa, J. C., Piccin, A., Dehove, M., Lavigne, M., Kremer, E. J., Wolff, M., … Coutureau, E. (2023). eLife, 12, e81623.

Evidence for dopaminergic involvement in endogenous modulation of pain relief. Desch, S., Schweinhardt, P., Seymour, B., Flor, H., & Becker, S. (2023). eLife, 12, e81436.

Neuro-computational mechanisms and individual biases in action-outcome learning under moral conflict. Fornari, L., Ioumpa, K., Nostro, A. D., Evans, N. J., De Angelis, L., Speer, S. P. H., … Gazzola, V. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 1218.

Tilt aftereffect spreads across the visual field. Gurbuz, B. T., & Boyaci, H. (2023). Vision Research, 205, 108174.

Nutrient-Sensitive Reinforcement Learning in Monkeys. Huang, F.-Y., & Grabenhorst, F. (2023). Journal of Neuroscience, 43(10), 1714–1730.

Neurocomputational mechanism of real-time distributed learning on social networks. Jiang, Y., Mi, Q., & Zhu, L. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(3), 506–516.

Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved. Killingsworth, M. A., Kahneman, D., & Mellers, B. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(10), e2208661120.

Young children calibrate effort based on the trajectory of their performance. Leonard, J. A., Cordrey, S. R., Liu, H. Z., & Mackey, A. P. (2023). Developmental Psychology, 59(3), 609–619.

Mice and primates use distinct strategies for visual segmentation. Luongo, F. J., Liu, L., Ho, C. L. A., Hesse, J. K., Wekselblatt, J. B., Lanfranchi, F. F., … Tsao, D. Y. (2023). eLife, 12, e74394.

Working memory and reward increase the accuracy of animal location encoding in the medial prefrontal cortex. Ma, X., Zheng, C., Chen, Y., Pereira, F., & Li, Z. (2023). Cerebral Cortex, 33(5), 2245–2259.

Evolution of neural activity in circuits bridging sensory and abstract knowledge. Mastrogiuseppe, F., Hiratani, N., & Latham, P. (2023). eLife, 12, e79908.

Pyramidal cell types drive functionally distinct cortical activity patterns during decision-making. Musall, S., Sun, X. R., Mohan, H., An, X., Gluf, S., Li, S.-J., … Churchland, A. K. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(3), 495–505.

Covert attention leads to fast and accurate decision-making. Perkovic, S., Schoemann, M., Lagerkvist, C.-J., & Orquin, J. L. (2023). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 29(1), 78–94.

Neural evidence for age-related deficits in the representation of state spaces. Ruel, A., Bolenz, F., Li, S.-C., Fischer, A., & Eppinger, B. (2023). Cerebral Cortex, 33(5), 1768–1781.

Expectation violations enhance neuronal encoding of sensory information in mouse primary visual cortex. Tang, M. F., Kheradpezhouh, E., Lee, C. C. Y., Dickinson, J. E., Mattingley, J. B., & Arabzadeh, E. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 1196.

The eyes prefer targets nearby fixation: Quantifying eccentricity-dependent attentional biases in oculomotor selection. van Heusden, E., Olivers, C. N. L., & Donk, M. (2023). Vision Research, 205, 108177.

Signal denoising through topographic modularity of neural circuits. Zajzon, B., Dahmen, D., Morrison, A., & Duarte, R. (2023). eLife, 12, e77009.

Contrary neuronal recalibration in different multisensory cortical areas. Zeng, F., Zaidel, A., & Chen, A. (2023). eLife, 12, e82895.

The Orienting Reflex Reveals Behavioral States Set by Demanding Contexts: Role of the Superior Colliculus. Zhou, J., Hormigo, S., Busel, N., & Castro-Alamancos, M. A. (2023). Journal of Neuroscience, 43(10), 1778–1796.

#neuroscience #science #research #brain science #scientific publications #cognitive science #neurobiology #cognition #psychophysics #neurons #neural computation #neural networks

[clatterbane]

A little update after that "no new glasses for you!" surprise yesterday.

Mr. C did not manage to get hold of the eye surgery clinic today, but hopefully tomorrow. It took me a while of frustrated searching, but I finally did find the professional terminology magic words to unlock more actually relevant information.

Vision imbalance following cataract surgery (anisometropia) [PDF]

Yep, that sounds like exactly what's been going on! Even before the added complication of throwing extra optical distortion from wildly different glasses lens prescriptions into the mix.

Thankfully, even with the pretty huge difference in vision between eyes now with no glasses on, I have not already been dealing with double vision since the surgery. "Just" some degree of the rest of their list, especially:

• Problems with balance (increasing the risk of falls).

• Difficulty with 3D vision and judging distances (for example pouring liquids, judging steps, and the general judging of distances).

And yeah, no wonder. They did neglect to mention the rather predictable eyestrain and headaches when your eyes just aren't working together well.

I was really hoping that getting new glasses would fix the problems I have already been experiencing from the unbalanced vision, but evidently not.

(Also, that brief overview kinda confirms that this level of difficulties should, indeed, have been at least somewhat avoidable with a different choice of lens implant. 👿 Which even the freaking NHS is saying should be discussed with patients, however likely this may be to happen on the ground.)

But, with that single magic word discovered we can hopefully get even further!

Another decent overview which does go a bit deeper. And options for non-surgical treatment are certainly what I am hoping to find, because jfc!

In practice most patients following initial cataract extraction are likely to be symptomatic of anisometropia giving rise to prismatic effects (anisophoria) and unequal retinal image size (aniseikonia), this may also occur in refractive surprises following second eye surgery. These changes will cause significant patient distress and difficulties with average daily tasks. Ideally such patients will undergo surgical correction of this or trial contact lenses to improve their symptoms. The following is a discussion of other non-surgical options available.

Please do tell me more!

Aniseikonia occurs as a result of unequal spectacle magnifications; this leads to a difference in cortical image size and resultant binocular vision disturbance. There are individual differences in symptoms and tolerance of aniseikonia but nearly all patients experience distortion in spatial perception with any of the following; headaches, asthenopia and uncomfortable binocular vision...

If the disparity of the postoperative refraction is greater than 2 diopters (2D) between the eyes, then there can be a vertical phoria producing diplopia. This is especially apparent when they use a bifocal segment to read. For example, if one eye is -1.00D and the other is -3.50D, there will be a 2.5D base-down vertical imbalance. This vertical imbalance will impair fusion and cause diplopia [2,3].

Where diplopia is double vision. Directly relevant to the glasses issue here, yeah. Mine were indeed vertical, stacked on top of each other but not quite touching. Thought I was going to hurl, after looking through the trial lenses just long enough to demonstrate the problem.

Yesterday, they also very specifically mentioned the already unequal retinal image size being amplified by the glasses lens correcting the still very nearsighted side. Which will apparently fuck up your visual processing but good, so your brain cannot combine the two images.

The difference between mine now is 7.00D, which evidently absolutely cannot be successfully corrected with glasses. (Prisms in the lenses also ain't gonna fix that image size problem so that your brain can make sense of the input.) Looking into it a bit more already, they will indeed generally aim for 3.00D or hopefully less difference between eyes.

Contacts were mentioned in the first paragraph there. And I was seeing some other references to correcting the worse eye that way. Please?!

Contact lenses also give more natural vision in that the differences in retinal image sizes compared to those of spectacle lenses are far less. For example, a +4.00D contact lens will give a magnification of approximately 2% compared to 5% with a spectacle lens fitted at 12mm from the eye. A subject with anisometropia of 4.00D is therefore unlikely to tolerate uncompensated spectacle lenses but should be symptom free when fitted with contact lenses [2,3].

Well, that is a relief. I don't really want to have to wear contacts without glasses backup if I want to see decently, but that prospect is sounding one hell of a lot better to me than even something like LASIK right now. (Especially with local anesthetics not working right on me. 😬)

What I am really not sure about is how well that might work with a 7.00D difference between the eyes, and not the 3-4D I keep seeing used as examples. (Not just there.) But, I am hoping that might do the trick.

As I see it right now, next up in order of preference is LASIK or similar. The absolute last nuclear option is letting anybody carve on the other eye to install a closer to matching aftermarket lens.

Hopefully the surgical clinic that basically caused this issue in the first place will also consider that the least attractive option--if nothing else because another surgery would indeed be on the health system's dime. Never mind the further risk of complications. There are at least not the same incentives to turn all invasive surgery-happy as on the better-insured sides of the US medical system. (Not that I am at all inclined to let them anywhere near the other eye if I can help it at all, especially after this.)

But, we'll just have to see what they say about it.

#personal #medical stuff #eyesight #yes please #cataract surgery #surgical complications #of a sort

[generated-cats]

July is Disability Pride month!

Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is a type of bilateral visual impairment which is caused by damage to the brain rather than damage to the eyes. It is diagnosed when children show abnormal visual responses that aren't caused by the eyes themselves

Did you know? Adults can also develop problems with their vision after a traumatic brain injury (such as a head injury or stroke that damages the brain). Veterans may be at higher risk for visual problems as a result of combat injuries.

These problems are sometimes called acquired CVI,  but it isn’t the same as CVI. A brain injury that happens later in life usually has different symptoms than CVI, which is caused by an injury early in life.

[ID: A black and orange kitten watches the camera. In the background are ruffled sheets.]

#cats #generated cats #ai generated #ai #midjourney #ai photography #kitten #disability pride month #cvi #cerebral visual impairment

[caregivervent]

Study explores link between vision issues and Alzheimer's disease

A recent study published in The Lancet takes a closer look at a specific vision issue that previous research suggests has a link to Alzheimer’s disease. The new meta analysis reviewed previous research studies on posterior cortical atrophy. The rare condition causes damage to an area of the brain that results in visual impairment. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, symptoms can include…

View On WordPress

#alzheimer&039;s #dementia #eye problems #posterior cortical atrophy #study #vision changes

[retinaspecialityhospital]

Enhancing Vision and Care: EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre

Introduction :

In the realm of eye care, precision and expertise are paramount. When it comes to your vision, you deserve nothing less than the best. That's where EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre in Indore shines. As a super speciality hospital in Indore, we are committed to providing world-class eye care services. Our team of dedicated specialists caters to a wide range of eye conditions, including retina-related issues, cataracts, and more. In this blog, we will explore our commitment to excellence and how we are making a significant impact on eye health in Indore.

Retina: The Core of Our Expertise :

The retina, a delicate tissue at the back of the eye, is essential for clear vision. At EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre, we specialize in diagnosing and treating a multitude of retinal disorders. Our experienced eye specialists in Indore employ state-of-the-art techniques, such as Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA), to precisely assess and manage retinal conditions.

Types of Cataracts: Understanding the Clouding of Vision :

Cataracts, a common eye ailment, can significantly impair your vision. There are various types of cataracts, each affecting different parts of the eye lens. Our Indore hospital offers comprehensive cataract care, addressing conditions like nuclear cataracts, cortical cataracts, and subcapsular cataracts. With advanced surgical techniques, we can remove cataracts and restore your vision effectively.

Eye Care in Indore: My Hospital, Your Vision :

EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre takes pride in being your trusted "my hospital" in Indore. Our commitment to excellence, compassionate care, and a patient-centric approach have made us a top choice for eye health in the region. Whether you're seeking general eye care or specialized treatments, our team of eye specialists in Indore is here to ensure your vision is in the best hands.

The Essence of Our Eye Hospital in Indore :

Our eye hospital in Indore is more than just a medical facility; it's a place where vision meets innovation. As one of the NABH-accredited hospitals in the region, we adhere to the highest standards of patient care and safety. We employ cutting-edge technologies, such as Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA), to provide accurate diagnoses and treatments for various eye conditions.

Eye Angiogram: A Window to Eye Health :

Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA), commonly known as an eye angiogram, is a diagnostic tool that allows us to visualize the blood vessels in your retina. This procedure helps us detect and manage retinal disorders effectively. At EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre, we offer FFA as part of our comprehensive retinal care services, ensuring that your eye health is thoroughly evaluated and treated.

The Challenge of Black Fungus and Eye Health :

In recent times, the emergence of black fungus (Mucormycosis) has raised concerns, particularly regarding its impact on the eyes. Our experienced team is well-prepared to address black fungus eye cases, providing timely and expert care to protect your vision. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical, and we are equipped to handle these challenging cases with precision.

Eye Health Tips: Preserving Your Precious Vision :

At EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre, we not only treat eye conditions but also promote proactive eye health. Here are some valuable eye health tips to help you maintain optimal vision:

1. Regular Eye Check-ups: Schedule routine eye examinations to detect issues early.

2. Healthy Diet: Consume foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants to support eye health.

3. UV Protection: Wear sunglasses with UV protection to shield your eyes from harmful sun rays.

4. Hydration: Stay well-hydrated to prevent dry eyes.

5. Screen Time: Limit screen time and take breaks to reduce digital eye strain.

Conclusion:

EyeSite Eye Hospital and Retina Centre in Indore stands as a beacon of hope for those seeking comprehensive eye care. From retina-related concerns to cataracts and more, our super speciality hospital is equipped with the expertise and technology needed to preserve and restore your vision. When you think of "eye specialist in Indore" or "eye hospital in Indore," think of us as your dedicated partner in eye health. Your vision is our priority, and we are here to ensure it remains clear and vibrant.

#eyecare #eyetreatment #eyehospital

[nonspeakingkiku]

Kiku's followers might be interested in this. Kiku wants to get a set eventually.

#kiku squeaks #special interest #autism #actually autistic #autistic #nonverbal #nonspeaking #aac user #apraxia #dyspraxia #low tech aac #tactile symbols #braille #deafblind #deafblind accessible aac #tactile aac #CVI #cortical vision impairment #cortical visual impairment #CVI friendly #CVI friendly AAC

[drsoniamaheshwari]

Are there different types of cataracts?

Yes, there are different types of cataracts, classified based on their location within the eye and their characteristics. The main types of cataracts include:

1. Nuclear Cataracts: These cataracts form in the center (nucleus) of the eye's natural lens. Nuclear cataracts often develop with age and can cause nearsightedness (difficulty seeing things up close) and a temporary improvement in reading vision known as "second sight" before vision deteriorates further.

2. Cortical Cataracts: Cortical cataracts start as wedge-shaped opacities on the outer edge of the lens and gradually extend inward. They create spoke-like patterns and can cause glare, halo effects around lights, and reduced contrast sensitivity.

3. Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts (PSCs): PSCs form on the back surface of the lens, just beneath the lens capsule. They can develop rapidly and often affect near vision more than distance vision. People with PSCs may experience increased sensitivity to light, glare, and difficulty reading.

4. Congenital Cataracts: These cataracts are present at birth or develop during childhood. They can be caused by genetic factors, infections during pregnancy, or other developmental issues. Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent vision problems in children with congenital cataracts.

5. Traumatic Cataracts: Traumatic cataracts result from eye injuries, such as blunt trauma or penetration by a foreign object. These cataracts can develop immediately or years after the injury and require prompt medical attention.

6.Secondary Cataracts: Secondary cataracts can develop after cataract surgery. They occur when the back membrane of the natural lens, called the lens capsule, becomes cloudy over time. This condition can be treated with a laser procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy.

The specific type of cataract a person has can impact their symptoms and the choice of treatment. An eye care professional will assess the type of cataract and recommend the most appropriate treatment, usually cataract surgery when the cataract significantly impairs vision.

Now you can reach our Dr. Sonia Maheshwari, Eye Specialist in Mumbai practicing at Clear Sight Eye care and Laser Center.

#dr. sonia maheshwari kothari #clear sight eyecare and laser centre #eye specialist in mumbai #Eye Specialist in Mumbai

[nupalcdc]

Cerebral Visual Impairment affects children's visual processing. Understanding CVI is vital for support and interventions. Learn more about this condition and how to assist affected individuals

Book your appointment today! https://tinyurl.com/2btfcw3h

🤙Call us at [phone]

#therapy #special needs #special education #child development #education #e learning #online clinic #online therapy #communication #cortical visual impairment #cvi children #cvi awareness #cvi #vision care #vision therapy #visual impairment #cerebral visual impairment

[teachingrounds]

GRI Disorders can cause cortical vision impairment, treatment-resistant epilepsy, intellectual disability, Autism, and movement and feeding issues due to hypotonia and motor planning difficult. Affected individuals may not have the neuromuscular skills to speak or use sign language but may be able to use an augmentative and alternative communication device.

#TeachingRounds #FOAMed #pediatrics #genetics #neurology #raredisease

[helperderato]

The letterbox

DOWNLOAD NOW The letterbox

#The letterbox free#

How can this view explain why all readers possess a specialized and reproducibly located area for a recent cultural invention? The idea is that the act of reading is tightly constrained by the preexisting brain architectures for language and vision. Each cultural object must find its neuronal niche-a set of circuits that are sufficiently close to the required function and sufficiently plastic to be partially “recycled.” The theory stipulates that cultural inventions always involve the recycling of older cerebral structures that originally were selected by evolution to address very different problems but manage, more or less successfully, to shift toward a novel cultural use. On the contrary, new cultural inventions such as writing are only possible inasmuch as they fit within our preexisting brain architecture.

#The letterbox free#

5 We should stop thinking of human culture as a distinctly social layer, free to vary without bounds, independent of our biological endowment. According to a theoretical proposal called the neuronal recycling hypothesis, which I introduced with colleague Laurent Cohen a few years ago, the human brain contains highly organized cortical maps that constrain subsequent learning. Resolving this paradox requires thinking about the state of the brain prior to literacy. How is it, then, that we all possess a specialized letterbox area? Reading as Neuronal Recycling Thus, there was no time for Darwinian evolution to shape our genome and adapt our brain networks to the particularities of reading. But how is this possible, given that reading is an extremely recent and highly variable cultural activity? The alphabet is only about 4,000 years old, and until recently, only a very small fraction of humanity could read. The brain of any educated adult contains a circuit specialized for reading. Yet many of these patients can still speak and understand spoken language fluently, and they may even still write only their visual capacity to process letter strings seems dramatically affected. He or she will be unable to recognize even a single word, as well as faces, objects, digits, and Arabic numerals. Furthermore, if it is impaired or disconnected via brain surgery or a cerebral infarct (type of stroke), the patient may develop a syndrome called pure alexia. For instance, the letterbox is the first visual area that recognizes that “READ” and “read” depict the same word by representing strings of letters invariantly for changes in case, which is no small feat if you consider that uppercase and lowercase letters such as “A” and “a” bear very little similarity. Yet it performs highly sophisticated operations that are indispensable to fluent reading. 4 Its efficiency is so great that it even responds to words that we fail to recognize consciously-words made subliminal by flashing them for a fraction of a second. The letterbox responds to written words more than it does to most other categories of visual stimuli, including pictures of faces, objects, houses, and even Arabic numerals. Indeed, this site is amazingly specialized. And, if it is destroyed or disconnected, as in the patient whose brain scan is shown at right, we may selectively lose the capacity to read.Įxperts call this region the visual word form area, but in a recent book for the general public, 3 I dubbed it the “brain’s letterbox,” because it concentrates much of our visual knowledge of letters and their configurations. In all of us, it is systematically located at the same place within a “mosaic” of ventral preferences for various categories of objects. It shows a stronger activation to words than to many other categories of visual stimuli, such as pictures of objects, faces, or places. 2 Figure 1. The visual word form area-the brain’s letterbox-is a small region of the human visual system that systematically activates whenever we read. Written words never fail to activate a small region at the base of the left hemisphere, always at the same place, give or take a few millimeters. A brief localizer scan, during which images of brain activity are collected as a person responds to written words, faces, objects, and other visual stimuli, serves to identify this region. 1 In particular, a small region of the visual cortex becomes active with remarkable reproducibility in the brains of all readers (see figure 1). Whenever we read-whether our language is Japanese, Hebrew, English, or Italian-each of us relies on very similar brain networks. Although I find the diversity of the world’s writing systems bewildering, there is a striking regularity that remains hidden.

DOWNLOAD NOW The letterbox

#The letterbox