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Changes in Visual Cortical Connectivity Following Central Visual Field Loss

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@data-hcp data-hcp released this 16 May 11:59
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Changes in Visual Cortical Connectivity Following Central Visual Field Loss

License

The FIB files are shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If you use these data, please acknowledge the contribution of ACCESS resources: CIS200026 & MED230052.

Per the NDA agreement, I am not permitted to share raw MRI data. However, after consulting with the NDA program lead, I am authorized to share derived data, such as the FIB files. For access to other data, you can request it directly through NDA. Once you have the Data Use Agreement (DUA), feel free to share it with me, and I can provide you with a link to access the SRC files.

Project Overview

Macular degeneration (MD) results in the loss of central vision, severely affecting the ability to perform essential daily tasks such as reading and recognizing faces. By 2020, it was estimated that 3 million U.S. citizens would be affected by this debilitating condition. While many patients adapt by relying on their peripheral vision, the neural mechanisms underlying this remarkable visual plasticity remain poorly understood.

Understanding these mechanisms is of great clinical importance, as it could lead to the development of more effective therapeutic strategies to improve functional vision for patients with MD. It also offers valuable insights into neuroplasticity, informing our understanding of brain adaptation across a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Study Objectives

The primary objective of this research is to identify the neuroplastic mechanisms that enable patients with MD to successfully use their peripheral vision for tasks typically dependent on central vision.

Central Hypothesis:
Greater reliance on peripheral vision following MD causes visual cortical regions that represent peripheral areas to become structurally and functionally more similar to those representing the macula, thus improving functional vision.

Research Approach

Using Human Connectome Project (HCP) datasets and protocols, the study will:

  1. Assess Functional Connectivity:

    • Investigate changes in functional connectivity between early visual cortex and fronto-parietal control networks following central vision loss.

  2. Examine Structural Connectivity:

    • Analyze structural changes in white matter integrity using diffusion MRI measures.

  3. Measure Cortical Thickness:

    • Evaluate changes in cortical thickness within early visual regions related to peripheral vision processing.

Study Population:

  • Participants with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
  • Matched healthy control participants

Significance

This research aims to fundamentally improve our understanding of how the brain compensates for central vision loss through top-down neural plasticity mechanisms.

  • Findings will guide the development of new, targeted therapeutic strategies to help patients with MD better use their spared vision.
  • Broader implications include advancing our understanding of neuroplasticity and brain adaptation in other forms of sensory loss and neurological disorders.
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