Holly Bridge, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience
Oxford University Investigating the Pathways Underlying Residual Vision in Hemianopia
Damage to the primary visual cortex leads to loss of the visual field contralateral to the damaged cortex. However, in spite of this loss, some patients are still able to detect visual information about stimuli presented within their blind field. A growing area of research aims to exploit this residual visual function to try to improve visual performance through rehabilitation programs stimulating the blind field. However, to optimize such programs it is important to understand the pathways through which this information is conveyed. Dr. Bridge will outline a series of magnetic resonance imaging studies which attempt to elucidate these pathways in a group of hemianopic patients. Firstly she will explain how the functional MRI studies use the specific pattern of response to visual stimulation in different visual areas to uncover candidate pathways. She will use diffusion-weighted data to provide support for a pathway between the lateral geniculate nucleus and motion area MT that is consistently intact only in patients showing blindsight abilities. Finally, she will present recent data in which she finds further support for this pathway using functional connectivity analysis This free lecture is made possible in part by a generous endowment from Professor Roger B. Loucks. |