Brain Basis of Recovery from Blindness
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The brain basis of recovery from blindness following OOKP (osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis) surgery
IRAS ID
146618
Contact name
Jamie Ward
Contact email
Research summary
OOKP (osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis) is a rare form of eye surgery that reconstructs the surface of the eye with an artificial lens embedded into a tooth extracted from the patient (Liu et al., 2008, Br J of Opthal.). Patients receiving this treatment may be unsuited for more conventional procedures and, hence, have been blind for many years. In order for these patients to ‘see’ again a functioning eye is necessary but not sufficient: their brain must also relearn how to process the signals from the eye. This project examines how the brain readjusts following the restoration of vision using a longitudinal sample of patients undergoing this procedure. It is well-documented that parts of the brain normally dedicated to vision are used to support other functions (notably hearing and touch) in blind people and, moreover, such reorganisation of function can be observed in a matter of days in sighted people who are blindfolded. What is unknown is whether this multi-sensory reorganisation is a barrier to regaining functional vision following repair to the eye, or whether this provides a helpful scaffold for seeing again. Patients will undergo up to four sessions of MRI scanning within a one year period. The MRI protocol will enable structural changes in the brain to be documented (e.g. measures of cortical thickness) and also enable in vivo examination of brain function to various visual and non-visual stimuli (using functional MRI / fMRI which measures moment-to-moment changes in blood oxygenation). The research will give rise to a better scientific understanding of plasticity in the brain as a result of blindness and as a result of sight restoration. The research may ultimately be used for giving more accurate prognoses or for developing new treatment methods. It draws on world-leading expertise from the Sussex Eye Hospital (the only centre in the UK to perform this surgery) and the University of Sussex.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0630
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion