Enhanced Tactile Memory in the Blind

Detailed Summary

This study will determine if the brain regions in blind people that would normally be involved in vision are used instead to remember touch. Blind people have an enhanced sense of touch compared to sighted people, and they also perform better on tests for certain kinds of memory. This study will examine and compare the results of a touch memory test in blind and sighted people to determine what brain areas are involved in responding to touch. Blind people and sighted volunteers between 18 and 80 years of age who have no psychiatric problems or neurological problems (other than blindness) may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical interview and examination. Participants undergo one or both of the following procedures: Behavioral experiment Sighted participants are blindfolded during this experiment. Subjects sit comfortably in front of a table. They are presented with a number of surfaces placed on a table one at a time and are given 10 seconds to feel each surface with the index finger on their dominant hand. They must concentrate and memorize the surfaces as best they can. After a 15-minute break, they are again presented with a series of surfaces and given 10 seconds to feel each one. This time, they must say as quickly as possibly whether the surface is one they touched previously or is a new surface. Functional MRI MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of body organs and tissues. In this study, subjects undergo MRI scanning of the brain while performing the same touch test described above. For the MRI, the subject lies on a table that slides into the scanner. The MRI machine detects change in the brain regions involved in performing the task.

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