Rewiring the Brain: Once Was Blind, But Now Can See? (New Scientist)

Areas usually involved in vision can be repurposed to handle other information
by MedPage Today Staff September 18, 2017

Areas of the brain normally involved in vision-related activity are re-purposed in the blind to process other types of information, such as that derived from touch or sound, according to a report in New Scientist.
In a study using magnetoencephalography, sighted and blind volunteers listened to clips from an audio book that were either clear, distorted but intelligible, or incomprehensible. Activity in the auditory cortex was detected in both groups, but the blind individuals also showed activity in the visual cortex.
A fuller understanding of how the brain adapts to various stimulatory inputs may help researchers predict whether novel treatments such as stem cell transplants or “bionic eyes” might succeed in rewiring the brain to allow vision in the blind.