After the operation, she was able to see simple shapes like lines or letters again.
- The cerebral cortex receives and processes information from the eyes.
- This study is a proof of principle: it demonstrates that the system works.
- The researchers point out that there is still a lot of work to be done before access to this implant is generalized.
Blindness may no longer be a fatality. A group of international researchers has developed a brain implant allowing blind people to partially regain their sight. In The Journal of Clinical Investigation, they publish the results of their trial with a 58-year-old woman. Thanks to their device, she can now see simple shapes.
An implant and glasses to regain sight
The neurosurgeon behind this study implanted a micro-electrode array consisting of 100 micro-needles into the participant’s visual cortex. This manipulation had two objectives: to record and to stimulate the neurons located near the electrodes. At the same time, the fifties, blind for 16 years, wore glasses equipped with a miniature video camera. Specialized software encoded the visual data collected by the camera and sent it to electrodes in the brain. These then stimulated surrounding neurons to produce white points of light called “phosphenes” in order to create an image. The implant allowed the woman to see lines, shapes and letters. To help her practice with the prosthesis, the researchers created a video game with a character from the ‘TV show The Simpsons. The participant tolerated the surgery well, and the implant was well supported.
Improving the independence of blind people
“These results are very exciting because they demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the implant, and they could help realize a long-held dream: the transfer of information from the outside world directly to the visual cortex of blind people, thus restoring a rudimentary form of sight“, says Professor Eduardo Fernández, co-author of this research. Following these results, he hopes to be able to develop a brain prosthesis for “improve the independence of blind people“. But the implant could also enhance their safety, allowing them to distinguish cars, doors or people.
A method already tested before
This research complements previous work on the subject. In 2014, an American, who became blind due to an illness, was able to regain his sight in part thanks to an implant and specific glasses. In 2019, Canadian scientists also worked on this kind of device, the effectiveness of which they proved in a study.
.