[Nfbf-l] Fw: Simulating blindness to improve hearing study

[Sherri]

Interesting article!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Samme.Ripley at ocfl.net
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 3:29 PM
Subject: Simulating blindness to improve hearing study


Reported February 7, 2014

Simulated Blindness May Help Improve Hearing

(Ivanhoe Newswire) - Music experts commonly use blind musicians like Stevie 
Wonder and Ray Charles as examples of how blindness can enhance hearing 
ability.  However, scientists did not fully comprehend just how that 
happened until now.

In a new study, neuroscientists at the John Hopkins University have found 
that minimizing a person's sight may improve the brain's ability to process 
hearing.  Researchers used mice in experiments to learn how the neural 
connections in the brain that controls vision and hearing work together to 
support each sense.

 "By temporarily preventing vision, we may be able to engage the adult brain 
to now change the circuit to better process sound, which can be helpful for 
recovering sound perception in patients with cochlear implants, for 
 example," Hey-Kyoung Lee explained, associate professor of neuroscience and 
researcher at the Mind/Brain Institute at the Johns Hopkins University, was 
quoted as saying. "Our result would say that not having vision allows you to 
hear softer sounds and better discriminate pitch."

For more information, go to: 
http://releases.jhu.edu/2014/02/05/simulated-blindness-can-help-revive-hearing-loss-researchers-find/

SOURCE: Neuron, February 2014





Samme Ripley, Program Manager

ADA Office of Disability Concerns

Family Services Department

2100 E Michigan St., 2nd floor

Orlando, FL 32806

407 836 6568, www.orangecountyfl.net/ADA



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