Active clinical trials for "Blindness"

Brain plasticity of cortical activity caused by repetitive tactile stimulation could have a progressive development that was from primary parietal areas, passing over parieto-occipital areas and came secondary to primary occipital areas. This process allows to understand the existence of neurons in the brain and specific areas for certain functions independent of the type of stimulation is performed. By performing repetitive tactile stimulation over a period of 3 months,using a tactile stimulator, our group will try to prove several that repetitive tactile stimulation can create cross-modality and improve recognition and localization of patterns in blind people.

To accurately control body movements to interact with objects, our brain needs representations of the body and the nearby space. The broader aim of this research project is to study the behavioural and physiological mechanisms involved in the constitution of these representations, to identify their neural bases, in order to better understand the dysfunctions in the context of neurological or developmental disorders.

The study's objective is to measure changes in human visual cortex organization that may arise as a result of injury to the visual pathways. Subjects with retinal or cortical injury will be studied and compared to appropriate controls. Functional magnetic resonance imaging methods are used to monitor cortical topography in time. The main aims of the study are to determine: 1) what are the patterns of cortical reorganization that are seen spontaneously after injury, and 2) whether rehabilitative training can promote adaptive reorganization enhancing recovery.

Rationale: In preparation for treatment with gene therapy, this study is being conducted in order to investigate the natural history of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies (IRDs) due to mutations in RPE65 gene. Such a study will help identify suitable patients for therapeutic intervention. Methodology: This is a multicenter retrospective, descriptive chart review study designed to assess retinal structure and function in subjects with IRDs due to mutation in RPE65 gene by visual acuity, visual field measurements, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and a number of other vision-related assessments.