2026-07-13 マックス・プランク研究所
The scientists were able to map brain tissue microstructure at sub-millimeter scale, revealing several key patterns. © MPI CBS
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.mpg.de/26867341/the-brains-of-blind-people-reorganize-themselves
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec2348
先天性失明はヒトの視覚野の髄鞘形成を減少させる Congenital blindness reduces myelination in human visual cortex
Anna-Lena Stroh, Luke J. Edwards, Daniel Haenelt, Fakhereh Movahedian Attar, […] , and Nikolaus Weiskopf
Science Advances Published:10 Jul 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec2348
Abstract
Sensory experience is critical for cortical maturation, but the cellular consequences of its absence remain poorly understood in humans. Using in vivo sub-millimeter 3 T and 7 T MRI and ultra-high-gradient diffusion MRI, we investigated the effects of congenital blindness on the human early visual cortex. Blind individuals showed reduced R2* and MTsat—markers of iron and myelin—along with increased diffusivity, orientation dispersion, and reduced neurite density in the gray and superficial white matter. Cortical thickness was increased in blind individuals and associated with lower myelin and iron, questioning the long-standing assumption that increased thickness primarily reflects disrupted pruning. Our results provide no direct evidence for disrupted pruning. However, they suggest reduced myelination and oligodendrogenesis as key effects of congenital blindness and highlight the critical role of sensory input in shaping and stabilizing cortical circuits.
