# Characterizing Large-scale Neuroplastic Changes in Cerebral Compared to Ocular Visual Impairment

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY · 2021 · $303,593

## Abstract

Summary
The objective of the proposed research is to better understand the underlying neurophysiology of
cerebral/cortical visual impairment (CVI), the leading cause of congenital vision loss in the United States and
developed world. CVI is associated with peri-natal damage to visual cerebral structures and pathways, and
leads to a myriad of impairments in visual function. Despite this alarming public health issue, there is a
fundamental gap in our understanding as to how the visual system develops in the setting of cerebral
compared to ocular based visual impairment. Current studies using standard clinical imaging modalities are
limited in their ability to characterize brain functional reorganization in the setting of widespread neurological
injury. To further advance our understanding, we will employ multi-modal neuroimaging to characterize whole
brain as well as regional structural and functional brain connectivity in CVI associated with periventricular
leukomalacia (PVL). In our first aim, we will characterize white matter integrity and structural connectivity using
high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI). In our second aim, we will characterize functional brain
connectivity networks using resting state functional connectivity (rsfc)MRI. Using a graph theoretical analysis
framework, we will then investigate network topological properties and the coupling between structural and
functional networks. Further characterization of functional connectivity will be carried out using stepwise
functional connectivity (SFC) analysis. This complementary approach allows for the investigation of
widespread network alterations on information transfer across the entire brain, and represents a key
distinguishing innovation of this proposal. Specifically, the examination of topological characteristics and the
nature of structural-functional network coupling will lead to a better understanding of CVI by uncovering the
nature of network alterations in the setting of congenital brain injury and how it relates to visual function.
Findings will be compared to ocular visually impaired (OVI) individuals (matched for residual visual function) as
well as neurotypical sighted controls. Our overarching hypothesis is that CVI is associated with key differences
in the organization and relationship between structural-functional connectivity networks. Furthermore, we
predict that in CVI, functional networks responsible for visual processing will show evidence of reorganization
in response to large-scale white matter injury, and this may serve as a useful biomarker in relation to clinical
functional assessments. This study will provide a high level of insight that has not been previously achieved by
previous investigations relying on standard clinical imaging approaches. Uncovering how the brain develops in
the case of CVI and how it differs from ocular based visual impairment is a crucial first step in developing a
neurorehabilitative framework specifically designed...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10145703
- **Project number:** 5R01EY031300-02
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lotfi Merabet
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $303,593
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10145703

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10145703, Characterizing Large-scale Neuroplastic Changes in Cerebral Compared to Ocular Visual Impairment (5R01EY031300-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10145703. Licensed CC0.

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