# REORGANIZATION OF VISUAL FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH POSTERIOR CORTICAL RESECTION: SELECTIVITY AND PLASTICITY

> **NIH NIH R01** · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $236,141

## Abstract

Summary
 Lobectomy or, in extreme cases, hemispherectomy, involves the removal of part or all of a
cerebral hemisphere as a means of treating certain intractable conditions (e.g. epilepsy). Despite the
radical nature of this procedure, the resulting visual deficits can undergo impressive improvement
over time, especially when the procedure is conducted at an early age. Surprisingly, rather little
exploration has been directed at elucidating the mechanisms supporting this remarkable display of
neural plasticity. The goal of this research is to characterize the remapping of visual processing in
both cortical and subcortical regions from pre- to post-surgery and longitudinally thereafter, using (and
correlating) fine-grained behavioral and neuroimaging methods (univariate and advanced multivariate
techniques) in a relatively large group of children who have undergone posterior cortical resection. We
first aim to characterize the reorganization of retinotopic cortex, by mapping meridians and by
population receptive-field (pRF) modeling. One intriguing hypothesis that motivates this investigation
concerns the ability of the intact occipital lobe to develop sensitivity over time to the affected ipsilateral
hemifield. Second, at the level of extrastriate cortex, we will characterize the selectivity and
topography associated with the recognition of visual categories such as faces, houses, objects and
word forms during task and during resting state scans. The ability of a single hemisphere to cope with
multiple categories is indicative of important adjustments in the architecture of high-level object
recognition and successful recognition may be mediated by a more compact integration of visual
representations underlying different categories. Third, we propose to explore functional and structural
changes in the profile of subcortical structures (e.g., pulvinar/superior colliculus) as a potential
mechanism for the cortical changes, and will examine structural connectivity between early and later
cortical regions and subcortical structures using tractography methods. Last, we will examine patterns
of recovery as a function of key variables such as age at test and at surgery, presurgical cognitive
level and side of lesion. This last factor is particularly relevant for understanding hemispheric
dominance, effects of lateralization and postsurgical reorganization. In sum, our investigation
constitutes an unprecedented examination of a radical case of cortical remapping at the single case
and aggregated group level. The degree and the manner by which there is restitution of visual
function following drastic reduction in the available neural resources can shed light on the boundary
conditions of plasticity. Understanding lobectomy and its consequences offers unique insights into
neural plasticity that can contribute significantly both to a basic science understanding of the visual
system and to translational approaches (possible rehabilitation methods and guideli...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9921400
- **Project number:** 5R01EY027018-04
- **Recipient organization:** CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Marlene Behrmann
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $236,141
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-05-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9921400

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9921400, REORGANIZATION OF VISUAL FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH POSTERIOR CORTICAL RESECTION: SELECTIVITY AND PLASTICITY (5R01EY027018-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9921400. Licensed CC0.

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