New Cell Discovery in the Primitive Brain May Help Reverse Blindness

Researchers at the Vision Center in Australia have discovered a rare cell group in the brain that recognizes patterns, shapes and edges which help humans avoid accidents. This group, located in the thalamus or ‘primitive brain’ and not in the cortex or ‘higher brain’ sheds new light on the mechanism of vision humans and primates in general. It was previously thought that the eye sent the light signals through the thalamus to the cortex which is the center of the brain responsible for language, memory and thought. This discovery has proved that vision is not dependant entirely on the cortex. Dr Kenny Cheong of Vision Center and University of Sydney states that this discovery has helped in understanding vision system of humans and will ultimately help in the development of treatments to restore vision like the bionic eye for people with blindness.