Gothe J, Brandt SA, Irlbacher K, Röricht S, Sabel BA, Meyer BU. Changes in Visual Cortex Excitability in Blind Subjects as Demonstrated by TMS brain (2002), 125, 479-490
In this study, J. Gothe, S.A. Brandt, K. Irlbacher, S. Röricht, B.A. Sabel and B.-U. Meyer performed stimulation mapping of the visual cortex in order to determine the level of patients’ response to conscious, subjective light sensations (phosphenes).
While early visual deprivation suppresses development of the visual cortex, leading to an inability to respond to visual stimuli, the researchers’ ability to elicit phosphenes was greater in patients with at least some visual experience. Patients perceiving the most phosphenes were those with the highest degree of residual vision.