Status:
COMPLETED
GABA Levels in the Brains of Blind People
Lead Sponsor:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Conditions:
Vision
Blind
Eligibility:
All Genders
18-55 years
Brief Summary
In blind individuals, the occipital cortex becomes capable of processing tactile and auditory information, a phenomenon described as crossmodal plasticity. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitte...
Detailed Description
In blind individuals, the occipital cortex becomes capable of processing tactile and auditory information, a phenomenon described as crossmodal plasticity. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitte...
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
- INCLUSION CRITERIA:
- All subjects must be between 18 and 55 years of age.
- Healthy sighted volunteers. Legally blind subjects with blindness secondary to retinal lesions or eye removal acquired at ages earlier than 4 years old (EARLY) and after 13 years of age (LATE). The rationale for the distinction is based in our previous studies that indicate different magnitude of brain plasticity depending on the age of acquisition of blindness.
- EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Exclusion criteria will be those of MRI procedures:
- Pregnant women tested after urine pregnancy test.
- Subjects with metal in the cranium except mouth.
- Subjects with metal fragments from occupational exposure or surgical clips in or near the brain.
- Subjects with blood vessel, cochlear or eye implants.
- Subjects with increased intracranial pressure as evaluated by clinical means.
- Subjects with cardiac or neural pacemakers.
- Subjects with intracardiac lines and implanted medication pumps.
Exclusion
Key Trial Info
Start Date :
February 11 2002
Trial Type :
OBSERVATIONAL
End Date :
March 3 2008
Estimated Enrollment :
39 Patients enrolled
Trial Details
Trial ID
NCT00357409
Start Date
February 11 2002
End Date
March 3 2008
Last Update
July 2 2017
Active Locations (1)
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1
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892