August 2014
Volume 14, Issue 10
Free
Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract  |   August 2014
Asymmetrical medial geniculate body volume in people with one eye
Author Affiliations
  • Stefania S. Moro
    Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
  • Krista R. Kelly
    Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
  • Larissa McKetton
    Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada
  • Jennifer K.E. Steeves
    Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
Journal of Vision August 2014, Vol.14, 1133. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/14.10.1133
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      Stefania S. Moro, Krista R. Kelly, Larissa McKetton, Jennifer K.E. Steeves; Asymmetrical medial geniculate body volume in people with one eye . Journal of Vision 2014;14(10):1133. https://doi.org/10.1167/14.10.1133.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Introduction. We have previously shown that people who have lost one eye early in life have enhanced sound localization (Hoover et al., 2011) and lack visual dominance (Moro & Steeves, 2011) compared to binocular and eye-patched viewing controls. People with one eye integrate auditory and visual information optimally, similar to controls, despite taking longer to localize unimodal visual stimuli (Moro, Harris & Steeves, 2013). Structurally, people with one eye have decreased lateral geniculate nuclei volume (LGN; thalamic visual relay station). However, this decrease is less severe in the LGN contralateral to the remaining eye, indicating altered structural development (Kelly, et al., 2013). The medial geniculate body (MGB; thalamic auditory relay station) plays a central role in auditory processing with both efferent and afferent tracts to primary auditory cortex (Schönwiesner, et al., 2007). Given the existing audiovisual processing differences and LGN changes in people with one eye, we investigated whether structural MGB changes are also present. Methods. MGB volume of adults who had undergone early unilateral eye enucleation was compared to binocularly intact controls. A series of 40 high-resolution proton density-weighted images were acquired with a 3T MRI scanner. Each series of scans were co-registered and averaged. Raters manually identified and traced MGB regions of interest in each participant. Results. People with one eye had a significant increase in MGB volume in the left compared to the right hemisphere independent of eye of enucleation. Controls did not exhibit this asymmetry. Conclusions. The volume asymmetry in the MGB in people with one eye may represent increased interaction between the left MGB and primary auditory cortex. This interaction could contribute to increased auditory attention, auditory spatial processing and other left hemisphere-dominant processing, including language. This asymmetry may reflect compensation for the loss of one half of visual inputs early in life.

Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2014

×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×