Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Ferreira, Sónia
Data de Publicação: 2019
Outros Autores: Pereira, Andreia Carvalho, Quendera, Bruno, Reis, Aldina, Silva, Eduardo Duarte, Castelo-Branco, Miguel
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/107191
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8136354
Resumo: The role of attentional mechanisms in peripheral vision loss remains an outstanding question. Our study was aimed at determining the effect of genetically determined peripheral retinal dystrophy caused by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) on visual cortical function and tested the recruitment of attentional mechanisms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We included thirteen patients and twenty-two age- and gender-matched controls. We analyzed cortical responses under attentional demands and passive viewing conditions while presenting a visual stimulus covering the central and paracentral visual field. Brain activity was studied in visual areas V1, V2, and V3 as well as in cortical regions of interest corresponding to the preserved and the damaged visual field. The influence of visual field extent and age of disease onset were also investigated. Cortical thickness of visual areas was also measured. We found that cortical visual responses under attentional demands were increased in patients with larger degeneration of visual field, as demonstrated by significant interaction effects between group and task conditions. Moreover, activation during the task condition was increased for patients in two cortical regions of interest corresponding to the preserved and damaged visual field, specifically in patients with severe visual field loss. These findings were observed in the presence of preserved visual cortical structure. We conclude that RP patients have enhanced visual attention recruitment despite their retinal degeneration, while cortical structure and overall response levels remain intact. The unmasking of feedback signals from higher level visual regions involved in attentional processes may explain the increased cortical responses. These findings are relevant for the design of strategies for treating retinal diseases, based on attentional cuing.
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spelling Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical DegenerationThe role of attentional mechanisms in peripheral vision loss remains an outstanding question. Our study was aimed at determining the effect of genetically determined peripheral retinal dystrophy caused by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) on visual cortical function and tested the recruitment of attentional mechanisms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We included thirteen patients and twenty-two age- and gender-matched controls. We analyzed cortical responses under attentional demands and passive viewing conditions while presenting a visual stimulus covering the central and paracentral visual field. Brain activity was studied in visual areas V1, V2, and V3 as well as in cortical regions of interest corresponding to the preserved and the damaged visual field. The influence of visual field extent and age of disease onset were also investigated. Cortical thickness of visual areas was also measured. We found that cortical visual responses under attentional demands were increased in patients with larger degeneration of visual field, as demonstrated by significant interaction effects between group and task conditions. Moreover, activation during the task condition was increased for patients in two cortical regions of interest corresponding to the preserved and damaged visual field, specifically in patients with severe visual field loss. These findings were observed in the presence of preserved visual cortical structure. We conclude that RP patients have enhanced visual attention recruitment despite their retinal degeneration, while cortical structure and overall response levels remain intact. The unmasking of feedback signals from higher level visual regions involved in attentional processes may explain the increased cortical responses. These findings are relevant for the design of strategies for treating retinal diseases, based on attentional cuing.Hindawi2019info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10316/107191http://hdl.handle.net/10316/107191https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8136354eng2090-59041687-5443313414701687-5443Ferreira, SóniaPereira, Andreia CarvalhoQuendera, BrunoReis, AldinaSilva, Eduardo DuarteCastelo-Branco, Miguelinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-06-19T16:15:58Zoai:estudogeral.uc.pt:10316/107191Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T21:23:33.116479Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
title Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
spellingShingle Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
Ferreira, Sónia
title_short Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
title_full Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
title_fullStr Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
title_full_unstemmed Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
title_sort Enhanced Visual Attentional Modulation in Patients with Inherited Peripheral Retinal Degeneration in the Absence of Cortical Degeneration
author Ferreira, Sónia
author_facet Ferreira, Sónia
Pereira, Andreia Carvalho
Quendera, Bruno
Reis, Aldina
Silva, Eduardo Duarte
Castelo-Branco, Miguel
author_role author
author2 Pereira, Andreia Carvalho
Quendera, Bruno
Reis, Aldina
Silva, Eduardo Duarte
Castelo-Branco, Miguel
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Ferreira, Sónia
Pereira, Andreia Carvalho
Quendera, Bruno
Reis, Aldina
Silva, Eduardo Duarte
Castelo-Branco, Miguel
description The role of attentional mechanisms in peripheral vision loss remains an outstanding question. Our study was aimed at determining the effect of genetically determined peripheral retinal dystrophy caused by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) on visual cortical function and tested the recruitment of attentional mechanisms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We included thirteen patients and twenty-two age- and gender-matched controls. We analyzed cortical responses under attentional demands and passive viewing conditions while presenting a visual stimulus covering the central and paracentral visual field. Brain activity was studied in visual areas V1, V2, and V3 as well as in cortical regions of interest corresponding to the preserved and the damaged visual field. The influence of visual field extent and age of disease onset were also investigated. Cortical thickness of visual areas was also measured. We found that cortical visual responses under attentional demands were increased in patients with larger degeneration of visual field, as demonstrated by significant interaction effects between group and task conditions. Moreover, activation during the task condition was increased for patients in two cortical regions of interest corresponding to the preserved and damaged visual field, specifically in patients with severe visual field loss. These findings were observed in the presence of preserved visual cortical structure. We conclude that RP patients have enhanced visual attention recruitment despite their retinal degeneration, while cortical structure and overall response levels remain intact. The unmasking of feedback signals from higher level visual regions involved in attentional processes may explain the increased cortical responses. These findings are relevant for the design of strategies for treating retinal diseases, based on attentional cuing.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10316/107191
http://hdl.handle.net/10316/107191
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8136354
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https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8136354
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31341470
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