Some blind people use returning echoes from their\u00a0own\u00a0mouth clicks to\u00a0perceive\u00a0external\u00a0surroundings,\u00a0or\u00a0echolocation.\u00a0New from\u00a0eNeuro, Haydee Garcia Lazaro and Santani Teng, from Smith\u2013Kettlewell Eye Research Institute,\u00a0explored how the human brain creates representations of external surroundings using echolocation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The researchers first discovered that\u00a0four\u00a0blind individuals\u00a0comfortable with\u00a0using echolocation\u00a0could\u00a0identify\u00a0object\u00a0location better than\u00a021 people\u00a0with vision intact\u00a0in a dark room. Accuracy at using echolocation improved with more\u00a0self-generated\u00a0mouth clicks\u00a0in\u00a0these\u00a0expert echolocators.\u00a0The researchers also linked neural activity in the brain to the ability of blind individuals to\u00a0determine\u00a0object location. This activity, alongside\u00a0behavioral measures,\u00a0strengthened across click sequences, leading to more\u00a0accurate\u00a0object location.\u00a0Says Garcia-Lazaro, “Basically, we found that, in some experts, there appears to be a summation, or accumulation, of information in the brain that builds up across clicks about object location.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the researchers, this work\u00a0shows how the brain uses\u00a0repeated sound information to create\u00a0representations of the environment in the absence of vision.\u00a0Garcia-Lazaro expresses excitement about\u00a0the next\u00a0steps stemming from this work, including\u00a0determining\u00a0what makes blind people adept at echolocation\u00a0and training people with\u00a0and without\u00a0sight to engage their echolocation ability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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