Teaching the Brain to See Again
Scientists are developing devices that could restore vision to those who have lost their sight due to injury.
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Your Ears' Digitizers
You have this tiny corkscrew to thank for every song you’ve ever heard.
Andrew Forge
Your brain plays a vital role in your hearing and vision processes. When you hear, tiny cells in the inner ear transform vibrations in the air into every imaginable sound. When you see, the optic nerve carries light information to the visual processing center of the brain. When those processes are interrupted it can lead to vision or hearing loss, and in some cases even deafness or blindness. In these instances, however, there are many ways to recover some of what has been lost.
Click through the images in the slideshow to learn more about the causes of deafness and blindness and the research being done in these areas.
About the Authors
Kristina Reznikov
Kristina is the former web communications specialist for BrainFacts.org. She formerly worked as the publications director for a legal publications company in Washington, DC.
Alissa Ortman
Alissa is the outreach and BrainFacts.org manager. While earning her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Smith College, she researched glial development in the central nervous system and its relationship to cancer.