Researchers uncover new understanding of brain’s early spatial development
10 January 2013
Researchers at the University of Bath have uncovered a new understanding of how the brain develops its sense of space by working with blind people.
The researchers from the University’s Department of Psychology found that people who lose their sight later in life use a different method of following directions to those who are born without sight.
This means that the brain needs to have a visual experience early on in life in order to build a visual perspective, or frame of reference, to know what is where.
The researchers carried out a study with participants including those who were congenitally blind; those who became blind later in life; and others who were sighted, to learn which methods the different groups used to remember where things are.
The study revealed that people who have been sighted and then become blind use a ‘allocentric’ reference frame, meaning they remember locations as they are positioned relative to one another, and this is the same as sighted people who do this task, even when blindfolded.
