A tract-based diffusion analysis in early and late blind subjects in the optic nerve and optic radiation

Tractography Based Spatial statistics was carried out on the DTI and T1 data acquired in 20 late blind, 20 early blind and 15 healthy controls at 3 T. Early blind showed more white matter impairments as compared to the late blind suggesting plasticity in the early blind than in the late blind. The cross modal plastic changes in the late blind were not as significant as those in the early blind subjects, supporting the conception of prospective plasticity of brain may decrease with onset of age of blindness.