In
The Journal of Clinical Investigation
, Spanish researchers shared the research they have done to restore sight to a blind woman and the promising results they have obtained.
To carry out this study, led by Professor Eduardo Fernández Jover, they implanted microelectrodes in the patient's visual cortex in order to stimulate her neurons.
They also gave her a pair of glasses equipped with a camera.
Thus, the lights perceived by the camera are transformed into electrical signals and immediately sent to the electrodes.
It is therefore not clear images that reach the patient's brain but variations in light, giving her the possibility of spotting silhouettes or objects.
Encouraging results
The experiment was carried out on Bernadeta Gómez, a 57-year-old Spaniard who had been blind for 16 years, and it can be said that it was conclusive. Indeed, thanks to this innovation, the patient was able to detect certain shapes and read certain letters of the alphabet. Professor Eduardo Fernández Jover said: “These results are very exciting because they demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the implant, and they could help to realize a long-held dream: the transfer of information from the outside world directly to the visual cortex of blind people, thus restoring a rudimentary form of sight. "
One of the major advantages of this innovation is that it stimulates only the targeted neurons, that is, those that are near the electrodes, but not the others.
In addition, the level of electrical activity of the artificial retina remains quite low.
Now, the study needs to be tested in more depth with other blind patients.
But, in the long term, it could represent a small miracle for people with blindness and this innovation would help them considerably in their daily life.
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