1992 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Visual localization of object and locomotive behavior in the congenitally blind after surgery
| Project/Area Number |
03451015
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Psychology
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| Research Institution | University of the Sacred Heart |
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Principal Investigator |
TORII Shuko University of the Sacred Heart Psychology, Prof., 文学部, 教授 (50015012)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TORII Toshiko Japan Women's University, Psychology, Assoc. Prof., 人間社会学部, 助教授 (70060671)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1991 – 1992
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| Keywords | The early blind after operation / Congenital cataract / Mirror-image / Visual localization / Restricted visual field / Depth perception / 歩行行動 / 視空間 |
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| Research Abstract |
We have been following up the recovering process of the visual activities of a lady(MO,14 years old) and a lady(ToM,20 years old), who were born blind with corneal disease and congenital cataract, respectively.
Main results obtained so far as follows:
(1) MO could see only light until she received corneal transplantation at the age of 4(left eye). While she continued visual learning with us since the second transplantation (left eye,10 years old), she has gradually gained functions to identify color, 2-D shape on a white ground and 3-D solids on a table. Her visual activity to locate an object in space has much improved, although it has left something to be trained. Especially, an image in a mirror caused difficulty. When she looked at the mirror-image of herself for the first time ('89.12.28, it was 2 months after of the 2nd transplantation to the left eye), she searched not only the surface of the mirror by touching,but also the space behind the mirror by going to the back of it. She could not locate objects reflected by the mirror. When she succeeded in locating an object reflected in the mirror for the first time('91.3.1), it was not her own body, but that of another person. It was after 2 years from the onset of the experiment that she succeeded in locating reflect-ed images of herself.
(2) ToM could see light and hand movement until she received the operation for removal of congenital cataract at the age of 9(both eyes). While she continued visual learning with us, her visual space has gradually expanded. For example, she is now able to identify colored things from the distance of 2-3m.
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