How Braille reading changes the brain in people who are blind
Neural basis of Braille literacy in blind adults and children
Using noninvasive brain scans, researchers will see how Braille reading shapes the brains of blind children and adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11287862 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are blind and read Braille or are learning to, you may be invited to Johns Hopkins for noninvasive MRI visits. Researchers will use functional MRI and high‑resolution diffusion MRI to map brain activity and anatomical connections during Braille reading in congenitally blind adults, late-onset blind readers with varying skill, and blind children learning to read. They will compare those brain patterns to what is known about sighted readers to determine whether Braille uses the same reading areas or develops tactile-specific reading regions linked to touch and language. The team hopes these findings will explain how reading experience reshapes the brain across ages and different blindness histories.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are blind individuals — including congenitally blind adults, late-onset blind adults with varying Braille proficiency, and blind children learning to read — who can undergo MRI scanning.
Not a fit: People who are sighted and do not use Braille, and individuals who cannot have an MRI (for example because of metal implants or severe claustrophobia), are unlikely to benefit or participate.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide better Braille teaching and rehabilitation by identifying which brain pathways support reading in different groups.
How similar studies have performed: Previous brain imaging has shown that blind readers can recruit visual cortex for language and Braille, and this project builds on those findings using higher-resolution imaging to test competing ideas.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bedny, Marina — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Bedny, Marina
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.