Superior auditory and tactile sensory capabilities in the blind

• Main Authors: Kwong, Cho Ki, Alwi, Nurmalina
• Other Authors: Xu, Hong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52695
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The brain has been shown to be remarkably plastic and adaptive, possessing the ability to repair and reorganise itself in the event of insult or sensory deprivation. The following review will focus on studies surrounding the influence of blindness on auditory and tactile perception, examining whether a compensatory effect takes place as a consequence of the loss of vision. While blind individuals have been found to possess enhanced auditory processing capabilities as compared to sighted individuals, to date, research into tactile acuity among the blind remains relatively inconclusive. The present investigation will also highlight certain mechanisms that underlie these observations. Also, the ability of blind individuals to integrate multisensory information will be examined. The implications of this review provide potential developments for more effective vision rehabilitation strategies in the future.