Sami Abboud|Shachar Maidenbaum|Stanislas Dehaene|Amir Amedi
A number-form area in the blind
Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission|Collège de France|University of Paris-Sud|Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital|Institut de la Vision|Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies
distinct preference visual number symbols recently discovered human right inferior temporal gyrus ritg remains unclear preference emerges contribution shape biases formation whether visual processing underlies use congenital blindness model brain development without visual experience fmri present blind subjects shapes encoded using novel visualtomusic sensorysubstitution device eyemusic greater activation observed ritg subjects process symbols numbers compared control tasks symbols using restingstate fmri blind sighted show areas preference numerals letters exhibit distinct patterns functional connectivity quantity languageprocessing areas respectively findings suggest specificity ventral visual stream emerge independently sensory modality visual experience influence distinct connectivity patterns