Disability News, Science Daily, Friday, December 19, 2025, received 2025 12 29
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Colin Howard
Dec 29, 2025, 11:08:42 AM (12 days ago) 12/29/25
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Greetings,
Interesting, I wonder what would happen for people who have never been in
any way sighted? If this can give such people sight, it's amazing, how
about other kinds of injury?
Neurons aren't supposed to regrow but these ones brought back vision
For decades, neuroscientists have taught neurons do not regenerate once they
are damaged or destroyed. This belief has shaped how brain injuries are
understood and treated. Yet people often regain at least some lost abilities
after trauma, raising an important question: if neurons do not grow back,
how does recovery happen?
A new JNeurosci paper offers insight into this puzzle. Athanasios Alexandris
and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University used mice to study what happens
inside the visual system after traumatic brain injury. The visual system
includes cells in the eye which send information to the brain, allowing
animals and humans to see. Damage to this system can disrupt communication
between the eye and the brain, leading to vision problems.
Surviving Cells Rebuild Eye to Brain Connections
After injury, the researchers closely tracked the connections between cells
in the eye and neurons in the brain. Instead of finding widespread regrowth
of new cells, they observed something different. The cells that survived the
injury began to adapt.
These surviving cells grew extra branches, which allowed them to connect
with more neurons in the brain than before. This process, known as
sprouting, helped compensate for cells lost due to injury. Over time, the
number of connections between the eye and the brain returned to levels
similar to those seen before the injury occurred.
Importantly, these rebuilt connections were not just structural.
Measurements of brain activity showed, the new pathways were working
properly and could transmit signals effectively. In practical terms, this
means the visual system was able to function again despite the damage.
Sex Differences in Visual System Recovery
The study also revealed a significant difference between male and female
mice. While male mice showed strong recovery through this compensatory
sprouting process, female mice experienced slower or incomplete repair. The
eye to brain connections in females did not always fully return to preinjury
levels.
According to the authors, these findings point to a recovery mechanism
operating differently depending on sex. As Alexandris explains, "We didn't
expect to see sex differences, but this aligns with clinical observations in
humans. Women experience more lingering symptoms from concussion or brain
injury than men. Understanding the mechanism behind the branch sprouting we
observed -- and what delays or prevents this mechanism in females -- could
eventually point toward strategies to promote recovery from traumatic or
other forms of neural injury."
The research team plans to continue investigating why this repair process
differs between females and males. By uncovering the biological factors
influencing neural recovery, they hope to identify new ways to improve
healing after brain injuries, including concussions and other forms of
trauma.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219030500.htm
David Goldfield,
Blindness Assistive Technology Specialist
http://www.DavidGoldfield.com
Director of Marketing,
Blazie Technologies
http://www.BlazieTech.com
JAWS Certified, 2022
NVDA Certified Expert
Subscribe to the Tech-VI announcement list to receive blindness technology
news, events and information.
Email: tech-vi+...@groups.io
http://www.DavidGoldfield.com
Colin Howard, living in Southern England, is hoping you and your family,
acquaintances and friends have so far been able to enjoy a pleasant Festive
holiday and will follow with a peaceful, prosperous and happy 2026.
Interesting, I wonder what would happen for people who have never been in
any way sighted? If this can give such people sight, it's amazing, how
about other kinds of injury?
Neurons aren't supposed to regrow but these ones brought back vision
For decades, neuroscientists have taught neurons do not regenerate once they
are damaged or destroyed. This belief has shaped how brain injuries are
understood and treated. Yet people often regain at least some lost abilities
after trauma, raising an important question: if neurons do not grow back,
how does recovery happen?
A new JNeurosci paper offers insight into this puzzle. Athanasios Alexandris
and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University used mice to study what happens
inside the visual system after traumatic brain injury. The visual system
includes cells in the eye which send information to the brain, allowing
animals and humans to see. Damage to this system can disrupt communication
between the eye and the brain, leading to vision problems.
Surviving Cells Rebuild Eye to Brain Connections
After injury, the researchers closely tracked the connections between cells
in the eye and neurons in the brain. Instead of finding widespread regrowth
of new cells, they observed something different. The cells that survived the
injury began to adapt.
These surviving cells grew extra branches, which allowed them to connect
with more neurons in the brain than before. This process, known as
sprouting, helped compensate for cells lost due to injury. Over time, the
number of connections between the eye and the brain returned to levels
similar to those seen before the injury occurred.
Importantly, these rebuilt connections were not just structural.
Measurements of brain activity showed, the new pathways were working
properly and could transmit signals effectively. In practical terms, this
means the visual system was able to function again despite the damage.
Sex Differences in Visual System Recovery
The study also revealed a significant difference between male and female
mice. While male mice showed strong recovery through this compensatory
sprouting process, female mice experienced slower or incomplete repair. The
eye to brain connections in females did not always fully return to preinjury
levels.
According to the authors, these findings point to a recovery mechanism
operating differently depending on sex. As Alexandris explains, "We didn't
expect to see sex differences, but this aligns with clinical observations in
humans. Women experience more lingering symptoms from concussion or brain
injury than men. Understanding the mechanism behind the branch sprouting we
observed -- and what delays or prevents this mechanism in females -- could
eventually point toward strategies to promote recovery from traumatic or
other forms of neural injury."
The research team plans to continue investigating why this repair process
differs between females and males. By uncovering the biological factors
influencing neural recovery, they hope to identify new ways to improve
healing after brain injuries, including concussions and other forms of
trauma.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219030500.htm
David Goldfield,
Blindness Assistive Technology Specialist
http://www.DavidGoldfield.com
Director of Marketing,
Blazie Technologies
http://www.BlazieTech.com
JAWS Certified, 2022
NVDA Certified Expert
Subscribe to the Tech-VI announcement list to receive blindness technology
news, events and information.
Email: tech-vi+...@groups.io
http://www.DavidGoldfield.com
Colin Howard, living in Southern England, is hoping you and your family,
acquaintances and friends have so far been able to enjoy a pleasant Festive
holiday and will follow with a peaceful, prosperous and happy 2026.
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