fMRI evidence of improved visual function in patients with progressive retinitis pigmentosa by eye-movement training

To evaluate changes in the visual processing of patients with progressive retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who acquired improved reading capability by eye-movement training (EMT), we performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after EMT. Six patients with bilateral concentric contraction caused by pigmentary degeneration of the retina and 6 normal volunteers were recruited. Patients were given EMT for 5 min every day for 8–10 months. fMRI data were acquired on a 3.0-Tesla scanner while subjects were performing reading tasks. In separate experiments (before fMRI scanning), visual performances for readings were measured by the number of letters read correctly in 5 min. Before EMT, activation areas of the primary visual cortex of patients were 48.8% of those of the controls. The number of letters read correctly in 5 min was 36.6% of those by the normal volunteers. After EMT, the activation areas of patients were not changed or slightly decreased; however, reading performance increased in 5 of 6 patients, which was 46.6% of that of the normal volunteers (p< 0.05). After EMT, increased activity was observed in the frontal eye fields (FEFs) of all patients; however, increases in the activity of the parietal eye fields (PEFs) were observed only in patients who showed greater improvement in reading capability. The improvement in reading ability of the patients after EMT is regarded as an effect of the increased activity of FEF and PEF, which play important roles in attention and working memory as well as the regulation of eye movements.