Final answer:
The reorganization of the brain after congenital blindness is facilitated by neuroplasticity, involving the creation of new neural pathways and compensations by other sensory areas. Experiments with kittens have shown that sensory deprivation can lead to cortical adaptation, demonstrating the brain’s ability to adapt and rewire, even in the absence of visual input.
Step-by-step explanation:
The brain can reorganize itself after congenital blindness through a process known as neuroplasticity. This term describes the ability of the nervous system to change and adapt in response to various factors such as developmental processes, personal experiences, or injuries. Neuroplasticity can involve the creation of new synapses, the pruning of unused synapses, alterations in glial cells, and the growth of new neurons. The changes allow the brain to compensate for the lack of visual input by enhancing other sensory processes.
In experiments with kittens, researchers demonstrated a critical period for vision development, where deprived sensory input from one eye led to other areas of the visual cortex compensating and forming new neural connections. Similar effects are observed in humans with congenital blindness, where other senses may become more acute due to the reorganization of the brain. Research indicates that the brain can rewire itself, as evidenced in cases of phantom limb syndrome, where the brain reorganizes after limb loss. These insights also extend to congenital blindness, where binocular depth cue cells in the nervous system can persist and be activated later in life under certain conditions.