Surprising Connection Between Blindness and Mental Illness
blindnessThe University of Western Australia conducted a study that led to some interesting findings which must be explored in more detail. Researchers combed through data from nearly 500,000 people in WA health registers between 1980 and 2001. They were unable to find even one person with congenital or early cortical blindness who also developed schizophrenia—or any other psychotic illness.

"It's very difficult to say what the exact mechanism is but we think that the protective effect for schizophrenia is related to some kind of compensatory cortical reorganisation in the brain that’s happening in response to having congenital or early cortical blindness," said lead author, Professor Vera Morgan. “As a result, some functions that are impaired in schizophrenia may actually be enhanced in people with congenital or early cortical blindness."

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“Link between blindness and schizophrenia”


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