Unique brain mechanism helps learning hand gestures even for blind

A new study has suggested that a unique mechanism work in the brain helps in understanding and learning hand gestures even for blind people. The study conducted by Japanese researchers showed that a region of the neural network that recognizes others' hand gestures is formed in the same way even without visual information.

The study showed that human brain mechanism perceived human bodies from inanimate objects and showed a particular response.

The research group was able to pinpoint a common activated brain region regardless of visual experience and it also revealed that a region showing signs of activity that was dependent on the duration of the visual experience and it was also learned that this region functions as a supplement when recognizing hand gestures.

Assistant Professor Ryo Kitada of the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, said that many individuals were active in many parts of the society even with the loss of their sight as a child.

Kitada added that developmental psychology had been advancing its doctrine based on sighted individuals.

The study is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.