The sensory-deprived brain as a unique tool to understand brain development and function

On October 11th-13th 2018, the second edition of “The Blind Brain Workshop” was held in Lucca (Italy), which gathered most among the leading worldwide experts in the study of the sensory-deprived brain. The aim of the workshop was to tackle, from multiple and different perspectives, the current conceptual and methodological challenges on the topic and to understand how perceptual experience sculpts the brain during development, as well as in adulthood. Altogether, the contributions of this three-day workshop emphasized that the current understanding of the structural and functional organization as well as the development of the brain has significantly been promoted by the studies on the consequences of sensory-deprivation both in humans and animals. Nevertheless, by providing a unique opportunity for a direct comparison of different sensory-deprivation models, the workshop has uncovered open aspects in blindness, deafness and even somatosensory deprivation research. Suggestions for a substantial rethinking were postulated. The event additionally highlighted the role of early sensory experiences for functional development. In particular, the research on sensory-restoration has provided first evidence for the role of experience in typical development of different neural systems