Raising hope of effective treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), researchers have found that the brain knows how to integrate natural and artificial vision, while maintaining information processing that is important for vision. AMD is a common cause of severe vision loss in among those aged 50 and over.
When there is damage to the photoreceptor layers in the retina, an artificial retina a device built from tiny electrodes smaller in width than a hair may be implanted. Activating these electrodes results in electrical stimulation of the remaining retinal cells and results in visual restoration, albeit partially.
AMD patients implanted with an artificial retina possess a combination of artificial central vision and normal peripheral vision.
