Research Projects
Sensory Substitution for visual rehabilitation
One of my main goals in the lab has been to develop new Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs), such as the EyeCane and the EyeMusic, both for future research and for practical visual rehabilitation for our great pool of blind particpants.
A key part of this project is developing training paradigms for these new devices, exploring the effect of games and virtual-reality scenarios on users, exploring playfulness in the adult blind population and more.
Select publications:
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Maidenbaum S*, Hanassy S*, Abboud S, Buchs G, Chebat DR, Levy-Tzedek S, Amedi A. The “EyeCane”, a new electronic travel aid for the blind: Technology, behavior & swift learning Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 2014
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Abboud S, Hanassy S, Levy-Tzedek S, Maidenbaum S, Amedi A. EyeMusic: Introducing a “visual” colorful experience for the blind using auditory sensory substitution Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 2013
Virtual environments and spatial cognition
I am utilizing these new SSDs in virtual environments both to explore behavioral questions in controlled environemnts (such as "How does the users navigation change when offered distal perceptual information?" "How well can blind users perform allocentric landmark based navigation via SSD?') and to explore more complex questions in virtual reality game paradigms during neuroimaging
Select publications:
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Maidenbaum S, Chebat DR, Levy-Tzedek S, Namer-Furstenberg R, Amedi A. The Effect of Expanded Sensory Range via the EyeCane Sensory Substitution Device on the Characteristics of Visionless Virtual Navigation Multi-Sensory Research 2014
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Maidenbaum S, Levy-Tzedek S, Chebat DR, Amedi A. Increasing Accessibility to the Blind of Virtual Environments, Using a Virtual Mobility Aid Based On the "EyeCane": Feasibility Study PLoS1 2013
The Brain as a Task Machine
One of the basic findings of the Amedi lab is that many brain regions which are considered "visual" are actually more task based then modality based (though with a preference for specific modalities).
This theory of the "Brain as a task machine" helps explain why users can master SSDs and offers hope for visual rehabilitation for the congenitally blind despite "critical periods" - and indeed, imaging work i the lab using SSDs has repeatedly found such task based recruitment.
This includes regions such as the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA), the Visual Number Form area (VNFA), the extrastriate Body Area (EBA) and many more.
Select Publications:
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Maidenbaum S, Abboud S, Amedi A. Sensory substitution: Closing the gap between basic research and widespread practical visual rehabilitation Neurobiological Biobehavioral Reviews 2014
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Abboud S, Maidenbaum S, Dehaene S, Amedi A. A number-form area in the blind Nature Communications 2014