Visual Brain Initiative

The Idea

The visual brain is a nearly ideal organizing percept for the conversion of "reductionism" to "productionism," and from "escent" to "essence." In a word, the visual brain initiative, and its institute, shall seek the productive "neuressence" of the visual brain across the human life span, starting at its formation.
 

Statement of Need

The visual system comprises approximately 35 percent of the brain's neurons and one-half (6) of the 12 cranial nerves; 85 percent of the sensorial information received by humans is the result of visual inputs. This massive representation of vision in the brain is manifestly linked to and affected by the presence (or absence) of appropriate - and cognitive performance is in substantial part linked to - organized visual inputs. Of these realities, we now know:

• Cognitive performance is a large, if not the prime, determinant of productivity in the modern world
• Behavior – including learning and knowing, thinking, and consequential actions – is brain directed
• The brain is more productively capacious, creative and aesthetic than the sum of its physical parts
• The realization that visual phenomena such as summation and neuro-adaptation are important new frontiers for eye care
• Reductionist science, literally down to individualized neuronal and atomic levels, can only take us so far
• For pediatric ophthalmology, the most important developments that will determine clinical effectiveness for the future are based within the visual brain, and
• The new frontiers of brain research are likely to benefit from:
  • Collaborative and integrated strategies to reveal the brain's "secrets"
  • Multicenter approaches to basic, applied laboratory and clinical scientific inquiry
  • Regional, national and international participation and collaboration

Therefore, the "silos" of science will benefit from bridges and networks that take reductionist scientific inquiry and bring the visual brain to life, not unlike the brain itself, to the benefit of children's eye challenges and adult strabismus.

Elements of the Initiative

The initiative may be conceptualized as having three legs. The program will focus on action, not belletrism.

• An exploration of the interfaces of what we now know and are doing. For example:
  • The importance of amblyopia and its role in brain functions from visual, through cognitive, to behavioral
  • The mechanisms and opportunities for practice improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of the visual, cognitive and emotional aspects of strabismus
• A "drilling" exploration of the opportunities to interdisciplinary joint venture inquiry, application and sharing of information. For example:
  • Extend the concept of a "brain physical" (Center from Brain Health) to an expanded "Eye-brain physical" (EBP)
  • Extend the inquiry into multisystem diseases such as prematurity, learning differences and autism
  • Create a comprehensive diagnostic center to incorporate the EBP into an integrated approach to diagnosis of multisystem disease
    • Low birth weight infants and children
• "Space probes" of new frontiers, including explorations of new knowledge, such as in genetics and nanotechnology, to advanced applications. For example:
  • Value assessment (human and economic) of improvements in performance
  • Neuresthetics, including neuro-marketing

The Institute will marshal the resources – human and real – to translate these efforts to the well being of children who may have developmental and/or degenerative disease.