Brenna Cooper
A woman who lives with an unusual condition that allows her to 'see' her surroundings despite being blind has opened up on what it's like to live with.
When most people think about blindness and losing your vision, they often assume that a person sees complete pitch black when they open their eyes.
However, the reality of blindness is much more complex.
Blindness can happen from birth or develop throughout life from conditions such as cataracts or diabetes. Some people are considered 'legally blind' while being able to see rough shapes in their vision, while others do not see anything.
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But what about a condition where you're still able to sense your surroundings, despite being blind?
Well, this condition is known as blindsight.
Blindsight is a condition which allows people to react to visual stimuli around them, despite having complete vision loss.
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According to a study shared by Science Direct, blindsight typically occurs after an injury to the primary visual cortex (V1) area of the brain, which is located in the optical lobe.
Other researchers have also argued that blindsight is a result of small 'islands' of the visual cortex remaining functioning, despite overall damage.
Blindsight patients often have an awareness of nearby visual stimuli, such as noticing where a chair is placed in the room or raising their hand to catch an object thrown towards them.
Some people are even able to determine expressions on faces despite being unable to see them.
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"These cases open a window into parts of the brain that are normally not visible," Tilburg University's Marco Tamietto told the BBC when asked to explain the neuroscience behind blindsight.
"They offer a view to functions that are difficult to observe – that are normally silent."
Scottish woman Milina Cunning began to develop blindsight after suffering a stroke while in an induced coma during her early twenties.
Recalling how the ability began to develop during an interview with the BBC, Milina explained how she'd began to notice colour around 'six months' after waking up from her coma.
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She was then put in contact with Gordon Dutton, a researcher and professor of visual science, who was able to confirm she had the condition after a series of tests.
Explaining what her day-to-day like looks like with blindsight, she said: "I can walk around the house ok, and tidy things up. But I can’t see them. I know they’re there. My brain is telling me. It’s the same if the family have left things lying in the middle of the living room floor.
"It’s strange the things I can see but I’m not meant to see because I’m blind."