State-dependent responses of emotional brain networks in high myopia under blurred vision: a shift towards dorsal stream and cross-modal processing
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Purpose: Reliable sensory input plays a vital role in shaping emotional experience, however, how the brain modulates the formation of emotion under chronic visual degradation remains unclear. Using high myopia (HM) as a natural model of sustained blur, this study investigated state-dependent responses of emotional brain networks during blurred movie viewing. Methods: Twenty-four participants with high myopia (HM) were tested without optical correction, comparing with normal vision (NV) controls from previous research. All participants watched thriller and scenic movie clips twice over one week during fMRI. Intra-subject synchrony and seed-based functional connectivity analyses focused on the amygdala and visual processing streams. Results: Compared to NV controls, the HM group exhibited reduced intra-subject synchrony in visual cortices but increased synchrony in the primary auditory cortex, indicating cross-modal compensatory enhancement. During threat processing, HM participants showed strengthened and stable functional connectivity between the amygdala and the dorsal visual stream. For non-threatening content, this enhanced connectivity initially involved both dorsal and ventral stream but persisted selectively in the dorsal stream upon repeated viewing. Conclusion: Sustained visual blur elicits a perceptual-state-dependent functional response in emotional networks, characterized by heightened cross-modal auditory integration and an increased recruitment of the visual dorsal stream during blurred viewing. These findings highlight the brain's immediate compensatory mechanisms under conditions of ambiguous visual input.
Source: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223105714