Retinal Prosthetic Strategies: From Nanotechnology to Optogenetics

old_uid16731
titleRetinal Prosthetic Strategies: From Nanotechnology to Optogenetics
start_date2018/11/19
schedule14h
onlineno
location_info5e étage, salle Byron Beige
summaryRetinal degeneration following photoreceptor cell death is a common cause for blindness, leading to such disorders as age related macular degeneration (AMD) or retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Under such conditions, the inner retina, responsible for visual signal processing and its transmission to the brain, is somewhat spared, despite some remodeling of the glial and neuronal populations. Retinal prostheses aim to stimulate the remaining inner retina with signals corresponding to the visual scene in the hope that these will be correctly interpreted by the brain. However, the consequences of remodeling associated with retinal degeneration are not permissive to the perfect functional integration of prosthetic devices. Anatomical observations describe a heavily inflamed landscape and severe rewiring whilst electrophysiological observations describe robust spontaneous oscillations as well as a lack of response to visual stimuli. In this presentation, I will describe some of the projects I was involved in to develop new generations of visual prosthetic systems designed to synergise with degeneration induced remodelling. I will also discuss how ectopic photosensitivity may be one of the keys to providing sharper and realer visual perception to blind patients.
responsiblesLafont