Thalamic visual neuroprostheses: Comparison of visual percepts generated by natural stimulation of the eye and electrical stimulation of the thalamus

Thalamic visual neuroprostheses to be implanted in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (the intermediate relay station of visual information from the retina to the cortex) could be used to provide visual information to blind people when retinal implants are not feasible. The main objective of the present work was to (i) determine a way to compare visual percepts generated by electrical stimulation of the thalamus and percepts elicited by natural stimulation of the eye and (ii) apply this method to contrast the responses of the cortical neurons under these two conditions.