Rethinking blinking: No cognitive modulation of reflex eye protection in early onset blindness

The neurological consequences of blindness have been widely studied. One area that has escaped attention however, is the effect of blindness on defensive reflexes that subserve the protection of vision. The hand-blink reflex (HBR) provides an excellent method to address this topic because the modulation of its brainstem circuitry has been clearly characterised, and it can be easily interrogated with non-invasive methods. The HBR is elicited by electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist, and consists in a rapid contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscles, with a clear defensive value for the eyes (Valls-Solé et al.

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