5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Cortical neuroprosthetics are shifting the paradigm in treating profound optic nerve damage and irreversible blindness.

• 2

  A 65-year-old man with long-standing NAION unexpectedly regained visual function after intracortical microstimulation.

• 3

  The patient reported perceiving natural visual sensations, marking his first visual experience in nearly four years.

• 4

  Improvements in visual acuity and perception occurred with the microelectrode implant switched off, indicating natural recovery.

• 5

  This case challenges assumptions about irreversible visual loss and suggests the brain may be a therapeutic target.