A qualitative limitation on visual transfer via the anterior commissure. Evidence from a case of callosal agenesis. 1985

A Martin

Interhemispheric transfer of visual information was investigated in a patient with agenesis of the corpus callosum. CT scanning, pneumoencephalography, and neuropsychological evaluation failed to reveal any evidence of extracallosal cortical damage. The patient's performance was within normal limits both in the left and right visual fields on tasks requiring identification of briefly presented material. In contrast, his performance was abnormally poor when required simply to detect or localize a dot presented to the right of fixation. Performance with presentations in the left visual field was normal. These findings suggested that the absence of the corpus callosum may result in a selective impairment of visuospatial, but not identification, processes for material initially presented to the left hemisphere. To document this possibility further, the patient was tested on tasks designed to assess these processes simultaneously by requiring him both to identify and judge the exact location of each stimulus presented. Performance was normal in both lateral fields for identification accuracy, but significantly worse in the right visual field for location judgements. A similar pattern of results was found on a task requiring the identification of a stimulus and specification of its spatial orientation. These findings suggest a qualitative limitation on the type of information which may be transferred via the anterior commissure, possibly due to the inability of temporal lobe neurons to encode spatially organized information. Furthermore, the findings suggest that in the normal brain the right hemisphere may be crucially involved in visual attention and spatial functions, regardless of the field of presentation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D011581 Psychological Tests Standardized tests designed to measure abilities (as in intelligence, aptitude, and achievement tests) or to evaluate personality traits. Parenting Stress Index,Trier Social Stress Test,Trier Stress Test,Psychologic Tests,Psychological Test,Test, Psychological,Tests, Psychological,Index, Parenting Stress,Psychologic Test,Stress Index, Parenting,Stress Test, Trier,Test, Psychologic,Test, Trier Stress,Trier Stress Tests
D002540 Cerebral Cortex The thin layer of GRAY MATTER on the surface of the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES that develops from the TELENCEPHALON and folds into gyri and sulci. It reaches its highest development in humans and is responsible for intellectual faculties and higher mental functions. Allocortex,Archipallium,Cortex Cerebri,Cortical Plate,Paleocortex,Periallocortex,Allocortices,Archipalliums,Cerebral Cortices,Cortex Cerebrus,Cortex, Cerebral,Cortical Plates,Paleocortices,Periallocortices,Plate, Cortical
D003337 Corpus Callosum Broad plate of dense myelinated fibers that reciprocally interconnect regions of the cortex in all lobes with corresponding regions of the opposite hemisphere. The corpus callosum is located deep in the longitudinal fissure. Interhemispheric Commissure,Neocortical Commissure,Callosum, Corpus,Callosums, Corpus,Commissure, Interhemispheric,Commissure, Neocortical,Commissures, Interhemispheric,Commissures, Neocortical,Corpus Callosums,Interhemispheric Commissures,Neocortical Commissures
D004292 Dominance, Cerebral Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions. Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D001307 Auditory Perception The process whereby auditory stimuli are selected, organized, and interpreted by the organism. Auditory Processing,Perception, Auditory,Processing, Auditory
D014794 Visual Fields The total area or space visible in a person's peripheral vision with the eye looking straightforward. Field, Visual,Fields, Visual,Visual Field
D014795 Visual Pathways Set of cell bodies and nerve fibers conducting impulses from the eyes to the cerebral cortex. It includes the RETINA; OPTIC NERVE; optic tract; and geniculocalcarine tract. Pathway, Visual,Pathways, Visual,Visual Pathway

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