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The Ties that Bind: Agnosia, Neglect and Selective Attention to Visual Scale
Robert L Whitwell1, Christopher L Striemer2, Jonathan S Cant3
1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. rwhitwel@gmail.com.
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports
|September 29, 2021
Summary
Visual agnosia and neglect are linked by "scale attention," a framework explaining shared deficits in visual perception. This research highlights neural pathways connecting visual processing and attention, revising our understanding of conscious visual experience and action.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Visual agnosia and neglect are traditionally viewed as distinct neurological disorders.
- Apperceptive agnosia and object-centered neglect share similar deficits in conscious visual experience.
- Existing frameworks do not fully account for the overlap in deficits between these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a closer association between apperceptive visual agnosia and object-centered visual neglect.
- To introduce a theoretical framework of "scale attention" to explain shared deficits.
- To review neural pathways involved in visual perception, neglect, and attention to scale.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on visual agnosia, neglect, and attention.
- Analysis of neuroanatomical pathways, including the superior longitudinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus.
- Examination of studies on visual perception, visually guided grasping, and attentional networks.
Main Results:
- Direct pathways link parietal and occipitotemporal cortices, crucial for visual experience and object recognition.
- Left hemisphere pathways are vital for planning grasps on multi-part objects, integrating semantic information.
- Indirect pathways involving frontal lobes modulate visual awareness through working memory and goal-directed attention.
Conclusions:
- Attention to scale is essential for conscious visual experience and goal-directed actions.
- Shared deficits in agnosia and neglect can be explained by disruptions in scale attention.
- Revisions to theories of visual perception and action are necessitated by recent findings on cortico-cortical pathways.
Keywords:
GraspingObject-centered neglectSelective attentionVisual agnosiaVisual pathwaysVisual perceptionMore Related Videos
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