[Clinical and E.E.G. study of 9 cases of cortical blindness (author's transl)]

The authors report 9 cases of cortical blindness (7 of vascular origin, 2 due to septic embolism). These were characterised by blindness, loss of the blink reflex in response to threat, and of optokinetic nystagmus, conservation of the pupil reflexes, a confusional state with memory disturbances and anosognosia. The accompanying E.E.G. changes were basically impoverishment of occipital alpha activity, with theta and delta waves mainly in posterior regions on one or both sides; blocking to eye opening was absent, and following of the occiptal background rhythm in response to photic stimulation was rare and partial. One patient developed repetitive slow waves in the left occiptal region, another developed bi-occipital spikes and a third developed bi-occipital paroxymal activity, more predominant on the right. These abnormalities resemble those seen during extraterritorial circulatory insufficiency or air emboli.