Visual localisation in patients with occipital infarction

Visually directed pointing has been examined in a group of patients with occipital lobe infarction and in an age-matched control group. The visual field ipsilateral to the infarct showed normal localisation; there was no evidence that right sided infarction produced a bilateral disturbance. In quadrantanopia the spared quadrant on the affected side showed abnormal localisation in a few patients but this was not consistently associated with right or left sided defects. The majority of patients were able to detect a flashing light within the blind portion of the field although the same stimulus could not be seen during conventional perimetry. Some patients could localise the stimulus normally.