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Bilateral striate cortex contusion presenting with cerebral asthenopia rather than cortical blindness
K Arakawa1, S Tobimatsu, J Kira
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka.
Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi = Hukuoka Acta Medica
|July 1, 1997
Summary
A young woman with severe brain lesions causing potential blindness maintained good vision. This suggests remarkable brain plasticity in the visual cortex, enabling compensation for significant injury.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroplasticity
- Visual Cortex Research
Background:
- Severe bilateral occipital lobe contusion in infancy.
- Expected outcome of cortical blindness due to striate cortex lesions.
Observation:
- A 22-year-old female with significant bilateral striate cortex lesions.
- Despite severe lesions, she exhibited functional vision with symptoms of cerebral asthenopia and visual field restriction.
Findings:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed severe lesions in bilateral striate cortices.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) showed visual stimuli activated only primary visual cortices.
- Residual vision was present despite the expectation of cortical blindness.
Implications:
- The findings highlight the significant potential for neuroplasticity in the human visual cortex.
- This case demonstrates the brain's capacity to adapt and compensate for severe early-life visual pathway injury.
- Suggests that even primary visual cortices can exhibit functional reorganization following trauma.