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Intra- and interhemispheric processing of visual information in callosal agenesis

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Abstract

Two siblings with total callosal agenesis were compared with two control groups on a number of tachistoscopic tasks involving unilateral and bilateral presentation of verbal and non-verbal stimuli. Acallosals were able to effect intra- and interhemispheric comparisons and to correctly identify all kinds of stimuli in either visual field. However, they responded more slowly, especially in the bilateral condition where they also made more errors than the controls. The results are interpreted in terms of increased use of extra-callosal commissures.

Résumé

Deux enfants de la même famille porteurs d'une agénésie complète du corps calleux ont été comparés à deux groupes de contrôle dans des tests tachistoscopiques impliquant la présentation dans un seul hémichamp ou dans les deux de stimuli verbaux ou non-verbaux. Les agénésiques ont pu effectuer des comparaisons intra et inter-hémisphériques et identifier correctement toutes sortes de stimuli dans l'un ou l'autre champ visuel. Cependant, ils répondaient plus lentement, surtout dans la condition bilatérale où ils faisaient aussi plus d'erreurs que les sujets de contrôle. Les résultats sont interprétés comme témoignant d'une utilisation plus importante chez les sujets agénésiques, des commissures extra-calleuses.

Zusammenfassung

Zwei Kinder derselben Familie mit Agenesie des Corpus callosum wurden mit zwei Kontrollgruppen beu einer Anzahl von tachistoskopischen Aufgaben verglichen, welche einseitige und bilaterale Darbietung verbaler und nichtverbaler Stimuli einschlossen. Die Patienten ohne Corpus callosum konnten intra- und interhemisphärisch Vergleiche ausführen und konnten alle Arten von Stimuli in jedem der Gesichtsfelder korrekt identifizieren. Sie antworteten jedoch langsamer, besonders bei der bilateralen Darbeitung, wo sie auch mehr Fehler als die Kontrollpersonen machten. Die Ergebnisse werden so interpretiert, daß die Patienten mit Agenesie des Corpus callosum verstärkt extrakallosale Kommissuren benutzen.

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