Insights into the functional specificity of the human corpus callosum.
Patient VP underwent complete callosotomy for the control of intractable epilepsy at the age of 27 years. Subsequent MRI, however, revealed spared callosal fibres in the rostral and splenial ends of the corpus callosum. We report a series of experiments designed to determine whether these fibres support functional transfer of information between the two cerebral hemispheres. Although we found no evidence for transfer of colour, shape or size information, there is good evidence for transfer of word information. This suggests that the spared splenial fibres in VP's corpus callosum are material-specific. The results of these experiments illustrate the remarkable degree of functional specificity within the corpus callosum
Funnell
M G
MG
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA. margaret.g.funnell@dartmouth.edu
Corballis
P M
PM
Gazzaniga
M S
MS
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003118:Color Perception; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007807:Language Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D010465:Perception