Direct geniculo-extrastriate pathways: a review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to review the literature on direct geniculo-extrastriate pathways with special attention to 3D extrastriate visual areas.


METHODS
A literature review was realized using PubMed and Google Scholar. "Lateral geniculate nucleus", "geniculo-extrastriate pathways" and "white matter fiber tracts" were among the keywords used.


RESULTS
Existence of geniculo-extrastriate connections was first hypothesized by the clinical observations of Riddoch's syndrome in patients with striate cortex (primary visual area, V1) lesions. Robust histological proof of geniculo-extrastriate pathways exists in monkeys. In humans, these pathways were tested through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electro- and magneto-physiological paradigms. Conversely, only indirect proof of the connection between lateral geniculate nucleus and V5 exists. To our knowledge there were not any anatomical studies of geniculo-extrastriate connections in humans.


CONCLUSIONS
Few human studies take interest in geniculo-extrastriate pathways. Only indirect proof of geniculo-extrastriate pathways exists in humans.
Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Université de Brest, Brest, France. francis.ar@gmail.com.|Laboratoire de traitement de l'information médicale, LaTIM UMR1101, Brest, France. francis.ar@gmail.com.|Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Cavale Blanche, CHRU Brest, Brest, France. francis.ar@gmail.com.
Francis
F
Abed Rabbo
Institut d'Anatomie normale, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.|Service de Radiologie, CHRU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
Guillaume
G
Koch
Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Université de Brest, Brest, France.|Laboratoire de traitement de l'information médicale, LaTIM UMR1101, Brest, France.|Service d'Orthopédie, Hôpital Cavale Blanche, CHRU Brest, Brest, France.
Christian
C
Lefèvre
Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Université de Brest, Brest, France.|Laboratoire de traitement de l'information médicale, LaTIM UMR1101, Brest, France.|Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Cavale Blanche, CHRU Brest, Brest, France.
Romuald
R
Seizeur
D000818:Animals; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
Anatomy and connections; Lateral geniculate nucleus; Pathways; Stereoscopic/3D visual areas; Visual cortical areas; Visual field; White matter fiber tracts