Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Review of Behavioural Studies of Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

  • Chapter
Structure and Function of Cerebral Commissures

  • 21 Accesses

Abstract

Psychological investigations of the consequences of surgical section of the cerebral commissures over the past 15 years have yielded some dramatic and thought-provoking findings (Sperry, 1968a). It is in the light of those studies, carried out predominantly with the patients of Bogen and Vogel (1962), that a renewed interest in the unusual neurological condition of congenital absence of the corpus callosum has been kindled. These patients present an intriguing picture which is in most respects very different from that typical of surgical ‘split-brain’ patients. Studies of the latter during the 1960s established a clear and internally consistent ‘disconnection syndrome’ which led Sperry (1968c) to the conclusion that ‘these patients behave in many ways as if they have two independent streams of conscious awareness, one in each hemisphere, each of which is cut off from and out of contact with the mental experiences of the other’. But the same author, following a series of comparable tests carried out upon a congenitally acallosal subject (Saul and Sperry, 1968), found ‘not one of the numerous symptoms of cerebral disconnection exhibited by the surgical cases under exactly the same testing conditions (Sperry, 1968b, p. 311).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Annett, M. (1967). The binomial distribution of right, mixed and left handedness. Q. JI exp. Psychol., 19, 327–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barr, J. E. (1977). An investigation of the interocular transfer of the movement aftereffect in an acallosal subject. M.A. dissert., University of St Andrews

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlucchi, G. (1972). Anatomical and physiological aspects of visual functions of corpus callosum. Brain Res., 37, 371–92

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, P. O. and Henry, G. H. (1971). Spatial vision. A. Rev. Psychol., 22, 119–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bogen, J. E. and Vogel, P. J. (1962). Cerebral commissurotomy in man. Preliminary case report. Bull. Los Angeles neurol. Soc., 27, 169–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogen, J. E., De Zure, R., Tenhouten, W. D. and Marsh, J. F. (1972). The other side of the brain. IV, The A/P ratio. Bull. Los Angeles neurol. Soc., 37, 49–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Bossy, J. G. (1970). Morphological study of a case of complete, isolated, and asymptomatic agenesis of the corpus callosum. Archs. Anat. Histol. Embryol., 53, 289–340

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bridgeman, C. S. and Smith, K. U. (1945). Bilateral neural integration in visual per-ception after section of the corpus callosum. J. comp. Neurol., 83, 57–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broadbent, D. E. and Gregory, M. (1965). On the interaction of S-R compatibility with other variables affecting reaction time. Br. J. Psychol., 56, 61–67

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bryden, M. P. and Zurif, E. B. (1970). Dichotic listening performance in a case of agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychologia, 8, 371–77

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Corballis, M. C. and Beale, I. L. (1976). The Psychology of Left and Right, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, M. (1976). Impaired sensory and motor differentiation with corpus callosum agenesis: a lack of callosal inhibition during ontogeny? Neuropsychologia, 14, 455–69

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, N. F. and Jeeves, M. A. (1970). The interhemispheric transfer of movement aftereffects: a comparison between acallosal and normal subjects. Psychon. Sci., 20, 201–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doty, R. W. and Negrâ’o, N. (1973). Forebrain commissures and vision. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Vol. VII/3 B (R. Jung, ed.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunne, J. J. (1977). The role of the corpus callosum in midline perception. M.A. dissert., University of St. Andrews

    Google Scholar 

  • Ettlinger, G. (1977). Agenesis of the corpus callosum. In Handbook of Clinical Neurology, vol. 30, part 1; ch. 12 (P. J. Vinken and G. W. Bruyn, eds.), North-Holland, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Ettlinger, G. and Blakemore, C. B. (1969). The behavioural effects of commissure section. Contributions to Clinical Neuropsychology, ch. 2 (A. L. Benton, ed.), Aldine, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Ettlinger, G., Blakemore, C. B., Milner, A. D. and Wilson, J. (1972). Agenesis of the corpus callosum: a behavioural investigation. Brain, 95, 327–46

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ettlinger, G., Blakemore, C. B., Milner, A. D. and Wilson, J. (1974). Agenesis of the corpus callosum: a further behavioural investigation. Brain, 97, 225–34

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferriss, G. S. and Dorsen, M. M. (1975). Agenesis of the corpus callosum. 1. Neuropsychological studies. Cortex, 11, 95–122

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fisken, R. A., Gareyx L. J. and Powell, T. P. S. (1975). The intrinsic, association and commissural connections of area 17 of the visual cortex. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B., 272, 487–536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gazzaniga, M. S. (1970). The Bisected Brain, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gazzaniga, M. S., Bogen, J. E. and Sperry, R. W. (1962). Some functional effects of sectioning the cerebral commissures in man. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 48, 1765–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gazzaniga, M. S., Bogen, J. E. and Sperry, R. W. (1963). Laterality effects in somesthesis following cerebral commissurotomy in man. Neuropsychologia, 1, 209–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gazzaniga, M. S., Bogen, J. E. and Sperry, R. W. (1965). Observations on visual per-ception after disconnexion of the cerebral hemispheres in man. Brain, 88, 221–36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geschwind, N. (1974). Late changes in the nervous system: an overview. In Plasticity and Recovery of Function in the Central Nervous System (D. G.,Stein, J. J. Rosen, and N. Butters, eds), Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Glickstein, M. and Whitteridge, D. (1974). Degeneration of layer III pyramidal cells in area 18 following destruction of callosal input. Anat. Rec., 178 362–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, M. N. and Joynt, R. J. (1969). Long-term follow-up of a callosum-sectioned patient. Archs. Neurol., 20, 96–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harcourt-Webster, J. N. and Rack, J. H. (1965). Agenesis of the corpus callosum. Postgrad. Med. J., 41, 73–79

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, W. (1962). The development of the human corpus callosum. J. Anat., 96, 355–58

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, H. C. (1965). The Spiral Aftereffect, Pergamon, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubel, D. H. and Wiesel, T. N. (1967). Cortical and callosal connections concerned with the vertical meridian of visual fields in the cat. J. Neurophysiol., 30, 1561–73

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hubel, D. H. and Wiesel, T. N. (1970). Cells sensitive to binocular depth in area 18 of the macaque monkey cortex. Nature (Lond.), 225, 41–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeeves, M. A. (1965). Psychological studies of three cases of congenital agenesis of the corpus callosum. In Functions of the Corpus Callosum, vol. 20, CIBA Foundation Study Groups, Churchill, London pp 73–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeeves, M. A. (1969). A comparison of interhemispheric transmission times in acallosals and normals. Psychon. Sci., 16, 245–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeeves, M. A. (1972). Hemisphere differences in response rates to visual stimuli in children. Psychon. Sci., 27, 201–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Julesz, B. (1971). Foundations of Cyclopean Perception, University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Julesz, B. (1975). Experiments on the visual perception of texture. Scient. Am., 234 (4), 34–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinsbourne, M. and Fisher, M. (1971). Latency of uncrossed and of crossed reaction in callosal agenesis. Neuropsychologia, 9, 471–73

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kretschmer, H. (1968). Zur Klinik des Balkensyndroms. Arch. Psychiat. Z. Ges. Neurol., 211, 250–65

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lehman, H. J. and Lampe, H. (1970). Observations on the interhemispheric transmission of information in 9 patients with corpus callosum defect. Eur. Neurol. 4, 129–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levy, J., Trevarthen, C. and Sperry, R. W. (1972). Perception of bilateral chimeric figures following hemispheric deconnexion. Brain, 95, 61–78

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loeser, J. D. and Alvord, E. C., Jr. (1968). Agenesis of the corpus callosum. Brain, 91, 553–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mackay, B. (1976). An investigation into two perceptual impairments with agenesis of the corpus callosum: depth perception and the completion of one visual half-field for a chimeric stimulus. M.A. dissert., University of St Andrews

    Google Scholar 

  • Milner, A. D. and Dunne, J. J. (1977). Lateralised perception of bilateral chimaeric faces by normal subjects. Nature (Lond.), 268, 175–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milner, B., Taylor, L. and Sperry, R. W. (1968). Lateralized suppression of dichotic- ally-presented digits after commissural section in man. Science, 161, 184–86

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, D. E. and Blakemore, C. (1970). Binocular depth perception and the corpus callosum. Vision Res., 10, 49–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, R. E. (1962). Discussion, Second Session. In Interhemispheric Relations and Cerebral Dominance (V. B. Mountcastle, ed), Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  • Persson, V. G. (1970). Untersuchungen bei drei fällen mit angeborenem Balkenmangel. Psychiat. Neurol. Med. Psychol., 22, 448–55

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, D. McQ. (1975). Hemisphere differences and interhemispheric relations with special reference to the functions of the corpus callosum. Ph.D. thesis, University of St Andrews

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, D. McQ. and Jeeves, M. A. (1974). Further studies of crossed and uncrossed pathway responding in callosal agenesis—reply to Kinsbourne & Fisher. Neuropsychologia, 12, 287–90

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, D. McQ. and Jeeves, M. A. (1977a). The interocular transfer of movement aftereffects in a case of agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychologia, in preparation

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, D. McQ. and Jeeves, M. A. (1977b). Further studies of tactile perception and motor coordination in agenesis of the corpus callosum. Cortex, 13, 257–72

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, D. McQ. and Jeeves, M. A. (1978). A study of hemisphere lateralization in the visual perception of alphabetical stimuli in a case of agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychologia, in press

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, B. J. and Mackay, B. (1977), in preparation

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell, J. R. and Reitan, R. M. (1955). Psychological abnormalities in agenesis of the corpus callosum. J. nerv. ment. Dis., 121, 205–14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saul, R. E. and Gott, P. S. (1973). Compensatory mechanisms in agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neurology, 23, 443

    Google Scholar 

  • Saul, R. E. and Sperry, R. W. (1968). Absence of commissurotomy symptoms with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neurology, 18, 307

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shoumura, K., Ando, T. and Kato, K. (1975). Structural organization of ‘callosal’ OBg in human corpus callosum agenesis. Brain Res., 93, 241–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. U. (1945). The role of the commissural systems of the cerebral cortex in the determination of handedness, eyedness and footedness in man. J. gen. Psychol., 32, 39–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. U. (1947a). The functions of the intercortical neurones in sensorimotor coordination and thinking in man. Science, 105, 234–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. U. (1947b). Bilateral integrative action of the cerebral cortex in man in verbal association and sensory motor coordination. J. exp. Psychol., 37, 367–76

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. U. (1951). Learning and the associative pathways of the human cerebral cortex. Science, 114, 117–20

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K.U. (1952). Experimental analysis of the associative mechanism of the human brain in learning functions. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 45, 66–72

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. U. and Akelaitis, A. J. (1942). Studies on the corpus callosum I. Laterality in behavior and bilateral motor organization in man before and after section of the corpus callosum. Archs Neurol. Psychiat., 47, 519–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solursh, L. P., Margulies, A. I., Ashem, B. and Stasiak, E. A. (1965). The relationship of agenesis of the corpus callosum to perception and learning. J. nerv. ment. Dis., 141, 180–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparks, R. and Geschwind, N. (1968). Dichotic listening in man after section of neocortical commissures. Cortex, 4, 3–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1968a). Mental unity following surgical disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres. Harvey Lect., 62, 293–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1968b). Plasticity of neural maturation. Devl Biol. Suppl., 2, 306–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1968c). Hemisphere deconnection and unity in conscious awareness. Am. Psychol., 23, 723–33

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1970a). Perception in the absence of the neocortical commissures. In Perception and its Disorders, vol. 48, Res. Publ. Assoc. Nerv. Ment. Dis., Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp. 123–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1970b). Cerebral dominance in perception. In Early Experience and Visual Information Processing in Perceptual and Reading Disorders (F. A. Young and D. B. Lindsley, eds.), Natl. Acad. Science, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1974). Lateral specialization in the surgically separated hemispheres. In The Neurosciences, Third Study Program (F. O. Schmitt and F. G. Worden, eds.) MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W., Gazzaniga, M. S. and Bogen, J. E. (1969). Interhemispheric relationships: the neocortical commissures: syndromes of hemisphere disconnection. In Handbook of Clinical Neurology vol. 4, ch. 14 (P. J. Vinken and G. W. Bruyn, eds.), North-Holland, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Springer, S. P. and Gazzaniga, M. S. (1975). Dichotic testing of partial and complete split brain subjects. Neuropsychologia, 13, 341–46

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, J., Leicester, J. and Sherman, S. M. (1973). The naso-temporal division of the monkey’s retina. J. comp. Neurol. 150,333–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trevarthen, C. B. (1974a). Analysis of cerebral activities that generate and regulate consciousness in commissurotomy patients. In Hemisphere Function in the Human Brain, ch. 9 (S. J. Dimond and J. G. Beaumont, eds.), Elek, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevarthen, C. B. (1974b). Functional relations of the disconnected hemispheres with the brain stem and with each other: monkey and man. In Hemispheric Disconnection and Cerebral Function (M. Kinsbourne and W. L. Smith, eds.), Thomas, Springfield, Illinois

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevarthen, C. and Sperry, R. W. (1973). Perceptual unity of the ambient visual field in human commissurotomy patients. Brain, 96, 547–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Wagenen, W. P. and Herren, R. Y. (1940). Surgical division of commissural pathways in corpus callosum: relation to spread of epileptic attack. Archs Neurol. Psychiat., 44, 740–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaidel, D. and Sperry, R. W. (1977). Some long-term motor effects of cerebral commissurotomy in man. Neuropsychologia, 15, 193–204

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeki, S. M. (1969). Representation of central visual fields in prestriate cortex of monkey. Brain Res., 14, 271–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeki, S. M. (1970). Interhemispheric connections of prestriate cortex in monkey. Brain Res., 19, 63–75

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeki, S. M. (1973). Comparison of the cortical degeneration in the visual regions of the temporal lobe of the monkey following section of the anterior commissure and the splenium. J. comp. Neurol., 148, 167–76

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. A. D. Milner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. A. Jeeves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Unit on Neural Mechanisms of Behaviour, UK

    I. Steele Russell

  2. Department of Physiology 1, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    M. W. van Hof

  3. Institute of Physiology, University of Pisa, Italy

    G. Berlucchi

Copyright information

© 1979 I. Steele Russell, M. W. van Hof and G. Berlucchi

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Milner, A.D., Jeeves, M.A. (1979). A Review of Behavioural Studies of Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. In: Russell, I.S., van Hof, M.W., Berlucchi, G. (eds) Structure and Function of Cerebral Commissures. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-03645-5_36

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation