Disturbance of movement vision after bilateral posterior brain damage

In 1983 we reported in this Journal a patient who suffered a disturbance of movement vision in a relatively pure form. This uncommon cerebral visual deficit resulted as a consequence of bilateral brain damage affecting the lateral temporo-occipital cortex and the underlying white matter. In this paper we present further evidence for the selectivity of the movement vision deficit. Furthermore, follow-up examination did not reveal any significant change which indicates that the disorder appears irreversible. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) shows bilateral lesions involving the upper (cranial) part of the occipital gyri and the adjacent portion of the middle temporal gyri, with the main focus of damage in the upper (cranial) banks of the anterior occipital sulcus. In addition, cortico-cortical fibre pathways interconnecting occipital, temporal and parietal 'visual' areas are also affected bilaterally. The selectivity of the movement vision deficit and the irreversibility of the disorder strongly support the idea that movement vision is a separate function which is subserved by a visual pathway specialized for the processing of visual motion.