Visual Hypoemotionality as a Symptom of Visual-Limbic Disconnection in Man

Abstract

• In a patient with bilateral occipitotemporal hematomas secondary to head trauma, profound prosopagnosia, topographical memory disturbance, and a modality-specific inability to become emotionally aroused by visual cues developed. Data from neurological, neuropsychological, and psychophysiological assessment of the patient's deficits were interpreted as indicating a visual-limbic disconnection syndrome. The patient's symptoms were related to findings of emotional changes and visual impairment in macaques with bitemporal ablations and/or complete visual-temporal disconnection.