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Pathological Physiology of the Visual Pathway

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Homonymous Visual Field Defects

Abstract

Homonymous hemianopia is a visual defect caused by various pathological processes of the central nervous system, particularly if located beyond the optic chiasm. In the first part of this chapter, we describe the physiological principles of cortical visual processing. In the second part, we discuss the pathological physiology and etiopathogenesis of the disorders.

Causes of homonymous defects include cerebral stroke (primarily), as well as neurodegeneration, demyelinization, hypoxia, trauma, tumors, and carbon monoxide intoxication.

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Abbreviations

3D:

Three-dimensional, stereoscopic

BA:

Brodmann area

CNS:

Central nervous system

CO:

Carbon monoxide

Color vision:

Codes in applied color science: R, red; G, green; B, blue; M, magenta; Y, yellow; C, cyan; W, white; K, black

Color Vision:

Cone types: LW, long wavelength, also red; MW, medium wavelength, also green; SW, short wavelength, also blue

deg:

(angular) degrees, (o)

FMRI:

Functional (nuclear) magnetic resonance imaging

HH:

Homonymous hemianopia, sometimes also called hemianopsia

LGN:

Lateral geniculate nucleus

M, P:

Magnocellular, parvocellular

rad:

Radians

sq deg:

Square degrees, square degrees, deg2, (o)2

sq rad:

Square radians, steradians, sr, rad2

V1, V2, V3, V4, V5:

Primary (and secondary) visual areas

V5:

is also denoted as MT, medio-temporal

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Acknowledgments

We thank both Craig Smith for copy editing and Veronika Sýkorová for drawing figures. This work is supported by the Graduate Students’ Research Program SVV 2016 no. 260 265 and by the Institutional Support for Long-term Development of Research Organizations (PRVOUK), no. P24/ LF1/ 3, at Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathological Physiology, First Medical Faculty, Charles University, U Nemocnice 5, 128 53, Prague, Czech Republic

    Petr Marsalek MD, PhD, Marek Hajný & Martin Vokurka

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  1. Petr Marsalek MD, PhD
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  2. Marek Hajný
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  3. Martin Vokurka
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Correspondence to Petr Marsalek MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic

    Karolína Skorkovská

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Marsalek, P., Hajný, M., Vokurka, M. (2017). Pathological Physiology of the Visual Pathway. In: Skorkovská, K. (eds) Homonymous Visual Field Defects. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52284-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52284-5_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52282-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52284-5

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