Motion perception deficits from midline cerebellar lesions in human

Vision Res. 1995 Mar;35(5):723-31. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(94)00168-l.

Abstract

Although visual motion processing is commonly thought to be mediated solely by visual cortical areas, this human lesion study suggests that the cerebellum also has a role. We found motion direction discrimination deficits in a group of patients with acute midline cerebellar lesions. Unlike normals and patients with hemispheric cerebellar lesions, these patients with midline lesions were unable to discern a global motion vector in a local stochastic motion display. This resembles the perceptual defect reported following cortical area MT lesions in primates. This motion perception deficit may result from damage to a cerebellar mechanism involved in perceptual stabilization. Disruption of this comparator mechanism is sufficient to produce a severe motion perception deficit even though cortical visual processing mechanisms are still intact.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cerebellar Diseases / complications*
  • Cerebellar Diseases / physiopathology
  • Discrimination, Psychological
  • Female
  • Fixation, Ocular
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motion Perception / physiology*
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology
  • Perceptual Disorders / etiology*
  • Perceptual Disorders / physiopathology
  • Pursuit, Smooth