Visual processing streams: interactions, impairments and implications for rehabilitation

Abstract

The present thesis is organized in three sections. Section 1 (chapter 2) provides a general overview of the cortical and subcortical brain structures that are involved in visual processing and the way these systems interact. Three visual streams are described: a ventral, occipitotemporal stream for processing information related to specialized recognition of objects and faces; a dorsal, occipitoparietal stream for processing information related to movement, location and motor action; and a subcortical, cortico-amygdalar and thalamo-amygdalar pathway for processing of emotion-related information. Also, some of the most important visual impairments due to brain damage will be discussed. In section 2 (chapters 3 and 4) rehabilitation methods of damage to specific parts of the visual system will be reviewed. Section 3 (chapters 5, 6 and 7) consists of experimental studies that focus on interactions between overt and covert recognition of faces and emotional facial expressions. Finally, chapter 8 provides a summary of main findings of this thesis, which will be discussed in chapter 9.