The disconnection syndrome: Basic findings reaffirmed
Abstract
Recent challenges to the traditional view of the disconnection syndrome have been based primarily on evidence of information shared between the hemispheres in commissurotomy patients L.B. and N.G. of the West Coast series. In order to evaluate the generality of these claims, patients J.W., V.P. and D.R. were tested using a series of experiments which replicated and extended some of the experiments carried out in the West Coast series. Using comparisons of numerical identity and value as the model tasks, we found no indication that the separated hemispheres of J.W. or D.R. could share information on any of the tasks they performed. V.P., who has spared callosal fibres and has shown highly specific transfer in previous investigations, performed above chance (60%) in one out of three between field conditions. Together the data fail to support the claims that split-brain patients show evidence of unified cognitive functioning particularly for more abstract, nonperceptual tasks. The data are consistent with the traditional view of the corpus callosum as the primary interhemispheric pathway by which sensory and high-level cognitive integration is achieved.
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Previous work has shown little or no difference in scores when using either the left or right hand.
“Previous work has shown little or no difference in scores when using either the left or right hand (Seymour et al., 1994).”
From Collaboration between the hemispheres of a callosotomy patient: Emerging right hemisphere speech and the left hemisphere interpreter (1996) · cites this paper as Seymour et al., 1994
Some of what appears to be interhemispheric transfer may be the result of the left hemisphere using effective response strategies when guessing.
“Some of what appears to be interhemispheric transfer may be the result of the left hemisphere using effective response strategies when guessing (Seymour et al., 1994).”
From Collaboration between the hemispheres of a callosotomy patient: Emerging right hemisphere speech and the left hemisphere interpreter (1996) · cites this paper as Seymour et al., 1994
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“His MR scan demonstrates a complete section of the corpus callosum (Gazzaniga et al., 1985).”
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- Authors
- Seymour, S. E., Reuter-Lorenz, P. A., & Gazzaniga, M. S.
- Affiliations
- Dartmouth College (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gazzaniga, M. S.
- ORCID
- Gazzaniga, M. S.
- Venue
- Brain
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1994
- Volume
- 117
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 105-115
- ISSN
- 0006-8950 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2156
- OpenAlex
- W2752179394
- Cited by
- 193
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 4.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01ns022626-07)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS RO1NS22626-07)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Spatial Neglect and Hemispheric Dysfunction
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Keywords
- disconnection syndrome, corpus callosum, split-brain, commissurotomy, interhemispheric transfer
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Brain, Cognition Disorders, Corpus Callosum, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neural Pathways, Psychomotor Performance, Syndrome
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