Plasticity and rigidity in the representation of the human visual field

Neuronal plasticity in the mammalian visual system has been studied with a variety of experimental methods like induction of artificial squint and eye rotation. To investigate neuronal plasticity in the human visual system, we examined a patient with a congenital convergent squint of his left eye, who later suffered a vascular lesion in his left occipital lobe that led to an incomplete hemianopia in his right visual field. The examination revealed that the visual field representation in the striate cortex is rigidly prewired with reference to the anatomical fovea. In contrast, plasticity in the oculomotor system enables the patient to use a functional visual axis that does not correspond to the anatomical fovea. Local alterations of sensitivity within the visual field that indicate interactions among non-corresponding retinal points provide additional evidence of functional plasticity.