Alterations in visually related eye movements following left pulvinar damage in man

This case study presents evidence for two subtle types of eye movement abnormalities following surgical resection of the left posterior pulvinar in man. First, visual fixations during vertical pattern matching are on average both increased in number and prolonged in duration compared to controls, although normal fixation durations also occur. Second, unilateral deficiencies during search and scanning performance are associated with eye movements directed into the hemifield contralateral to the lesion. Although direct damage to parietal cortex and indirect damage to other visually related structures cannot be ruled out as other explanations for these deficits, these findings are consistent with recent electrophysiological and behavioral studies of the pulvinar in both human and non-human primates, and suggest a fruitful area for further investigation of pulvinar function.