Visual Field Defects after Penetrating Missile Wounds of the Brain

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This is an inquiry into visual performance after cerebral lesions, the form and distribution of defects in visual fields, the nature of residual vision, and the possible clues in visual pathology for uncovering neural bases of normal visual perception. Of 203 men with penetrating gunshot wounds of the brain, 46 were found to have lasting visual field defects. The visual capacities of these men were surveyed in detail.

The findings differ from many previously reported in demonstrating a lack of congruence of visual field defects resulting from wounds of the pathways at all levels. The shape of field defects after penetrating wounds of the temporal lobes requires a revision of current anatomical notions about the optic radiation. The authors devote particular attention to the implications of these findings for theories of vision.