Aware or non-aware. On the significance of awareness for the localization of the lesion responsible for homonymous hemianopia.

ABSTRACT

Some of the patients with homonymous hemianopia are unaware of any visual defect, whereas others perceive this defect more of less consciously. Analysis of the CT scans of 41 cases showed that patients who are partially or fully aware of the hemianopia have purely occipital lesions. The patients who were not aware of the visual defect were found to have larger and more anteriorly situated lesions. Parietal lesions or lesions interrupting the associative pathways to the primary or secondary visual association cortex are considered to be responsible for the lack of awareness of the defect.