The aim of the present review is to discuss the localization of circuits that allow recognition of emotional facial expressions in blindsight patients. Because recognition of facial expressions is function of different centers, and their localization is not always clear, we decided to discuss here three emotional facial expression - smiling, disgust, and fear - whose anatomical localization in the pregenual sector of the anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), anterior insula (AI), and amygdala, respectively, is well established. We examined, then, the possible pathways that may convey affective visual information to these centers following lesions of V1. We concluded that the pathway leading to pACC, AI, and amygdala involves the deep layers of the superior colliculus, the medial pulvinar, and the superior temporal sulcus region. We suggest that this visual pathway provides an image of the observed affective faces, which, although deteriorated, is sufficient to determine some overt behavior, but not to provide conscious experience of the presented stimuli.

Pathways for smiling, disgust and fear recognition in blindsight patients / Gerbella, M.; Caruana, F.; Rizzolatti, G.. - In: NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA. - ISSN 0028-3932. - 128:(2019), pp. 6-13. [10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.08.028]

Pathways for smiling, disgust and fear recognition in blindsight patients

Gerbella M.;Caruana F.;Rizzolatti G.
2019-01-01

Abstract

The aim of the present review is to discuss the localization of circuits that allow recognition of emotional facial expressions in blindsight patients. Because recognition of facial expressions is function of different centers, and their localization is not always clear, we decided to discuss here three emotional facial expression - smiling, disgust, and fear - whose anatomical localization in the pregenual sector of the anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), anterior insula (AI), and amygdala, respectively, is well established. We examined, then, the possible pathways that may convey affective visual information to these centers following lesions of V1. We concluded that the pathway leading to pACC, AI, and amygdala involves the deep layers of the superior colliculus, the medial pulvinar, and the superior temporal sulcus region. We suggest that this visual pathway provides an image of the observed affective faces, which, although deteriorated, is sufficient to determine some overt behavior, but not to provide conscious experience of the presented stimuli.
2019
Pathways for smiling, disgust and fear recognition in blindsight patients / Gerbella, M.; Caruana, F.; Rizzolatti, G.. - In: NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA. - ISSN 0028-3932. - 128:(2019), pp. 6-13. [10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.08.028]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2867840
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