Non-conscious recognition of affect in the absence of striate cortex

FUNCTIONAL neuroimaging experiments have shown that recognition of emotiona l expressions does not depend on awareness of visual stimuli and that unsee n fear stimuli can activate the amygdala via a colliculopulvinar pathway. P erception of emotional expressions in the absence of awareness in normal su bjects has some similarities with the unconscious recognition of visual sti muli which is well documented in patients with striate cortex lesions (blin dsight). Presumably in these patients residual vision engages alternative e xtra-striate routes such as the superior colliculus and pulvinar. Against t his background, we conjectured that a blindsight subject (GY) might recogni ze facial expressions presented in his blind field. The present study now p rovides direct evidence for this claim. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilk ins.