Insights into the functional specificity of the human corpus callosum

Patient VP underwent complete callosotomy for the control of intractable ep ilepsy at the age of 27 years. Subsequent MRI, however, revealed spared cal losal fibres in the rostral and splenial ends of the corpus callosum, We re port a series of experiments designed to determine whether these fibres sup port functional transfer of information between the two cerebral hemisphere s. Although we found no evidence for transfer of colour, shape or size info rmation, there is good evidence for transfer of word information. This sugg ests that the spared splenial fibres in VP's corpus callosum are material-s pecific, The results of these experiments illustrate the remarkable degree of functional specificity within the corpus callosum.