Analysis with Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Lesions in Cerebral Achromatopsia

Abstract

To localize the lesions associated with cerebral achromatopsia. We examined 20 patients with homonymous hemianopsia caused by cerebral infarction(17 men and 3 women aged 49 to 81 years; mean age, 65.1 years). Ishihara plates, standard pseudoisochromatic plates(part 2) and the panel D-15 test were used to examine color perception. Color matching tasks and color naming tasks were used to test color recognition. We tried to apply functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) to lesion analysis in the brain. Cerebral achromatopsia was diagnosed in four patients. The analysis showed that lesions in the infracalcarine area(Brodmann's area 18 and 19) were associated with cerebral achromatopsia. Additionally, the lesions associated with failure of the panel D-15(PD-15) test were located more anterior than the lesions associated with failure of Ishihara plates. We show evidence that lesions in the anterio-ventral temporo-occipital area are associated with cerebral achromatopsia. This result is in accord with past observations(autopsy, fMRI and positron emission tomography).