Interhemispheric Transfer in Down’s Syndrome

Callosal agenesics and callosotomized epileptics manifest markedly increasing simple visual reaction time (SVRT) from conditions of ipsilateral to contralateral stimulus-response relation (SRR). In the contralateral SRR, a response is presumed possible because of presence of other commissures (anterior, intercollicular). The SRR effect is prolonged presumably because the remaining commissures are less efficient than the corpus callosum in relaying necessary visual or motor information. Consequently, the SRR effect is believed to correspond to callosal relay time (CRT) in the normal subject. However, both callosal agenesics and callosotomy patients manifest general slowing of SVRT in addition to a prolonged SRR effect. These patients have massive extra-callosal damage which could plausibly cause both the SVRT and the CUD prolongation. If such were the case, the CRT inference would be in jeopardy. A test of the CRT inference is therefore required where patients with massive diffuse extra-callosal brain damage and normal callosi would show marked general SVRT prolongation and a normal SRR effect. Four trisomy-21 (T21) males were compared to age and sex-matched normal controls. General SVRT was highly significantly prolonged in T21, but the CUD was nearly identical in both groups.