The present paper begins with a brief discussion of general clinical features found in patients with lesions of the posterior visual pathways. The author goes on to discuss various mechanisms of restitution of function in the central nervous system, including activation of neural pathways subserved by spared neurons, metabolic modulations, and neural plasticity.

Although central serous retinopathy is considered a "benign" condition, it is associated in healed forms with frequent and troublesome impairment of visual function. The abnormalities are even more severe after diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy. Since Snellen visual acuity testing is a relatively imprecise index of visual function, it does not enable the subtle visual disturbances experienced by these patients to be fully appreciated. The authors evaluated visual function disorders by static automated perimetry and contrast sensitivity in 30 patients with healed central serous retinopathy and in five patients with diffuse epitheliopathy at a cicatricial stage. The results of this study are examined and discussed.

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Infarction of the retina and optic disk has been reported following migraine attacks. Possible mechanisms and treatment are discussed.

Transient disorders of visual function are a phenomenon commonly encountered in neuro-ophthalmological practice. Differential diagnosis is discussed on the basis of the general appearance of these functional changes.