Functional Connectivity of the Affective Blindsight Pathway in Atypical Alzheimer’s Disease

We explored functional connectivity of the affective blindsight pathway in a clinically heterogeneous AD cohort. Connectivity was relatively higher in the AT group from the superior colliculus, medial pulvinar, and amygdala to occipital lobe regions commonly atrophied in PCA and lvPPA, suggesting a function of this pathway may be to compensate for disease-related atrophy. While preliminary, these findings hint that the blindsight pathway may serve a compensatory function in atypical AD.