Hemispatial neglect
- Division of Neuroscience and Psychological Medicine, Imperial College London, London W6, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- Correspondence to: Dr Masud Husain Division of Neuroscience and Psychological Medicine, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, London W6 8RF, UK; m.husainimperial.ac.uk
- Received 15 May 2003
- Accepted 29 August 2003
- Revised 6 August 2003
Abstract
The syndrome of hemispatial neglect is characterised by reduced awareness of stimuli on one side of space, even though there may be no sensory loss. Although it is extremely common, it has proven to be a challenging condition to understand, and to treat. New insights from detailed behavioural and anatomical studies in patients, as well as functional imaging in healthy individuals, have begun to reveal some of the component deficits underlying the disorder. This review focuses on important clinical issues in neglect, including bedside diagnostic tests and emerging therapeutic and rehabilitation methods, involving both behavioural and drug treatments.
- BIT, behavioural inattention test
- fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging
- SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography
- STG, superior temporal gyrus
Footnotes
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Competing interests: none declared
