Challenging current accounts of unilateral neglect

Neuropsychologia. 1994 Nov;32(11):1431-4. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(94)00070-0.

Abstract

Two left-neglect patients were asked (i) to bisect a 15 cm line, (ii) to bisect the empty space between the endpoints of a 15 cm virtual line, and (iii) to set the endpoints of a 15 cm virtual line, given its midpoint. With one patient, the subjective midpoint of the virtual line was found to be displaced leftwards with respect to the subjective midpoint of the real line, whereas with the other it was found to be displaced rightwards. However, in condition (iii) both patients significantly underestimated the distance from the centre of the rightmost point of the virtual line while relatively overestimating that from the centre to the left endpoint. This latter result challenges current accounts of unilateral neglect.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Attention / physiology*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / physiopathology*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / psychology
  • Distance Perception / physiology
  • Female
  • Hemianopsia / physiopathology*
  • Hemianopsia / psychology
  • Hemiplegia / physiopathology
  • Hemiplegia / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Orientation / physiology*
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*