Hemispatial neglect
Hemispatial neglect, also called unilateral neglect, is a deficit in attention to the left side of space seen most often after right hemisphere brain injury. Damage associated with the brain areas in the parietal and frontal lobes is associated with the deployment of attention (through eye movements, head turns or limb reaches) into left or right space. It is common after stroke. Despite looking like a visual deficit, patients often on assessment demonstrate intact vision. Behaviour associated with neglect include failure to find objects on the left side of a table or in a room, sometimes meaning patients with stroke will only eat food from the right side of a plate, wash or shave only the right half of their face or bump into things on the left side when walking or moving in a wheelchair. Rehabilitation of neglect is often carried out by occupational therapists.
|
|
