Spatial neglect is a failure to respond, report, attend, or orient to stimuli presented to the side opposite a brain lesion. For example, individuals who suffer a stroke on the right side of the brain may fail to report the presence of objects on the left side of their body. This does not, however, reflect a problem with simple sensory visual processing. Rather, it is believed to be a problem with the coordination of attention and action. Spatial neglect occurs primarily in patients with right hemisphere brain damage. While the severity of spatial neglect usually lessens over time, it can still play a large role in post-stroke recovery. It is recognized as one of the strongest predictors of an individual’s ability to maintain his or her independence following the stroke.

There are a number of ways to study the manifestations of spatial neglect syndromes. An individual’s daily behavior can be observed as well as using a variety of tasks designed specifically to confirm the existence and measure the severity of neglect. Observable behavior considered indicative of spatial neglect includes shifting one’s eyes away from neglected space, failing to direct movements toward or in neglected space, and a number of functional deficits such as shaving one half of the face or eating food from one half of the plate.

Neuropsychological tests designed to assess spatial neglect include a variety of paper and pencil tasks that require the individual to attend to both the left and right halves of space. For instance, the line bisection task involves the presentation of a horizontal line that extends across a large portion of the paper. The patient is asked to mark the center of this line (Link to line bisection task). Accuracy in this task requires the individual to use information from both the left and right halves of the page. Patients with right hemisphere stroke will often bisect the line to the right of center, indicating the neglect of left space. The size of the error that is made is reflective of the severity of the underlying neglect syndrome.

The research in our lab is focused on understanding the factors that contribute to spatial neglect and functional outcomes. Specifically, we would like to determine whether or not spatial neglect differs in near and far space. This has important consequences for driving and other daily activities that require judgments about space that is beyond arm’s length.