Hemispatial neglect

Definition

Hemispatial neglect is a neurological condition where a person fails to attend to stimuli on one side of their visual field, typically the left side, often due to damage in the right hemisphere of the brain. This condition highlights the relationship between attention and perception, as individuals may perceive objects but are unable to direct their attention toward one side, leading to significant challenges in daily functioning and interaction with the environment.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Hemispatial neglect is most commonly associated with strokes or injuries affecting the right parietal lobe, leading to a lack of awareness of the left visual field.
2. Individuals with hemispatial neglect may not only ignore visual stimuli but also fail to respond to auditory or tactile stimuli on the neglected side.
3. Rehabilitation strategies for hemispatial neglect often include visual scanning training, where patients are encouraged to consciously direct their attention toward the neglected side.
4. Hemispatial neglect can significantly impact a person's safety and independence, making everyday activities like eating or crossing the street more dangerous.
5. The phenomenon can vary in severity, with some individuals having mild neglect and others showing profound unresponsiveness to one side.

Review Questions

• How does hemispatial neglect illustrate the interaction between attention and perception?
  • Hemispatial neglect showcases how attention can influence perception by demonstrating that even when stimuli are present in the neglected visual field, individuals may not perceive or react to them. This disconnection highlights that attention is necessary for conscious awareness of sensory input. Therefore, despite the ability to see objects on both sides, a failure in attentional processes results in a diminished perception of stimuli on one side.
• Discuss the neurological basis of hemispatial neglect and its implications for understanding attention mechanisms.
  • The neurological basis of hemispatial neglect is often linked to damage in the right hemisphere, particularly the right parietal lobe. This area is crucial for spatial awareness and attentional processes. The implications for understanding attention mechanisms are significant; hemispatial neglect reveals that our attentional resources are not evenly distributed across our visual field, and deficits can arise from specific brain damage that affects how we perceive and interact with our environment.
• Evaluate how rehabilitation approaches for hemispatial neglect contribute to our understanding of plasticity and recovery in cognitive functions.
  • Rehabilitation approaches for hemispatial neglect, such as visual scanning training, offer insights into brain plasticity and cognitive recovery. These methods demonstrate that through targeted training, individuals can regain some level of attention and awareness toward neglected stimuli. The effectiveness of these rehabilitation techniques indicates that cognitive functions are not entirely fixed and can adapt following injury, providing hope for improving outcomes in patients with similar neurological conditions.

Related terms

Right hemisphere: The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for processing visual and spatial information, and damage here can lead to hemispatial neglect.

Attentional bias: A tendency to focus on certain stimuli while ignoring others, which can be evident in individuals with hemispatial neglect.

Visual field: The entire area that can be seen when the eyes are fixed in one position; hemispatial neglect can result in a deficit in awareness of stimuli within one half of this field.