Exploratory saccades show no direction-specific deficit in neglect.
In patients with spatial neglect, contralesional reflexive saccades toward suddenly appearing targets show direction-specific deficits. We examined whether these deficits also occur during free exploration of space. Neglect patients' voluntary eye movements showed reduced amplitudes for saccades in all directions but no direction-specific deficit. The results argue against an interpretation of spatial neglect as a general deficit to disengage attention or to program saccades in contralesional direction.
Niemeier
M
M
Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Karnath
H O
HO
D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003624:Darkness; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014836:Volition / Q000502:physiology