title: Do we need the "lateral" in unilateral neglect? Spatially nonselective attention deficits in unilateral neglect and their implications for rehabilitation.
abstract: This paper reviews evidence that the spatial imbalance of attention by which unilateral neglect is often defined is a necessary but not sufficient factor in the persistence of this disorder. A second, nonspatially lateralized loss of attentional capacity is required to coexist with the spatial bias for the disorder to persist in a clinically significant way, it is argued. To this end, I first review evidence from visual and auditory attention studies to show that unilateral neglect is very strongly associated with a fundamental loss of attentional capacity that is not confined to one region of space. Second, I attempt to characterize the nature of this attentional capacity in relation in particular to functional brain imaging studies of attention. Third, I demonstrate that the spatial imbalance in neglect can be reduced by manipulations of the nonlateralized attentional capacity and finish by reviewing the rehabilitation implications of these manipulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. Ian.Robertson@tcd.ie
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*