Assessing unilateral neglect: shortcomings of standard test methods.
BACKGROUND
When investigating the incidence of unilateral neglect in a first-ever stroke population, we found that some patients showed clinical signs of neglect, but managed to pass our tests. The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature of such signs, and analyse why test instruments were insufficiently corresponding to those signs.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty-one consecutive patients with first-ever stroke in a community-based sample were evaluated for the presence of unilateral neglect. We used a test battery consisting of tests for visuo-spatial neglect, personal neglect, and anosognosia. Twenty cases of neglect were discovered by standard methods. We asked our collaborators at the wards to report any behavioural abnormality reminiscent of neglect present in patients who had normal test results. Such patients were evaluated clinically.


RESULTS
Nine cases with neglect-like symptoms were discovered. Our clinical evaluation of the nine patients indicated several possible explanations for their behavioural abnormalities, including motor neglect, neglect for far extrapersonal space, disturbances of proprioception, and spatial disturbances other than neglect.


CONCLUSIONS
Standard neglect tests do not cover all clinical forms of neglect. It is therefore important not to rely completely on test instruments when diagnosing neglect. More versatile test instruments are desired.
Appelros
P
P
Department of Neurology, Orebro University Hospital, SE-70185 Orebro, Sweden. peter.appelros@orebroll.se
Nydevik
I
I
Karlsson
G M
GM
Thorwalls
A
A
Seiger
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000377:Agnosia / Q000209:etiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology