Preserved visuo-spatial transformations in representational neglect.
Patients with representational unilateral neglect were impaired in immediate recall of novel material on the neglected side as presented (viewed and removed or verbally described) or following mental rotation. Transforming material from the neglected (left) side to the non-neglected (right) side resulted in no additional loss; patients were unimpaired in directing attention to the neglected side of their representation in order to perform the mental rotation. These findings cannot be explained by the widely adopted attention deficit hypothesis for representational neglect. It is suggested that the disorder arises from damage to temporary storage functions of visuo-spatial working memory.
Della Sala
Sergio
S
Human Cognitive Neuroscience, PPLS, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK. sergio@ed.ac.uk
Logie
Robert H
RH
Beschin
Nicoletta
N
Denis
Michel
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008606:Mental Processes; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013028:Space Perception; D014706:Verbal Learning