Incidence of visual extinction after left versus right hemisphere stroke.
OBJECTIVE
Generally it is accepted that spatial neglect occurs predominantly after stroke of the human right hemisphere. In contrast, it remained controversial whether extinction follows the same hemispheric asymmetry. The opinion prevails that the laterality of visual extinction is not as pronounced as it is for spatial neglect.


METHODS
To directly compare the incidence of the 2 disorders within the same sample, spatial neglect and visual extinction were investigated during a 1-year period in 83 consecutively admitted patients with unilateral right or left hemisphere stroke.


RESULTS
The incidence of visual extinction and of spatial neglect was not significantly different, neither after left hemisphere (2.4% neglect; 4.9% extinction) nor after right hemisphere (26.2% neglect; 24.3% extinction) stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual extinction seems to be as asymmetrically associated with the human right hemisphere as is spatial neglect.
Becker
Elisabeth
E
Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Karnath
Hans-Otto
HO
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013028:Space Perception; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014796:Visual Perception