Prism adaptation improves voluntary but not automatic orienting in neglect.
Prism adaptation has been shown to temporarily ameliorate the symptoms of unilateral neglect. The underlying mechanisms of change are not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigate the influence of this treatment on attentional orienting under conditions of exogenous (peripheral onset) and endogenous (central symbolic) cueing. In one patient with left visual extinction and recovered neglect, and another patient with left visual neglect, visuo-motor adaptation to a rightward prismatic shift of 10 degrees improved leftward orienting of attention following an endogenous but not an exogenous cue; leftward re-orienting of attention was also improved in the endogenous task for the second patient. We suggest that prism adaptation may ameliorate neglect by improving compensatory processes of leftward voluntary orienting, rather than by a fundamental change in attentional bias.
Nijboer
Tanja C W
TC
Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. t.c.w.nijboer@uu.nl
McIntosh
Rob D
RD
Nys
Gudrun M S
GM
Dijkerman
H Chris
HC
Milner
A David
AD
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed