title: Pre- and post-operative assessment of visuo-spatial functions in right hemisphere tumour patients: a pilot study.
abstract: Patients with neglect fail to report, respond to, or orient to stimuli presented on the opposite side of the brain lesion. Spatial neglect is a multi-componential syndrome and many of its symptoms and signs need specific testing to detect their different clinical manifestations. Given that neglect has a dramatic effect on the outcome of these patients, it is of paramount importance for accurate assessment all its manifestations. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess visuo-spatial functions with a newly-built neuropsychological battery to determine the incidence of visuo-spatial disorders and spatial neglect in patients with right brain tumour. We tested 14 patients undergoing tumour resection, both pre-operatively and post-operatively. Pre-operatively, we found an incidence of 42.86% for visuo-spatial deficits and of 14.29% specifically for spatial neglect. This incidence increases post-operatively to 57.14% for visuo-spatial deficits and to 42.86% specifically for spatial neglect. The present study has important implications for a better knowledge of the spatial disorders in patients with right-brain tumour, thus providing a clearer picture on the everyday life problems faced by these patients, both within the family and in working contexts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological, Neuropsychological, Morphological & Movement Sciences, Section of Physiology and Psychology, University of Verona and National Institute of Neuroscience, Strada le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Emanuele
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talacchi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerosa
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savazzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*