title: Effectiveness of Use of Button-Operated Electronic Devices Among Persons With Bálint Syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about how visuospatial deficits affect the use of electronic devices operated by pressing spatially interspersed buttons. This study aimed to determine whether people with Bálint syndrome can effectively use such devices.
  
  
  METHODS
  We quantified the ability of 7 study participants with Bálint syndrome to use button-operated electronic devices by measuring the time required to input digit sequences into three different types of devices. Control groups were 8 participants with amnesia and 8 healthy participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with Bálint syndrome took longer to input a digit sequence on all three devices than did those in the two control groups. Although we found no significant differences with respect to type of device, 2 of 3 participants with severe Bálint syndrome were able to input one- to five-digit sequences with the electronic calculator.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distinctive design features might positively affect the performance of people with Bálint syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Kosaku Sunagawa, MSc, OTR, is Occupational Therapy Practitioner, Department of Occupational Therapy, Edogawa Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; kosaku51@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sunagawa
authors.affiliation: Yoshitaka Nakagawa, MSc, RST, is Chief, Department of Speech Therapy, Edogawa Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; rehabilitation@edogawa.or.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.affiliation: Michitaka Funayama, MD, is Chief, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, Tochigi, Japan; fimndia@aol.com.
authors.forename: Michitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funayama