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Implicit perception in patients with visual neglect: lexical specificity in repetition priming
1University of Glasgow, Department of Psychology, 58 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK. s.schweinberger@psy.gla.ac.uk
Neuropsychologia
|February 13, 2001
Summary
Patients with left-sided neglect show subconscious word priming in their affected visual field, even without explicit awareness. This suggests non-conscious processing influences behavior in neglect patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Left-sided neglect and hemianopia are conditions affecting visual processing.
- Understanding non-conscious processing is crucial for neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate priming effects in patients with left-sided neglect and hemianopia.
- To determine if non-conscious stimuli influence lexical decisions in neglect.
Main Methods:
- Lexical decision tasks were performed by patients with neglect, hemianopia, and controls.
- Stimuli (words/pseudowords) were presented as primes in the left or right visual field.
- Priming effects were measured by reaction times and accuracy.
Main Results:
- Right visual field primes showed similar priming across all groups.
- Left visual field primes did not prime hemianopic patients.
- Neglect patients exhibited significant priming from neglected left visual field primes, exceeding control levels.
- This priming occurred despite chance-level explicit recognition of the stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Subliminal stimuli in the neglected visual field can influence lexical access in patients with neglect.
- This demonstrates a dissociation between non-conscious priming and explicit perception in neglect.
- Non-conscious processing plays a significant role in the manifestation of neglect symptoms.
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