Related Experiment Videos
Visual-spatial neglect in a child following sub-cortical tumor resection
Rebecca L Billingsley1, Frederick F Lang, John M Slopis
1Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|May 15, 2002
Summary
Pediatric visual-spatial neglect following brain tumor surgery is rare. This case highlights the ventral thalamus's role in developing visual-spatial attention in children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Visual-spatial neglect is well-documented in adults with brain lesions.
- Subcortical dysfunction causing neglect is infrequently reported in children.
- Detailed descriptions of pediatric neglect secondary to subcortical tumors are lacking.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old male developed unilateral visual-spatial neglect after surgery for a right subcortical juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma.
- Preoperative assessments showed normal attention and intellectual function.
- Postoperative neglect persisted despite no visual field deficit, worsening with increased attentional demands.
Findings:
- The case confirms the risk of unilateral neglect after resecting subcortical tumors near the thalamus or thalamo-cortical pathways.
- Retrospective analysis supported the association between subcortical tumor resection and neglect.
- Performance errors increased with higher attentional demands, consistent with attentional neglect.
Implications:
- The ventral thalamus may be crucial for visual-spatial attention development in children.
- This finding underscores the importance of neurocognitive assessment post-pediatric subcortical tumor surgery.
- Understanding subcortical roles in pediatric attention can inform future treatment strategies.