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Published on: January 11, 2016
Spatial and motor neglect in children
A Laurent-Vannier1, P Pradat-Diehl, M Chevignard
1Service de rééducation des pathologies neurologiques acquises de l'enfant, Hôpital National de Saint Maurice, France. a.laurentvannier@hopital-saint-maurice.fr
Insights
Unilateral spatial neglect is present in very young children with acquired brain lesions. This condition, affecting spatial and motor skills, can manifest even in toddlers, with right-sided neglect potentially linked to brain development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neurorehabilitation
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Acquired brain lesions in children can lead to various neurological deficits.
- Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a well-documented condition in adults but its presence in young children is less understood.
Observation:
- A retrospective study analyzed 12 children (7 months–14 years) with acquired brain lesions.
- Neglect was assessed through behavioral observation and age-appropriate tasks, including a "Teddy Bear" cancellation task.
- All participants demonstrated spatial and motor neglect in daily activities.
Findings:
- Children over 2 years old showed lateralized omissions in tasks, indicating USN.
- Left-sided neglect was observed in 9 children, while 3 very young children (under 4) exhibited right-sided neglect.
- Lesion locations varied, including single or multiple lobes, and subcortical areas.
Implications:
- Unilateral spatial and motor neglect can occur in very young children.
- The presence of right spatial neglect in very young children may correlate with developing hemispheric specialization.
- Findings highlight the importance of assessing USN in pediatric brain injury rehabilitation.
Objective:
To determine if unilateral spatial neglect can be found in very young children with acquired brain lesions.
Methods:
A retrospective study was carried out over a 10-year period in a pediatric rehabilitation department specializing in acquired brain lesions. Twelve cases were selected involving children aged 7 months to 14 years. Neglect was assessed by behavior observation for all children and, depending on age, by drawing, copying, reading, writing, and arithmetic tasks. Seven patients underwent the experimental "Teddy Bear" cancellation task, specially adapted to children.
Results:
All children exhibited spatial and motor neglect in daily activities. In addition, children who were over 2 years of age made lateralized omissions in paper and pencil tasks as well as in the "Teddy Bear" cancellation task. Nine of the 12 children exhibited left spatial and motor neglect, whereas the other three, all of whom were very young (under 4 years), exhibited right spatial neglect. In three cases, cortical lesions were restricted to one lobe, either the parietal, frontal, or temporal. In eight children, lesions extended over more than one lobe, and one child sustained only subcortical lesions.
Conclusion:
Unilateral spatial and motor neglect occurs even in very young children. Right spatial neglect described in very young children may be related to the development of hemispheric specialization.
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