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Double dissociation between representational personal and extrapersonal neglect.
S Ortigue1, P Mégevand, F Perren
1Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University Central Medical School, Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. stephanie.ortigue@dartmouth.edu
Neurology
|May 10, 2006
Summary
This study found that representational neglect, like perceptual neglect, can be specific to personal or extrapersonal space. This suggests distinct brain mechanisms for spatial representation and perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Perceptual and representational neglect are often linked but may involve different brain mechanisms.
- Perceptual neglect can be confined to personal or extrapersonal space.
- It was unclear if representational neglect also shows this spatial dissociation.
Observation:
- Two brain-damaged patients with distinct lesions were studied.
- Neuropsychological tests assessed representational and perceptual neglect in personal and extrapersonal space.
Findings:
- A double dissociation was observed in representational neglect concerning personal and extrapersonal space.
- This indicates that representational neglect can be selectively impaired for different spatial frames.
Implications:
- Cerebral networks for mental space representation may use compartmentalization principles similar to those for perceived space.
- This research sheds light on the neural basis of spatial cognition and neglect syndromes.