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Alertness-training in neglect: behavioral and imaging results
1Department of Neurology, Section Clinical Neuropsychology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany. sturm@neuropsych.rwth-aachen.de
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
|November 23, 2006
Summary
Alertness training improved hemispatial neglect symptoms temporarily. Combining alertness and spatial attention training may offer more lasting improvements for neglect patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Hemispatial neglect is often linked to impaired alertness and attention networks.
- The right hemisphere's alerting network may influence spatial attention in the parietal cortex.
Observation:
- Alertness training was applied to patients with chronic hemispatial neglect.
- Neuropsychological tests and fMRI were used to assess training effects.
Findings:
- Alertness training led to significant, albeit temporary, improvements in neglect symptoms.
- Brain imaging revealed increased activation in frontal and parietal areas associated with alertness and spatial attention.
- Optokinetic Stimulation Training (OKS) showed comparable behavioral results but different neural reactivation patterns.
Implications:
- Short-term alertness or OKS training alone does not guarantee lasting recovery from neglect.
- Combining alertness and spatial attention training might be a more effective strategy for sustained amelioration of neglect symptoms.
