Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026
07:04
Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
Hemispatial neglect in cerebellar stroke
1Department of Neurology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
|September 27, 2008
Summary
Unilateral cerebellar strokes can cause hemispatial neglect, affecting cognitive function. This study found neglect occurs equally in left and right cerebellar injuries, challenging current network theories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neurology
- Cerebellar Function
Background:
- Cognitive deficits are frequently linked to cerebellar injuries.
- Hemispatial neglect is a recognized consequence of cerebral damage.
- The role of the cerebellum in spatial awareness and attention requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if unilateral cerebellar injury can cause hemispatial neglect.
- To investigate potential left-right asymmetry in neglect occurrence.
- To explore the cerebellar-cortical network hypothesis in neglect development.
Main Methods:
- Assessment of neglect in 28 patients with unilateral cerebellar stroke within two months post-stroke.
- Utilized perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 12 patients to examine cerebellar-cerebral network dysfunction.
- Evaluated neglect laterality (contralesional/ipsilesional) and stroke side.
Main Results:
- Eight participants (28.6%) exhibited neglect.
- Neglect occurred equally in patients with left and right cerebellar strokes (four each).
- Only one patient with ipsilesional neglect showed crossed cerebello-cerebral diaschisis on SPECT scans.
Conclusions:
- Cerebellar stroke-induced neglect may be more prevalent than previously assumed.
- The cerebellar-cerebral network hypothesis does not fully explain the observed equal distribution of neglect in left and right cerebellar strokes.
- Alternative hypotheses, such as the vestibular system's role, warrant exploration for future research.
Related Concept Videos
01:12Visual Agnosia
Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
01:28Lateralization
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
01:17Hemorrhagic Stroke l: Introduction
A hemorrhagic stroke is an acute neurological event that occurs when a weakened cerebral blood vessel ruptures, allowing blood to accumulate within or around the brain. The sudden release of blood forms a focal hematoma that increases intracranial pressure, displaces neural tissue, and can obstruct cerebrospinal fluid pathways. These effects may be compounded by intraventricular extension of the hemorrhage, cerebral edema, or compression of adjacent structures, all of which contribute to...
01:29Hemorrhagic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
A hemorrhagic stroke develops when a cerebral blood vessel ruptures, allowing blood to escape into the surrounding brain tissue, as in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or into the subarachnoid space, as in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Because the skull is a rigid compartment, the sudden presence of extravascular blood rapidly increases intracranial pressure and compresses adjacent neural structures, leading to immediate tissue injury and impaired cerebral perfusion.Mass Effect and Primary...
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...