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Normalization of horizontal pseudoneglect following right, but not left, upper limb amputation
Julia E Kline1, Abigail M Clark, Brenda L Chan
1Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Neuropsychologia
|January 27, 2009
Summary
Limb amputees show altered spatial attention, specifically a reduced left-sided bias in attention following right upper limb amputation. These findings suggest changes in body schema influence attentional allocation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Limb amputation can lead to physiological alterations in the body's representation (body schema).
- Changes in brain function related to body schema may affect spatial attention, particularly right-left allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if limb amputees exhibit altered right-left spatial attention compared to non-amputee subjects.
- To explore the relationship between limb loss and spatial attentional biases.
Main Methods:
- The study included veteran participants with single upper or lower limb amputations.
- Participants performed horizontal line bisection tasks across left, middle, and right body-centered spaces.
Main Results:
- Right upper limb amputation was associated with a reduction in the typical leftward attentional bias (pseudoneglect).
- This reduction was most prominent for lines presented in the right hemispace of the body.
Conclusions:
- Amputation-induced changes in attentional bias may stem from altered body schema, compensatory mechanisms, or modified scanning patterns.
- Further research is required to validate these findings and elucidate the underlying neural mechanisms.
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