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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
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Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
Does monocular viewing improve target detection in hemispatial neglect?
C Serfaty1, N Soroker, J Glicksohn
1Department of Stroke Rehabilitation, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel.
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
|May 10, 2011
Summary
Monocular viewing can improve unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in some patients with right-hemisphere damage. However, the Sprague effect may not be the sole explanation for this visual attention recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Large posterior-cortical lesions in experimental animals cause visual perception and behavior disturbances, similar to human unilateral spatial neglect (USN).
- Recovery from USN in animals involves lesions to the superior colliculus (SC) or intercollicular pathways, potentially via the 'Sprague effect' (disinhibition of ipsilesional SC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if monocular occlusion, inspired by the Sprague effect, can alleviate hemineglect in human patients.
- To explore the role of interocular differences in target detection in right-hemisphere damaged patients with USN.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-six right-hemisphere damaged patients with USN performed a cancellation task.
- Performance was assessed under binocular, left-monocular, and right-monocular viewing conditions.
Main Results:
- Thirteen patients showed reduced left hemineglect with left-monocular viewing compared to binocular viewing.
- Two patients improved with right-monocular viewing, while eleven showed no significant change under monocular conditions.
Conclusions:
- Left-monocular viewing ameliorated hemineglect in a subset of patients, superficially resembling the Sprague effect.
- The Sprague effect may contribute to the benefits of monocular viewing, but other factors likely mediate interocular differences in target detection and USN recovery.
