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Updated: May 15, 2026
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Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
Rehabilitation of spatial neglect.
Alonso R Riestra1, A M Barrett
1Hospital Ángeles Lomas and Centro de Neuro-rehabilitación Ángeles, Huixquilucan, Mexico. alonsoriestra@yahoo.com
Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|January 15, 2013
Summary
Spatial neglect, a common disability after brain injury, presents challenges in rehabilitation due to inconsistent treatment outcomes. This review advocates for visual scanning, limb activation, and general treatments within an integrative approach for effective patient care.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Spatial neglect is a common and disabling consequence of brain injury, particularly right-hemispheric damage.
- It manifests as perceptual, representational, and behavioral deficits affecting the left side of space or body.
- Associated deficits in arousal, vigilance, and emotional processing can complicate clinical presentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the lack of consensus in spatial neglect rehabilitation effectiveness.
- To propose evidence-supported therapeutic strategies for spatial neglect.
- To advocate for an integrative and systematic approach to treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of evidence-based sources on spatial neglect rehabilitation.
- Conceptualization of spatial dysfunction into perceptual/representational and premotor/intentional components.
- Analysis of factors contributing to treatment failure, including inconsistent criteria and patient characteristics.
Main Results:
- Current evidence-based sources lack a unified consensus on the efficacy of specific neglect treatments.
- Factors contributing to treatment failure include inconsistent success criteria and poor characterization of neglect mechanisms.
- Visual scanning, limb activation therapy, and general treatment are proposed as effective strategies.
Conclusions:
- An integrative approach combining various therapies within a systematized program is recommended.
- Good clinical judgment is essential for tailoring treatments to individual patient needs.
- Adjuvant pharmacological therapies with aminergic and cholinergic activity may be beneficial, while sedating or anticholinergic medications should be avoided.
