Efficacy of visual-scanning training and prism adaptation for neglect rehabilitation

Unilateral spatial neglect consists of the inability of a patient to respond, orient, and attend to stimuli on the left side of a space following a right-hemisphere lesion. Many rehabilitation approaches have been proposed to reduce neglect. The aim of our study was to compare the effect of visual-scanning training (VST) and prismatic adaptation (PA) on patients with neglect following a right-hemisphere lesion. Twenty patients with left neglect were enrolled in the study. Before and after training, a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of visuospatial abilities, evaluating personal, peripersonal, and extrapersonal neglect, was performed. After assessment, patients were alternately assigned to 1 of 2 groups, VST or PA. Both trainings consisted of 20 sessions, 1 per day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The results showed that both treatments improved patient neglect, especially in personal and peripersonal spaces. No difference between pretreatment and posttreatment was found in extrapersonal subscales. This finding could be due to the fact that there were no exercises requiring the use of objects within reach in either training. In conclusion, no difference between the 2 approaches was found, and both are useful rehabilitation techniques that appear to improve neglect.