Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
Complexity vs. unity in unilateral spatial neglect
G Rode1, M Fourtassi2, C Pagliari3
1Inserm U1028; CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, université Lyon 1, 95, boulevard Pinel, 69676 Lyon, France; Plate-forme mouvement et handicap, hospices civils de Lyon, hôpital Henry-Gabrielle, 69000 Lyon, France.
Abstract:
Unilateral spatial neglect constitutes a heterogeneous syndrome characterized by two main entangled components: a contralesional bias of spatial attention orientation; and impaired building and/or exploration of mental representations of space. These two components are present in different subtypes of unilateral spatial neglect (visual, auditory, somatosensory, motor, allocentric, egocentric, personal, representational and productive manifestations). Detailed anatomical and clinical analyses of these conditions and their underlying disorders show the complexity of spatial cognitive deficits and the difficulty of proposing just one explanation. This complexity is in contrast, however, to the widely acknowledged effectiveness of rehabilitation of the various symptoms and subtypes of unilateral spatial neglect, exemplified in the case of prism adaptation. These common effects are reflections of the unity of the physiotherapeutic mechanisms behind the higher brain functions related to multisensory integration and spatial representations, whereas the paradoxical aspects of unilateral spatial neglect emphasize the need for a greater understanding of spatial cognitive disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Visual Agnosia
Lateralization
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes...
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Prosopagnosia
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

