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Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
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Prevalence of spatial neglect post-stroke: A systematic review
Emily Esposito1, Grigoriy Shekhtman2, Peii Chen3
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, 900, University avenue, Riverside, CA, USA.
Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
|November 27, 2020
Summary
Spatial neglect (SN) affects 30% of stroke survivors, being more common after right-sided brain damage. Ecological assessments and multi-test methods are recommended for diagnosing SN, with prevalence decreasing over time post-stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Spatial neglect (SN) significantly hinders stroke rehabilitation, slowing recovery and increasing caregiver burden.
- Existing studies report widely varying prevalence rates for SN.
- Understanding SN prevalence based on brain hemisphere, recovery stage, and diagnostic methods is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of spatial neglect (SN) after stroke.
- To analyze SN prevalence in relation to the injured cerebral hemisphere (left vs. right brain damage).
- To investigate the influence of stroke recovery stage and diagnostic methodology on SN prevalence.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science) up to February 27, 2019.
- Included were 41 original observational studies reporting on SN diagnosis in patients with left brain damage (LBD) and right brain damage (RBD).
- Data extracted included time post-stroke, patient selection, study setting, and SN diagnostic methods.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of SN was 29% across 6324 participants (54% RBD, 46% LBD).
- SN occurred in 38% of RBD and 18% of LBD cases.
- Ecological assessments yielded higher prevalence (53%) than non-ecological tests (24%); multi-test methods (33%) were more sensitive than single-cutoff criteria (27%).
Conclusions:
- The estimated prevalence of spatial neglect (SN) post-unilateral stroke is approximately 30%.
- SN is more frequent after right brain damage (RBD) but remains significant after left brain damage (LBD).
- Ecological and multi-test diagnostic approaches are recommended; prevalence decreases over time, though chronic SN requires further investigation.
