Effects of visual-motor illusion in stroke hemiplegic patients with left-side personal neglect: A report of two cases

Personal neglect is the neglect of self-body space, which often occurs in patients with unilateral spatial neglect (USN), but lacks a dedicated rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of visual-motor illusion (VMI) on two-stroke hemiplegic patients with left-side personal neglect. Case 1 was a 53-year-old man diagnosed with a right lenticulostriate artery infarction. Case 2 was a 76-year-old woman diagnosed with a right middle cerebral artery infarction. USN symptoms were not observed in either patient in the desk USN assessment, but personal neglect and USN symptoms in daily life were observed in both patients. Intervention effects were verified using an ABA design, comprising a 5-day three-phase (A1, B, A2). In phase B, VMI was performed on the paralyzed upper limb for 10 min in addition to conventional physical therapy. Outcomes measures were the Fluff test, Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). In both patients, no improvements were noted in FMA, but improvements were observed in the Fluff test, CBS, and FIM in phase B; these effects were retained in phase A2. Therefore, VMI may have contributed to improvements in Personal neglect and USN symptoms in daily life.