Electrophysiological measures of patients with unilateral spatial neglect after brain disease: A systematic review

The investigation of brainwave changes during the recovery process of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) has garnered considerable attention in recent years. This paper presents an updated overview of the evolving brainwave patterns during USN rehabilitation, aiming to predict clinical outcomes and guide the selection of effective recovery strategies.

A systematic review was conducted, encompassing English literature published up to June 2024. Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and clinical trials were utilized. The included studies assessed brainwaves using electroencephalography (EEG) in at least one group with USN. However, the diverse nature of these studies posed challenges for a quantitative synthesis.

The final quantitative synthesis comprised 36 studies, incorporating a total of 4517 data points. The analysis revealed abnormalities in alpha, beta, and gamma brainwave activity, along with alterations in the functional monitoring of the alpha band during USN rehabilitation. Additionally, reductions were observed in specific brainwave components such as P1, N1, P2, P300, early directing attention negativity (EDAN), late directing attention positivity (LDAP), and contingent negative variation (CNV). However, findings regarding measures of synchrony, connectivity, and evoked responses across different frequency bands exhibited variability.

Various indicators of brainwave activity displayed changes at different stages of post-stroke neglect rehabilitation, highlighting the significance of neural network dysfunction in this process. Nonetheless, due to the diversity of the studies, further investigation is necessary to achieve a more comprehensive understanding in future research endeavors.