Components of visual attention. Alterations in response pattern to visual stimuli following parietal lobe infarction

The contribution of attentional factors per se in response to visual stimuli was studied in patients with unilateral lesions of the left or right cerebral hemispheres. Subjects were required to respond to visual targets that were presented tachistoscopically, and were preceded by spatial cues that served to manipulate the spatial locus of attention. On 'valid' cue trials, the cue directed attention to the target's spatial coordinates; on 'invalid' cue trials, the cue misdirected attention. It was determined that damage to either the left or right hemisphere results in a general slowing of reaction times to visual stimuli irrespective of where such stimuli appear, and that patients with right parietal lesions are further impaired at shifting attention within the left visual field.