Visual exploratory activity of hemiplegic patients viewing the motor-free visual perception test

Eye movements of adult hemiplegics (11 right- and 9 left-brain-damaged patients) and 11 nonimpaired controls were recorded as they viewed selected cards of the Motor-free Visual Perception Test. The major finding was that neither group of patients exhibited an asymmetry of visual exploration (unilateral visual neglect) as they viewed the cards. Their scanning strategies were, however, unsystematic and irregular. In addition, both groups of patients scanned the cards longer and made more errors than controls. Use of the Motor-free Visual Perception Test as an appropriate measure for the general assessment of visual-perceptual processing abilities of adult brain-damaged patients who lack severe clinical manifestations of neglect is discussed.