The bailiwick of visuo-spatial working memory: evidence from unilateral spatial neglect

An accurate representation of the visual environment is crucial for successful interaction with objects in that environment. The means by which that representation is formed in working memory is a major focus of the issues and research discussed in this paper. The discussion draws on experimental studies of healthy adults and of patients with impairments of visual perceptual processing or of visuo-spatial mental representation. These disorders are most commonly linked with the disorder referred to clinically as unilateral spatial neglect. We discuss the observed dissociation between perceptual neglect and representational neglect, and the phenomenon of implicit processing of information in the neglected hemifield. In so doing we explore the implications of the findings from this literature for the development of theories of visuo-spatial working memory.