Right-hemisphere deficits, lesion size and location

Abstract

Thirty-seven patients with single right-hemisphere infarcts localized on CT or isotope scans were examined on tests of constructional apraxia, neglect, visuospatial problem solving, motor praxis, and language. The patients were placed, according to the anatomical location of their lesions, into five groups: frontal, central cortical, central deep, parietal, and occipital. Mean scores for drawing, Block Design and Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices were not significantly different across the groups, but measures of neglect and perseveration appeared significantly worse in the frontal and extensive central lesion groups. Lesion size did not correlate significantly with any of the parameters. The previously emphasized parietal locus of lesions in constructional apraxia, visuospatial difficulty, and neglect was not confirmed, suggesting a more diffusely organized right hemisphere.