The Brentano Illusion Test (BRIT): An implicit task of perceptual processing for the assessment of visual field defects in neglect patients

ABSTRACT

In brain damaged patients with unilateral spatial neglect (USN), the differential diagnosis between the presence and absence of a unilateral visual half-field deficit (VHFD) is hampered by the similarity of their phenomenology. The absence of stimuli detection in the contralateral visual field, indeed, can be due to the co-occurrence of USN and VHFD or the sole presence of the USN. The disentangling of the two conditions is required to devise more specific rehabilitation programmes. Daini et al. [2002. Exploring the syndrome of spatial unilateral neglect through an illusion of length. Experimental Brain Research, 144(2), 224–237.] reported a difference in performance for the two conditions when the tasks required the bisection of Brentano illusory stimuli. Only when USN and VHFD co-occurred, the leftward illusory effect was disrupted. Based on previous findings, in this cross-sectional study, we developed the Brentano Illusion Test (BRIT), a clinical tool that helps the identification of VHFD in USN patients. The BRIT is a simple behavioural test of line bisection aimed at verifying the presence or absence of implicit processing in USN and thus helping the diagnosis of VHFD in USN patients; it also provides normative data for the line bisection task and the length effect.

KEYWORDS:

• Unilateral spatial neglect
• Hemianopia
• Line bisection
• Confrontation examination
• Visual illusions

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr Nicoletta Beschin for recruiting patients and staff support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.