Unilateral neglect and normal attention

Abstract

The various phenomena of unilateral neglect remain among the most fascinating and perplexing in neurology. They are fascinating because of their often paradoxical nature, and because of the potential window they offer on the representation of space in the brainmind, and on the interplay of spatial selection together with other processing systems. They are perplexing because of the dearth of detailed and explicit explanations, and the lack of proven rehabilitative strategies. The last decade has seen an explosion of experimental studies (see Robertson & Marshall, 1993, for recent reviews) investigating neglect and related disorders such as extinction and Balint's syndrome. Nevertheless, the way forward remains challenging and uncertain.