The what and how of neglect

Abstract

We have defined neglect as a failure to report, respond, or orient to novel or meaningful stimuli presented on the side opposite a brain lesion that cannot be attributed to either elemental sensory or motor deficits (Heilman, Watson, & Valenstein, 1993). Many subtypes of neglect have been described, distinguished by the distribution of abnormal behaviour (e.g. spatial versus personal neglect) and the means by which the abnormal behaviour is elicited (e.g. inattention versus extinction). Although at one time we thought that the variety of neglect subtypes could be explained by variations in severity and in means of elicitation, we currently believe that neglect is not a unitary disorder. There is increasing evidence that neglect can be subdivided by the presumed underlying mechanisms: inattention (sensory neglect), disorders of action and intention (motor neglect), and representational disorders.