Abstract WP313: Prism Adaptation Simulation Program for the Treatment of Hemispatial Neglect

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a prism adaptation simulation program and to evaluate the effectiveness of the program for hemispatial neglect Methods: Thirty subjects with hemispatial neglect due to right hemisphere lesion were involved. The prism adaptation simulation program consists of three sessions of personal computer mouse pointing tasks. In the first session, the subjects perform target pointing task with the PC mouse. The mouse curser starts from starting point located lower end of the vertical midline of the screen. Then the subjects move the mouse curser to the target point located upper end of the vertical midline. During the task, the path of the curser is blinded, so the subjects develop proprioceptive motor learning of the targeting after twenty repetitions of the task. In the second session, the mouse curser is programed to move 20 degree rightward deviation from the midline which simulate the prism adaptation condition. After completion of the adaptation to the deviation condition, the third session started. The third session was same to the first session. Due to the adaptation to the deviation condition, the subjects’ targeting are deviated to the left side of the target which is similar to the post-adaptation condition of prism treatment. Each subject was randomly assigned into 2 groups. Each subject was randomly assigned into 2 groups. The one group performed a prism adaptation simulation program treatment first and then a prism adaptation treatment after one week. The other group performed the interventions, reversely. Neglect tests(star cancellation test, line cancellation test, line bisection test) were used before and after each program to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment programs. Results: All neglect test scores became significantly higher after the prism adaptation simulation program as well as the prism adaptation ( p < 0.0001). The improved scores were significant higher after the prism adaptation than after prism simulation program ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: Hemispatial neglect was significantly improved by the prism adaptation simulation program as well as the prism adaptation, although the prism adaptation was more effective than the prism simulation program.