Alterations in Neuropsychological Functions after the Right Hemisphere Stroke: a Literature Review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Neuropsychological functions can suffer damage after a lesion in the right hemisphere of the brain. OBJECTIVE: To present an overview of existing publications concerning the study of changes in associated neuro-psychological functions after right hemisphere vascular lesion. METHODOLOGY: Electronic databases of scientific articles were searched for in the internet databases, such as Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO). RESULTS: The studies that evaluate neuropsychological functions and alterations in the Right Hemisphere after a Stroke vary from one to the other, showing convergences and divergences between authors in this relation of injured area and impaired function. However, in general, the authors agree that patients injured in the right hemisphere after a stroke present homogeneously in several neuropsychological functions. CONCLUSION: In the course of the study, it was noticed that some of these functions such as attention, perception, visual perception, memory, language and executive functions are highlighted more often and by more than one author, which are then considered the most associated functions with HD after a stroke. More studies on changes in neuropsychological functions following the right hemisphere stroke are needed to identify different clinical profiles and contribute to the increased effectiveness of assessment and rehabilitation procedures.