Abstract
Abstract Spatial neglect is a debilitating neuropsychological disorder that is characterized by an impaired or lost ability to explore the space contralateral to the lesion and to react to stimuli presented on this side. Lesion sites that have been implicated in spatial neglect form a widely distributed network consisting of a number of cortical (i.e., frontoparietal) and subcortical (i.e., thalamic) areas that are activated during attention and visuomotor tasks in healthy individuals. While detailed understanding of the brain circuits and mechanisms involved in spatial neglect is a prerequisite for the development of effective therapies, this has proven to be difficult in human patients because of the size and variability of lesion sites. Therefore, experimental models where predefined brain regions can be systematically inactivated are of great advantage. Neglect models have been developed in nonhuman primates in whom it is possible to pharmacologically inactivate small brain regions and in humans by means of noninvasive stimulation/inactivation methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. In this article, we discuss theories about the mechanisms of spatial neglect such as the hemispheric imbalance model and the supporting experimental evidence, with an emphasis on imaging experiments that have explored the effects of lesions on dynamic brain activity.
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