Rehabilitation of Unilateral Neglect: Improving Function by Contralesional Limb Activation

Abstract

Unilateral neglect predicts poor motor recovery following right hemisphere stroke. Contralesional limb activation has previously been shown to reduce neglect of the left side of space (Robertson & North, 1992), and it is proposed that this happens in part due to overcoming inhibition from competitor perceptuomotor circuits in the undamaged lefthemisphere. Application of this principle to clinical rehabilitation results in improvements in neglect and in everyday function (Robertson, North, & Geggie, 1992). The present study extends and replicates this finding with a case of severe unilateral neglect, whose statistically significant improvement in measured neglect is confined to near peripersonal space, and not to personal space nor far peripersonal space. The theoretical implications of this finding for understanding recovery from unilateral neglect are discussed.