Relationship between facial discrimination and visual neglect in patients with unilateral vascular lesions

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between facial discrimination and visual neglect in patients with unilateral vascular lesions. Subjects were 85 patients with right- hemisphere cerebrovascular lesions and 45 patients with left- hemisphere cerebrovascular lesions. All were administered the Short Form of the Facial Recognition Test (FRT) (Levin, Hamsher, & Benton, 1975). Results revealed that twice as many RCVA patients (53%) exhibited impairment on the FRT as LCVA patients (27%). In RCVA patients, a much higher percentage of impairment was seen in patients with left visual neglect. Among LCVA patients, about the same percentage of impairment was seen in patients with right visual neglect as in those without neglect. WAIS-R Performance I.Q. correlated significantly with FRT scores in RCVA patients suggesting a relationship between facial discrimination and other perceptual and spatial abilities in this group. All other correlations between WAIS-R and FRT scores were nonsignificant.