STUDY OF UNILATERAL SPATIAL NEGLECT IN PARKINSON'S PATIENTS

Abstract

In Africa, few studies are interested in unilateral spatial neglect (NSU) in Parkinson's disease. However, this syndrome is a deficit to detect, respond to or orientate towards meaningful stimuli (Heil- man, KM 1973), observable after an injury affecting the non-dominant hemisphere for language. The significant handicap it entails justifies the need for early diagnosis and care. The NSU study is mo- tivated by its link with neurocognitive phenomena that are important on the theoretical level (attention, visuospatial and perceptual awareness). The objective is to study USN in Parkinson's pa tients, followed and hospitalized at the Neurology Department of Hassan II University Hospital in Fez. The visual-graphic test that has been used to detect this pathology is that of Bell's test. The test focuses on the detection of targets placed among several stimuli on a sheet of A4 paper. The material included 120 people: 60 Parkinsonian patients: 34 men (56,7%), and 26 women (43,3%) and 60 control subjects: 34 men (56,7%), and 26 women (43,3%). The groups were matched by age and sex. Different aspects of neglect have been observed throughout the Bell's test. It was found that total omission of bell figures was significantly influenced by age, being less frequent in the 35-49 age group in both groups, and higher in the elderly (50-80 years), as well the level of education. It have been reduced considerably with the increase in education. The hand used and the laterality had no effect; t = 3.76 degrees of freedom (df) = 108.27 and p = 0.000. Unilateral spatial neglect has a negative effect in subjects with Parkin- son's disease. It deserves to be systematically sought for a better clinical evaluation and therapeutic management of the patients.