Event Abstract Back to Event Dual-task method unveils the presence of hemispatial neglect after several years from stroke Mario Bonato1* 1 Ghent University, Department of Experimental Psychology, Belgium Background After unilateral brain damage several stroke patients show neglect, a deficit of awareness for the space opposite to the lesioned hemisphere. Evidence shows that neglect depends on task difficulty but also that it either disappears or stabilizes within few months from stroke. Here I tried to reconcile these apparently contradictory findings by showing that the disappearance of neglect after few months from stroke partially reflects the insensitivity of the testing methods adopted rather than a full recovery of the deficit. Method A right-hemisphere stroke patient (GB) who did not present any deficit at standard paper-and-pencil tests for neglect diagnosis was longitudinally tested for 3.5 years through a computer-based task with different levels of difficulty. Briefly-presented, lateralized targets had to be reported either in isolation or while concurrently processing additional, visual or auditory, stimuli. Results From month 12 to 30 after stroke the patient detected all targets presented in the contralesional hemispace (perfect performance). At month 30, following the administration of a more difficult version of the task with reduced target diameter, the patient showed more than 80% of omissions for the contralesional hemispace. The vast majority of omissions occurred under dual-tasking, that is when the patient had to pay attention not only to stimuli location but also to additional information, either visual or auditory. Discussion A new diagnostic method based on dual-tasking allowed to unveil and modulate the presence and the degree of neglect for more than three years after stroke. It allows to conclude that not only the presence but also the time course of neglect is closely dependent on the testing method difficulty. This new and sensitive approach revealed an unexpectedly long-lasting (neuro)functional plasticity which might also be advantageous for the implementation of more effective rehabilitation policies. Relevance A new computer-based method allowed to obtain a strikingly more sensitive measure of neglect (a disabling disorder of spatial processing). The clinical relevance of this approach is straightforward: Undiagnosed residual neglect in the chronic phases after stroke constitutes a major threat for the personal safety of patients and of other people (e.g. when crossing the road and/or driving) and results in the impossibility in accessing specific rehabilitation. This method mimics every-day life cognitive demands thereby reducing the gap between performance in neuropsychological tests and in complex everyday contexts. Acknowledgements Supported by a FWO-Marie Curie Pegasus Fellowship Keywords: Attention, spatial awareness, hemispatial neglect, computer-based assessment, Neuropsychological Tests, Stroke, stroke rehabilitation Conference: Belgian Brain Council 2014 MODULATING THE BRAIN: FACTS, FICTION, FUTURE, Ghent, Belgium, 4 Oct - 4 Oct, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Clinical Neuroscience Citation: Bonato M (2014). Dual-task method unveils the presence of hemispatial neglect after several years from stroke. Conference Abstract: Belgian Brain Council 2014 MODULATING THE BRAIN: FACTS, FICTION, FUTURE. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2014.214.00055 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 01 Jul 2014; Published Online: 13 Jul 2014. * Correspondence: Dr. Mario Bonato, Ghent University, Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent, Belgium, B9000, Belgium, mario.bonato@unipd.it Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Mario Bonato Google Mario Bonato Google Scholar Mario Bonato PubMed Mario Bonato Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.