New developments in the understanding and treatment of the hemispatial neglect syndrome

Hemispatial neglect following brain injury is an important topic in both neuropsychological research and clinical practice. This term refers to a cluster of debilitating behaviours observed in patients, which is characterised by a failure to orientate or respond to stimuli in space contralateral to the side of the brain lesion. In the present paper, an overview of classical and more recent clinical and experimental findings are presented. In particular, one large multi-centre study ( Pizzamiglio et al., 1992 ) is commented upon. This study arose as a result of research co-operation throughout Europe and, along with other work by this group, it broadens our understanding of hemispatial neglect phenomena. In addition, new treatment possibilities, arising from recent research, are discussed.