Brain, Vol. 125, No. 3, 608-623,
March 2002
© 2002 Guarantors of Brain
Long-lasting amelioration of visuospatial neglect by prism adaptation
1 Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Bologna, 2 Ospedale San Camillo, Venezia and 3 Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Clinica del lavoro e della Riabilitazione, IRCCS-Istituto Scientifico di Castel Goffredo, Mantova, Italy
Correspondence to: Francesca Frassinetti, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat, 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy E-mail: ffrassinetti{at}psibo.unibo.it
It has been shown that unilateral left neglect can be significantly improved for a short time after a short period of adaptation to a prismatic shift of the visual field to the right. In neuropsychological studies, however, there is no evidence demonstrating long-lasting effects following treatment by prism adaptation (PA). The first aim of the present study was to find out whether the short-term amelioration found after prismatic adaptation could be converted into long-term therapeutic improvement. Secondly, we investigated whether the improvement of neglect in standard tests could be generalized to ecological visuospatial tests. Thirdly, the effects of prism adaptation on different spatial domains (far, near and personal space) were evaluated. Fourthly, the influence of PA on high-order visuospatial functions, such as spatial representation, and on a low-order factor, i.e. sensory–motor bias, was investigated. Finally, we investigated the possible correlation between neglect amelioration, the adaptation effect and the visuomotor after-effect, as assessed by a pointing task during and after PA. Seven patients with right hemisphere lesion and left visuospatial neglect were treated with prismatic lenses in twice-daily sessions over a period of 2 weeks. In each training session, patients were required to perform a pointing task wearing base-left wedge prisms inducing a shift of the visual field to the right by 10°. The presence of visual neglect and the duration of the amelioration achieved were assessed before the treatment and 2 days, 1 week and 5 weeks after treatment by using a standardized battery that included a series of behavioural and ecological visuospatial tests. Six control, untreated patients, matched to the experimental group for gravity and duration of illness, were submitted to the same tests at the same intervals as the experimental patients. The results showed an improvement in the experimental patients’ performance after PA, which was maintained during the 5-week period after treatment. The amelioration of neglect was found in standard as well as in behavioural tests and in all spatial domains. In contrast, control patients did not show any improvement in neglect. The amelioration of neglect occurred only in patients who showed the adaptation effect and the after-effect in the pointing task. Neglect amelioration did not occur in one patient who did not show the adaptation effect and had an unstable after-effect. In conclusion, these findings show that prism adaptation is a productive way of achieving long-lasting improvements in neglect treatment.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  G. L. Moseley, A. Gallace, and C. Spence Space-based, but not arm-based, shift in tactile processing in complex regional pain syndrome and its relationship to cooling of the affected limb Brain, November 1, 2009; 132(11): 3142 - 3151. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. H. Bultitude, R. D. Rafal, and A. List Prism adaptation reverses the local processing bias in patients with right temporo-parietal junction lesions Brain, June 1, 2009; 132(6): 1669 - 1677. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 V. Prevosto, W. Graf, and G. Ugolini Cerebellar Inputs to Intraparietal Cortex Areas LIP and MIP: Functional Frameworks for Adaptive Control of Eye Movements, Reaching, and Arm/Eye/Head Movement Coordination Cereb Cortex, May 22, 2009; (2009) bhp091v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Serino, M. Barbiani, M. L. Rinaldesi, and E. Ladavas Effectiveness of Prism Adaptation in Neglect Rehabilitation: A Controlled Trial Study Stroke, April 1, 2009; 40(4): 1392 - 1398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Rowe, D. Brand, C. A. Jackson, A. Price, L. Walker, S. Harrison, C. Eccleston, C. Scott, N. Akerman, C. Dodridge, et al. Visual impairment following stroke: do stroke patients require vision assessment? Age Ageing, March 1, 2009; 38(2): 188 - 193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. Keller, G. Lefin-Rank, J. Losch, and G. Kerkhoff Combination of Pursuit Eye Movement Training With Prism Adaptation and Arm Movements in Neglect Therapy: A Pilot Study Neurorehabil Neural Repair, January 1, 2009; 23(1): 58 - 66. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Arene and A. E. Hillis Translation Research for the Rehabilitation of Left Spatial Neglect and Associated Disorders of Attention in Stroke Patients Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, June 1, 2008; 18(2): 55 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Sumitani, Y. Rossetti, M. Shibata, Y. Matsuda, G. Sakaue, T. Inoue, T. Mashimo, and S. Miyauchi Prism adaptation to optical deviation alleviates pathologic pain Neurology, January 9, 2007; 68(2): 128 - 133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Luaute, C. Michel, G. Rode, L. Pisella, S. Jacquin-Courtois, N. Costes, F. Cotton, D. le Bars, D. Boisson, P. Halligan, et al. Functional anatomy of the therapeutic effects of prism adaptation on left neglect Neurology, June 27, 2006; 66(12): 1859 - 1867. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. E. Hillis Neurobiology of Unilateral Spatial Neglect Neuroscientist, April 1, 2006; 12(2): 153 - 163. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Rousseaux, T. Bernati, A. Saj, and O. Kozlowski Ineffectiveness of Prism Adaptation on Spatial Neglect Signs Stroke, February 1, 2006; 37(2): 542 - 543. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
U. Castiello, D. Lusher, C. Burton, S. Glover, and P. Disler Improving left hemispatial neglect using virtual reality Neurology, June 8, 2004; 62(11): 1958 - 1962. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Parton, P Malhotra, and M Husain Hemispatial neglect J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, January 1, 2004; 75(1): 13 - 21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. R. Payne and R. J. Rushmore Animal Models of Cerebral Neglect and Its Cancellation Neuroscientist, December 1, 2003; 9(6): 446 - 454. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Beversdorf and K. M. Heilman Prism adaptation treatment of neglect: Conflicting results? Neurology, June 10, 2003; 60(11): 1734 - 1735. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Ferber, J. Danckert, M. Joanisse, H. C. Goltz, and M. A. Goodale Eye movements tell only half the story Neurology, June 10, 2003; 60(11): 1826 - 1829. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Maravita, J. McNeil, P. Malhotra, R. Greenwood, M. Husain, and J. Driver Prism adaptation can improve contralesional tactile perception in neglect Neurology, June 10, 2003; 60(11): 1829 - 1831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I H Robertson Cognitive neuroscience and brain rehabilitation: a promise kept J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, October 1, 2002; 73(4): 357 - 357. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I Schindler, G Kerkhoff, H-O Karnath, I Keller, and G Goldenberg Neck muscle vibration induces lasting recovery in spatial neglect J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, October 1, 2002; 73(4): 412 - 419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|