Article

Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a neurological disorder often observed
following damage to the right cerebral hemisphere.
Patients with USN are no
longer able to take into account stimuli presented on the left side of space. In
this article, we will discuss the neuroanatomical correlates that underlie
visuospatial attention and can cause USN, an area of growing research interest in
the past 20 years. This syndrome has often been related to cortical damage,
notably in the inferior parietal lobule. Other data have also implicated lesions
in the inferior frontal gyrus or the superior temporal gyrus. In this article, we
will highlight the relevance of viewing USN as a disconnection syndrome of
interconnected cerebral areas, as opposed to a focal cortical syndrome. We will
review data that provide evidence of intrahemispheric disconnection, in
particular within the right hemisphere's frontoparietal networks connected by the
superior longitudinal fasciculus. Recent findings suggest that interhemispheric
disconnection could also contribute to the manifestations of USN. Most
importantly, interhemispheric disconnection might be a predictive factor for the
chronicity of this disorder. This hypothesis implies that the left hemisphere by
itself is not able to compensate for the patients' deficits. Recovery requires
the ability to exchange information between the two hemispheres, particularly in
the posterior parietal and occipital regions.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS