Increased attentional load moves the left to the right.

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  • Author(s): Bonato M;Bonato M;Bonato M; Cutini S; Cutini S; Cutini S
  • Source:
    Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology [J Clin Exp Neuropsychol] 2016; Vol. 38 (2), pp. 158-70. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Nov 23.
  • Publication Type:
    Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Language:
    English
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Routledge Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8502170 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1744-411X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13803395 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Clin Exp Neuropsychol Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: 2013- : London : Routledge
      Original Publication: Lisse : Swets & Zeitlinger, c1985-
    • Subject Terms:
      Attention/*physiology ; Brain Damage, Chronic/*physiopathology ; Perceptual Disorders/*physiopathology ; Psychomotor Performance/*physiology ; Space Perception/*physiology ; Visual Perception/*physiology; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Auditory Perception/physiology ; Brain Damage, Chronic/complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perceptual Disorders/etiology
    • Abstract:
      Introduction: Unilateral brain damage can heterogeneously alter spatial processing. Very often brain-lesioned patients fail to report (neglect) items appearing within the contralesional space. Much less often patients mislocalize items' spatial position. We investigated whether a top-down attentional load manipulation (dual-tasking), known to result in contralesional omissions even in apparently unimpaired cases, might also induce spatial mislocalizations.
      Method: Nine right-hemisphere-damaged patients performed three computer-based tasks encompassing different levels of attentional load. The side of appearance of visual targets had to be reported either in isolation or while processing additional information (visual or auditory dual task). Spatial mislocalizations (from the contralesional hemispace towards the ipsilesional unaffected one) were then contrasted with omissions both within and across tasks, at individual as well as at group level.
      Results: The representation of ipsilesional targets was accurate and not affected by dual-tasking requirements. Contralesional targets were instead often omitted and, under dual-task conditions, also mislocalized by four patients. Three cases reported a significant number of left targets as appearing on the right (alloesthesia). Two of these patients perceived more targets (albeit to a wrong spatial location) under dual- than under single-task load. In a fourth patient, increased visual load resulted in synchiria, the (mis)perception of single, contralesional targets as being two (one on each side).
      Conclusions: When the neural circuitry subtending spatial processing is damaged, an increase in task load can lead to either a disregard or a bias in the processing of contralesional hemispace. The spatial bias subtending mislocalizations seems to index a more severe deficit than neglect, as if contralesional space would be completely erased rather than merely ignored.
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Allochiria; Alloesthesia; Attentional load; Awareness; Extinction.; Neglect; Right hemisphere damage; Spatial attention; Synchiria
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20151124 Date Completed: 20161007 Latest Revision: 20161230
    • Publication Date:
      20250114
    • Accession Number:
      10.1080/13803395.2015.1091065
    • Accession Number:
      26594943