Neurobiology of Unilateral Spatial Neglect

Hemispatial neglect is a common and disabling consequence of stroke. Earlier studies aimed to identify a single area of the brain where damage caused neglect and sought a single disrupted process that could account for the symptoms. Recent studies have shifted toward identifying component processes and representations underlying spatial attention required for various tasks and identifying areas of the brain responsible for each component that together constitute the network of regions responsible for neglect. This review focuses on recent insights into the mechanisms of neglect, regions of neural dysfunction that cause disruption of particular components or forms of neglect, and potential means of ameliorating neglect. Converging evidence supporting these insights comes from new imaging modalities in acute stroke, functional imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation, electrophysiological studies in humans, and single-cell recording studies in nonhuman primates.