Improving rehabilitation outcomes in unilateral neglect

Unilateral neglect is a complex and disabling condition that occurs in as many as 80% of people after right hemisphere stroke. The neglect syndrome is characterized by an absence of awareness or failure to respond to stimuli on the side opposite the brain lesion, which cannot be attributed to primary sensory or motor dysfunction. The behavioural consequences of neglect are devastating and can severely limit a person’s ability to regain functional independence. Moreover, the presence of neglect has been shown to be a predictor of poor response to rehabilitation.