Hemispatial neglect is a common disorder that can occur after a lesion in the right hemisphere. Its main characterization is the difficulty in processing visual stimuli emanating from the space contralateral to the lesion. Pencil and paper tests (such as target cancellation, line bisection, or drawing copy) are used to diagnose neglect. We propose using virtual reality technology and haptic force feedback to enhance pencil and paper tests. Our system can track the patients' eye-gaze and their hand movements. Also, the efficiency of several techniques used to decrease the neglect in different sensory spaces are investigated.

Background: Hemispatial neglect is a cognitive disorder defined as a lack of attention for stimuli contra-lateral to the brain lesion. The assessment is traditionally done with basic pencil and paper tests and the rehabilitation programs are generally not well adapted. We propose a virtual reality system featuring an eye-tracking device for a better characterization of the neglect that will lead to new rehabilitation techniques.

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Our objective is to develop and test a system for diagnosis and rehabilitation of patients with hemispatial neglect. The system consists of a 3D-haptic virtual world seen through stereo shutter-glasses. Patients interact by manipulating a haptic interface. The software adapts the virtual world accordingly to haptic interface and eye tracking feedback. Offline analysis is possible by reviewing recorded data. Observations made during experimentations with hemiplegics patients and future works with hemispatial neglect patients are discussed.

In the present study, we have developed a virtual reality system for tests and rehabilitation of patients with hemispatial neglect. The system is more compact, portable and easy to set up than the old system the authors previously proposed. Because the system can measure the subject's eyesight information online, we can make rehabilitation scenarios based on eyesight feedback. This technique enabled healthy subjects to become simulated patients with hemispatial neglect by vanishing objects existing in the left side of the point of view. In addition, two kinds of tasks of the training scenario were proposed by using the subject's eyesight information. The results of the experiment showed that the simulated patients also shifted their gazes toward the intact side and that a dynamic cue was effective for encouraging their attention to direct to the neglected side.

Background: Hemispatial neglect is a cognitive disorder defined as a lack of attention for stimuli contra-lateral to the brain lesion. The assessment is traditionally done with basic pencil and paper tests and the rehabilitation programs are generally not well adapted. We propose a virtual reality system featuring an eye-tracking device for a better characterization of the neglect that will lead to new rehabilitation techniques.

O u r objective is to develop and test a system for diagnosis and rehabilitation of patients with hemispatial neglect. The system consists of a 3D-Haptic virtual world seen through stereo shutter-glasses. Patients interact by manipulating a haptic interface. The software adapts the virtual world accordingly to haptic interface and for evaluating the degree of the pathological condition of a patient with hemispatial neglect who lacks the ability to give attention to the left side of space. eyesight tracking feedback. Offline analysis is possible by reviewing recorded data.