Visuospatial attention after traumatic brain injury: The role of hemispheric specialization

Abstract

TBI may have an enduring effect on the orienting system at both neural and behavioural levels. Assessment of attention in chronic TBI can be improved by the integration of hemispheric findings that suggest disproportionate vulnerability in leftward orienting. Results may enhance clinical sensitivity to detection of subtle signs of neglect.

Visuospatial Attention Allocation as an Indicator of Cognitive Deficit in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The flow diagram in Figure 1 describes the study search and selection process and outcomes (Moher et al, 2009 ). Out of 50 abstracts screened, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis (Macflynn et al, 1984 ; Cremona-Meteyard et al, 1992 ; Cremona-Meteyard and Geffen, 1994b ; Geldmacher and Hills, 1997 ; Hills and Geldmacher, 1998 ; Bate et al, 2001 ; Van Donkelaar et al, 2005 ; Halterman et al, 2006 ; Pavlovskaya et al, 2007 ; Catena et al, 2009 ; Kim et al, 2009 ; Sinnett et al, 2011 ; Rodríguez-Bailón et al, 2012 ; Hill-Jarrett et al, 2015 ; Schmitter-Edgecombe and Robertson, 2015 ; Robertson and Schmitter-Edgecombe, 2017 ; Shah et al, 2017 ; Hromas et al, 2020 ). After thorough review of the full texts, 16 of these 18 studies met the criteria for quantitative analysis, producing 80 calculated effect size estimates for meta-analysis.…”

Efficacy of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined With Visual Scanning Treatment on Cognitive-Behavioral Symptoms of Unilateral Spatial Neglect in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…This finding suggests that, in stroke, N1 is a neurophysiological index of impairment on left stimulus processing and, thus, a sign of inter-hemispheric imbalance in LHSN (15,18,19). Furthermore, a recent study comparing TBI patients with LHSN against controls showed the presence of hemispheric differences in latencies and amplitudes of the N1 component of VEPs to stimuli presented on both sides (15). These data suggest that the right hemispheric stroke imbalance model could also be applied to explain LHSN symptoms in TBI.…”

“…The neural correlates of the inter-hemispheric imbalance associated with LHSN symptoms are often assessed using visual evoked potentials (VEPs). In particular, N1 is a posterior negative deflection in the VEPs, peaking around 180 ms after stimulus presentation, with greater amplitude for stimuli presented in the contralateral hemifield (15). In stroke, it has been demonstrated that LHSN is associated with a smaller amplitude and delayed latency of N1 for left presented stimuli compared to right presented stimuli (15)(16)(17)(18).…”

“…In particular, N1 is a posterior negative deflection in the VEPs, peaking around 180 ms after stimulus presentation, with greater amplitude for stimuli presented in the contralateral hemifield (15). In stroke, it has been demonstrated that LHSN is associated with a smaller amplitude and delayed latency of N1 for left presented stimuli compared to right presented stimuli (15)(16)(17)(18). This finding suggests that, in stroke, N1 is a neurophysiological index of impairment on left stimulus processing and, thus, a sign of inter-hemispheric imbalance in LHSN (15,18,19).…”

“…In stroke, it has been demonstrated that LHSN is associated with a smaller amplitude and delayed latency of N1 for left presented stimuli compared to right presented stimuli (15)(16)(17)(18). This finding suggests that, in stroke, N1 is a neurophysiological index of impairment on left stimulus processing and, thus, a sign of inter-hemispheric imbalance in LHSN (15,18,19). Furthermore, a recent study comparing TBI patients with LHSN against controls showed the presence of hemispheric differences in latencies and amplitudes of the N1 component of VEPs to stimuli presented on both sides (15).…”