Post-stroke Unilateral Spatial Neglect: Virtual Reality-based Navigation and Detection Tasks Reveal Lateralized and Non-lateralized Deficits in Tasks of Varying Perceptual and Cognitive Demands

Overview

Journal J Neuroeng Rehabil

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Neurology
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2018 Apr 25

PMID 29685145

Citations 9

Authors

Tatiana Ogourtsova

Philippe S Archambault

Anouk Lamontagne

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Unilateral spatial neglect (USN), a highly prevalent and disabling post-stroke impairment, has been shown to affect the recovery of locomotor and navigation skills needed for community mobility. We recently found that USN alters goal-directed locomotion in conditions of different cognitive/perceptual demands. However, sensorimotor post-stroke dysfunction (e.g. decreased walking speed) could have influenced the results. Analogous to a previously used goal-directed locomotor paradigm, a seated, joystick-driven navigation experiment, minimizing locomotor demands, was employed in individuals with and without post-stroke USN (USN+ and USN-, respectively) and healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Participants (n = 15 per group) performed a seated, joystick-driven navigation and detection time task to targets 7 m away at 0°, ±15°/30° in actual (visually-guided), remembered (memory-guided) and shifting (visually-guided with representational updating component) conditions while immersed in a 3D virtual reality environment.

Results: Greater end-point mediolateral errors to left-sided targets (remembered and shifting conditions) and overall lengthier onsets in reorientation strategy (shifting condition) were found for USN+ vs. USN- and vs. HC (p < 0.05). USN+ individuals mostly overshot left targets (- 15°/- 30°). Greater delays in detection time for target locations across the visual spectrum (left, middle and right) were found in USN+ vs. USN- and HC groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: USN-related attentional-perceptual deficits alter navigation abilities in memory-guided and shifting conditions, independently of post-stroke locomotor deficits. Lateralized and non-lateralized deficits in object detection are found. The employed paradigm could be considered in the design and development of sensitive and functional assessment methods for neglect; thereby addressing the drawbacks of currently used traditional paper-and-pencil tools.

Citing Articles

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Painter D, Norwood M, Marsh C, Hine T, Woodman C, Libera M Brain Commun. 2024; 6(4):fcae145.

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Virtual reality tasks with eye tracking for mild spatial neglect assessment: a pilot study with acute stroke patients.

Uimonen J, Villarreal S, Laari S, Arola A, Ijas P, Salmi J Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1319944.

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Immersive virtual reality gameplay detects visuospatial atypicality, including unilateral spatial neglect, following brain injury: a pilot study.

Painter D, Norwood M, Marsh C, Hine T, Harvie D, Libera M J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2023; 20(1):161.

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Houston K, Keilty M, Collins C, Trehan R, Mouldovan T, Stuckart K Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl. 2023; 5(1):100246.

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