Task Specific Effects in the Rehabilitation of Unilateral Neglect

A therapy programme was designed to measure unilateral neglect and to assess the effects of both a visual and a tactile cueing strategy on a variety of functional tasks. The patient’s scanning, assessed in reading and cancellation tasks, improved spontaneously. Unilateral neglect was reduced in negotiating an obstacle course using a colour cueing strategy. Standard physiotherapy practice in the form of increased afferent input with repetitive motor practice (the tactile cueing strategy) did not improve the patient’s spatial awareness or motor neglect. The implications for the understanding and the rehabilitation of unilateral neglect are discussed.