Environment and object mental images in patients with representational neglect: two case reports

J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2010 Sep;16(5):921-32. doi: 10.1017/S1355617710000305. Epub 2010 Mar 24.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to shed light on the nature of the imagery deficits in two patients with representational neglect and to determine whether representational neglect is affected by the content of the mental images the patients have to generate, inspect and manipulate. In particular, we submitted two patients with different types of representational neglect to a battery of visual mental imagery tests to assess the different kinds of imagery processes. We found that Patient 1, whose performance was asymmetrical on the O'Clock Test, performed poorly on tasks involving the mental generation, inspection and manipulation of objects but showed no deficit on tasks involving the mental generation, inspection and manipulation of environments. On the other hand, Patient 2, whose performance was asymmetrical on the Familiar Squares Description Test, performed poorly on tasks involving the mental generation, inspection and manipulation of environments, but not on tasks involving the mental generation, inspection and manipulation of objects. Our results demonstrate that environments and objects in the imagery domain can be represented separately and can be selectively affected by damage following brain lesions.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology*
  • Environment*
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Imagination / physiology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology
  • Perceptual Disorders / complications*
  • Perceptual Disorders / pathology
  • Perceptual Disorders / psychology*
  • Photic Stimulation / methods
  • Space Perception / physiology
  • Spatial Behavior / physiology