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Landmark based navigation in brain-damaged patients with neglect.

Authors :
Nico D
Piccardi L
Iaria G
Bianchini F
Zompanti L
Guariglia C
Source :
Neuropsychologia [Neuropsychologia] 2008; Vol. 46 (7), pp. 1898-907. Date of Electronic Publication: 2008 Jan 31.
Publication Year :
2008

Abstract

We tested navigational abilities of brain-damaged patients suffering from representational or perceptual neglect asking them to retrieve a location according to salient spatial cues included in a rectangular empty room. Both groups of patients showed difficulties in learning the spatial definition of the target location in relation to two landmarks. However in a delayed attempt performed after several trials the group of patients with perceptual neglect proved able to easily retrieve the target location. In this condition they performed as controls showing a spared ability to navigate according to a stable representation of the room in long-term memory. In contrast the difficulty of patients with representational neglect remained unchanged across experimental conditions. At variance with clinical assessment, in which patients show asymmetrical performances in describing a well-known environment from memory, this latter result depicts a behavioural counterpart of the disorder, namely the inability to orient in a new environment according to an inner representation. Data are further discussed in order to provide a description of the cognitive mechanisms required for space representation for navigation.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0028-3932
Volume :
46
Issue :
7
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Neuropsychologia
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
18316102
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.01.013