ABSTRACT
Thirty-five right brain-damaged (RBD) stroke patients, enrolled in active rehabilitation programs, participated in this study. Patients were selected on the basis of their evidenced deficits in performing complex visuo-cognitive tasks and the absence of overt evidence of unilateral visual-spatial neglect. Seventeen of the 35 patients were randomly chosen to receive a training program (lasting approximately 1 month) designed to establish a systematic strategy of organizing complex visual material. The remaining 18 patients were re-examined after 1 month, and served as controls. The design of the treatment program was based on the hypothesis that nonneglected RBD patients fail to appreciate and synthesize elements of complex visual material due to a breakdown in compensation for a persistent lateral bias in visual-spatial attention. Upon posttesting, it was found that those patients who received training exhibited significantly improved performance, as compared to controls, on a subgroup of visuo-cognitive tasks. These results are discussed in terms of: (1) offering indirect support for the argument that pathological asymmetries in attention play a significant role in the failure of RBD patients on many visuo-cognitive tasks; and, (2) offering a basis for extending the treatment of perceptual problems in RBD patients.
Subject(s)
Cerebrovascular Disorders/complications , Perceptual Disorders/rehabilitation , Visual Perception , Attention , Brain/pathology , Cerebrovascular Disorders/pathology , Cerebrovascular Disorders/psychology , Humans , Middle Aged , Psychological Tests , Reading , Space PerceptionABSTRACT
Senile dementia patients are usually considered hopeless--incapable of learning or improving. There is hope for improvement in such patients, however, and certain techniques effective in enhancing alertness in other brain-damaged patients can be helpful to these patients. A simple, widely available electronic television game is used, and a special training technique was designed to teach the patients how to successfully play the game. The fascinating attraction of this game engages the patient's attention, and success in playing the game promotes alertness. The training method encourages the patient to succeed at the game and thereby enhances his interest in his surroundings and his competence and self-esteem.