Deficits of position sense, unilateral neglect and optokinetic stimulation

Neuropsychologia. 1993 Nov;31(11):1191-200. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(93)90067-a.

Abstract

The effects of optokinetic stimulation on position sense disorders were investigated in a series of 30 patients with unilateral vascular lesions (10 right brain-damaged patients with visuospatial hemineglect, 10 right brain-damaged patients without visuo-spatial hemineglect, 10 left brain-damaged patients), and 10 control subjects. The position sense deficit was more severe in right brain-damaged patients with neglect, where both the contralateral and the ipsilateral arm were involved. Optokinetic stimulation was effective only in right brain-damaged patients with neglect: stimulation with a leftward movement (contralateral to the side of the hemispheric lesion) improved the position sense deficit, while stimulation with a rightward (ipsilateral) movement produced a worsening of the performance level. These findings suggest that in right brain-damaged patients with neglect the position sense deficit has a nonsensory component, related to neglect, which may be affected by optokinetic stimulation. The role of the derangement of sensory and perceptual-egocentric representations of the body and of extrapersonal space in producing position sense disorders is discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / psychology
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Motion Perception / physiology
  • Movement / physiology
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Posture / physiology*
  • Sensation Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Sensation Disorders / psychology