Computed Tomography Correlates of Chronic Unilateral Neglect

Though unilateral neglect (UN) of space after acute right hemispheric stroke is usually a transient disorder, in a minority of patients it can persist for several months and interfere with rehabilitation. Lesion site and size, ventricular size, and occipital width asymmetries were assessed on the CT scans of a population of 24 patients with chronic UN. The most common lesion site in these patients was temporoparietal, with extension to the frontal lobe or to the thalamus relatively uncommon. Severity of neglect correlated significantly with the size of the lesion but not with that of the ventricular system. No correlation between severity and lesion size was found in a subgroup of patients after rehabilitation training. The pattern of occipital asymmetry was normal. CT scan data do not appear to be particularly helpful in predicting severity and duration of unilateral neglect or response to rehabilitation training.