Neuropsychologic assessment and cognitive rehabilitation in a patient with locked-in syndrome and left neglect.

Abstract

We describe a patient affected by severe incomplete locked-in syndrome (LIS) and left neglect caused by a combination of vascular lesions. Our patient's neglect prevented the use of augmentative communication devices based on a computerized eye-tracker system. For this reason, we adapted a visual scanning training for neglect rehabilitation. At the end of the rehabilitative training, the patient had regained full exploration of the monitor and could use the eye-tracker system for communicative purposes. This case report shows that specific rehabilitative approaches can be devised in severely disabled LIS patients with additional brain lesions and specific cognitive defects.