Picturing the body in spatial neglect: descending a staircase.

Abstract

Spatial neglect-a syndrome in which there is asymmetric perception, orienting, or response associated with functional disability(1)-has a potentially devastating effect on self-care and safety after stroke. Still, it frequently goes unrecognized.(2) How is this possible? A tremendously disabling disorder should be easy to detect. In this issue of Neurology(®), Rousseaux et al.(3) present a study that may give us an inkling of the problem: we may be assessing the eyes, but not the body.