The anatomy of spatial neglect based on voxelwise statistical analysis: a study of 140 patients.

Karnath, H; Fruhmann Berger, M; Küker, W; Rorden, C

Journal article

The anatomy of spatial neglect based on voxelwise statistical analysis: a study of 140 patients.

Abstract:: A major challenge for any anatomical study of spatial neglect in neurological patients is that human lesions vary tremendously in extent and location between individuals. Approaches to this problem used in previous studies were to focus on subgroups of patients that are more homogeneous either with respect to the branch territory affected by the stroke or with respect to existing additional neurological symptoms (e.g. additional visual field defects). It could be argued that such strategies might bias the conclusions on the critical substrate associated with spatial neglect. The present study thus addressed the high variability inherent in naturally occurring lesions by using an unselected, but very large sample size and by comparing a neglect group with a non-neglect group using voxelwise statistical testing. We investigated an unselected 7 year sample of 140 consecutively admitted patients with right hemisphere strokes. Seventy-eight had spatial neglect, 62 did not show the disorder. The incidence of visual field defects was comparable in both groups. For assessing lesion location, in a first step, we used conventional lesion density plots together with subtraction analysis. Moreover, due to the large size of the sample voxelwise statistical testing was possible to objectively estimate which brain regions are more frequently compromised in neglect patients relative to patients without neglect. The results demonstrate that the right superior temporal cortex, the insula and subcortically putamen and caudate nucleus are the neural structures damaged significantly more often in patients with spatial neglect.

Actions

Email

Email this record

Send the bibliographic details of this record to your email address.

Your Email
Please enter the email address that the record information will be sent to.

-
Your message (optional)
Please add any additional information to be included within the email.
Share
Cite

Cite this record

APA Style

Karnath, H., Fruhmann Berger, M., Küker, W., & Rorden, C. (2004). The anatomy of spatial neglect based on voxelwise statistical analysis: a study of 140 patients. Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 14(10), 1164–1172.

MLA Style

Karnath, H, et al. “The Anatomy of Spatial Neglect Based on Voxelwise Statistical Analysis: a Study of 140 Patients.” Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), vol. 14, no. 10, 2004, pp. 1164–72.

Chicago Style

Karnath, H, M Fruhmann Berger, W Küker, and C Rorden. 2004. “The Anatomy of Spatial Neglect Based on Voxelwise Statistical Analysis: a Study of 140 Patients.” Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 14 (10): 1164–72.
Print