Visual neglect and inattention are also referred to as hemiagnosia, hemineglect, unilateral neglect, spatial neglect, unilateral visual inattention, hemi-inattention or neglect syndrome.- Neglect is a disorder of attention and may have a tactile or auditory component which may result in reduced responses to, and interaction with, sensory input from the neglected side.
- It happens after damage to one hemisphere of the brain (usually the right), and results in a lack of attention to or awareness of, one side of space (usually the left). Neglect can occur following left hemisphere damage but tends to be less severe and recovers more quickly.
- Neglect is most frequently associated with lesions to the right inferior parietal or superior temporal lobe (denoted as the shaded areas in the drawing below).
- In the hierarchy of vision (see Additional Information box to view this again) attention sits at the second level up; it therefore is a dysfunction of higher visual processing and should not be confused with homonymous hemianopia which is a visual field loss. Some people will however present with both disorders.
Page last reviewed: 29 Jul 2021
