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Italian standardization of the Apples Cancellation Test

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Abstract

Hemispatial neglect due to right parieto-temporo-frontal lesions has a negative impact on the success of rehabilitation, resulting in poor functional gain. Recent research has shown that different types of neglect can impact in a different way on rehabilitation outcomes. The availability of a sensitive test, useful for distinguishing egocentric and allocentric forms of neglect, may be clinically important as all current clinical instruments fail to distinguish between these forms of disturbance, yet they differentially predict outcome. The Apples Test is a new instrument useful to evaluate both egocentric and allocentric forms of neglect. In order to establish Italian norms for this diagnostic instrument the test was administered to a sample of 412 healthy people of both genders (201 M and 211 F), aged from 20 to 80 years enrolled from 14 different rehabilitation centers in Italy. Based on the data, we established pathological performance cut-offs for the accuracy score (total omission errors), the asymmetry score for egocentric neglect (omission error difference), the asymmetry score for allocentric neglect (commission error difference) and execution time. The usefulness of the Apples Test for diagnostic purposes is illustrated by presenting three patients with different forms of neglect (egocentric, allocentric and mixed neglect).

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Acknowledgments

We would like to especially thank M. Pacini, B. Basagni, E. Todeschini, R. Moretti, S. Prestigiacomo, M.A. D’angelo, A. Lazzarini, C. Zucchella, M.E. Girò, F. Cellamare, E.Conti, M. Marchetti and G. Alla for their contribution in collecting the data.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurological Rehabilitation Unit, USL 9 Grosseto, Grosseto, Italy

    Mauro Mancuso, S. Rosadoni & D. Capitani

  2. School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    W. L. Bickerton

  3. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    G. W. Humphreys

  4. Centro Cardinal Ferrari, Fontanellato, Parma, Italy

    A. De Tanti

  5. Rehabilitation Department, USL2 Umbria, Umbria, Italy

    M. Zampolini

  6. Rehabilitation Foundation Institute San Raffaele Giglio, Cefalu, Palermo, Italy

    G. Galardi

  7. Neurological Rehabilitation Unit Auxilium Vitae, Volterra, Pisa, Italy

    M. Caputo

  8. Neuroscience Department, University of Padova, Padua, Italy

    S. De Pellegrin

  9. IRCCS Foundation Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy

    A. Angelini

  10. Rehabilitation Department, USL12 Viareggio, Lucca, Italy

    B. Bartalini

  11. IRCCS Neurologic Institute Mediterraneo Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy

    M. Bartolo

  12. Neuro-rehabilitation Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy

    M. C. Carboncini

  13. Rehabilitative Foundation Don C. Gnocchi, Sarzana, La Spezia, Italy

    P. Gemignani

  14. Neurologic Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Maugeri, Cassano Murge, Bari, Italy

    S. Spaccavento

  15. BrainCare, Padua, Italy

    A. Cantagallo

  16. Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    P. Zoccolotti & G. Antonucci

  17. Neuropsychology Centre, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy

    P. Zoccolotti & G. Antonucci

Authors
  1. Mauro Mancuso
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  2. S. Rosadoni
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  3. D. Capitani
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  4. W. L. Bickerton
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  5. G. W. Humphreys
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  6. A. De Tanti
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  7. M. Zampolini
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  8. G. Galardi
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  9. M. Caputo
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  10. S. De Pellegrin
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  11. A. Angelini
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  12. B. Bartalini
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  13. M. Bartolo
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  14. M. C. Carboncini
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  15. P. Gemignani
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  16. S. Spaccavento
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  17. A. Cantagallo
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  18. P. Zoccolotti
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  19. G. Antonucci
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauro Mancuso.

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Appendix

Appendix

See Table 2.

Table 2 Number of healthy subjects who were part of the stratification sample as a function of age, gender and education
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Mancuso, M., Rosadoni, S., Capitani, D. et al. Italian standardization of the Apples Cancellation Test. Neurol Sci 36, 1233–1240 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2088-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2088-2

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