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Neglect Syndrome

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology

Synonyms

Amorphosynthesis; Hemiagnosia; Left (or right) neglect; Spatial neglect; Unilateral neglect; Visual neglect; Visuospatial angnosia; Visuospatial neglect

Short Description or Definition

The neglect syndrome (or more simply, neglect) is a fascinating and multifaceted neurological disorder. Patients with neglect act as if portions of their world do not exist. In addition to spatial neglect, they may appear unconcerned about their hemi-paresis and even deny ownership of a limb on the neglected side of their body. A widely cited operational definition states that persons with neglect fail to report, respond, or orient to external stimulation (or mental representations of sensory events) located contralateral to a brain lesion (i.e., contralesional) when the failure cannot be attributed to a primary sensory or motor deficit such as hemianopia or paralysis (Heilman, Watson, & Valenstein, 1985). Not surprisingly, neglect has and continues to inspire ideas about how humans perceive,...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Slot 826, 72205-7199, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Mark Mennemeier

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  1. Mark Mennemeier
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Professor of Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry Virginia Commonwealth University – Medical Center Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VCU, 980542, Richmond, Virginia, 23298-0542, USA

    Jeffrey S. Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation Research Center, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ, 07052, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School, New Jersey, USA

    John DeLuca

  4. Independent Practice, 564 M.O.B. East, 100 E. Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood, PA, 19096, USA

    Bruce Caplan

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Mennemeier, M. (2011). Neglect Syndrome. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1384

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1384

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-79947-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79948-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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