Assessing chronic stroke survivors with aphasia sheds light on prevalence of spatial neglect.

The sample was a convenience sample from one community aphasia center, so the 12.5% neglect rate may not apply to other populations. 46 people were recruited, but 40 were analysed after exclusions and consent difficulties. The study was small and described as a pilot, so it could not confirm differences in mobility or independence. Three participants failed the consent comprehension quiz, likely because of severe comprehension deficits, so people with the most severe aphasia may be missing. The participants were active members of a community center, so they may have been more independent than many people with aphasia. The neglect assessment was done at the center, not at home, so missing personal items may have reduced observed neglect errors. The study did not assess instrumental activities such as cooking, driving, medication management, or reading work or financial material. The paper-and-pencil test may be hard to administer to people with aphasia because instructions can be difficult to understand without demonstration or visual support.

Do not conclude that left-brain stroke survivors with aphasia have no neglect because the paper-and-pencil test was negative; the observation-based test found five participants with mild neglect. Do not conclude that neglect caused lower mobility or independence; the group differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.16 and p = 0.13).