Gaze-contingent display technology can help to reduce the ipsilesional attention bias in hemispatial neglect following stroke.
Lisa Kunkel Genannt Bode, Anna Sophie Schulte, Björn Hauptmann and 3 others
PMID 36384816WHAT IT FOUND
Gaze-contingent masks shifted neglect patients' attention leftward.
However, this did not improve target detection in the neglected side and worsened reaction times on the right. The technology alters eye movements but does not yet fix functional neglect.
Key findings
01The strongest gaze-contingent modification significantly reduced the rightward fixation bias and increased leftward first saccades in patients.
02Despite shifting attention, the modifications did not improve target detection in the left hemispace and increased reaction times for targets on the right.
03Only six of nineteen patients showed a net functional benefit from the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was short-term and measured only immediate reactions to a visual mask, not long-term rehabilitation potential. The mask worsened performance on the right side, suggesting a trade-off that may not be clinically useful. The control group was significantly younger than the patient group. The intervention was a one-size-fits-all mask, which may not suit the varying severity of neglect in different patients.
Declared interests
Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein. No commercial conflicts declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that shifting a patient's gaze fixes their neglect. The study showed that while eye movements changed, the ability to find objects in the neglected space did not improve, and reaction times on the non-neglected side got worse.