Immediate effects of head-mounted display adaptation in cases of unilateral spatial neglect: study of straight-ahead pointing.
Taku Numao, Kazu Amimoto, Kyohei Ichikawa and 4 others
PMID 35400838WHAT IT FOUND
A head-mounted display that twisted the view in three directions moved straight-ahead pointing downward more than a view shifted only sideways.
Both moved left similarly, and neglect desk tests did not show clear improvement.
Key findings
01The three-axis condition produced a significantly larger downward shift in straight-ahead pointing than the control condition.
02The leftward shift in straight-ahead pointing was not significantly different between the three-axis and control conditions.
03The line bisection, line cancellation, and star cancellation tests did not show significant improvement after either condition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 15 patients were studied, and the sample included many mild cases and few severe cases, so the effect on desk tests may have been hard to detect. The intervention was a single session, so it cannot show whether repeated sessions would have a larger or lasting effect. The paper-and-pencil neglect tests did not improve significantly, so the study does not show functional or desk performance benefit. The head-mounted display was heavy and may have loaded the head and neck, possibly influencing the vertical pointing shift. The protocol used 10 degree deviations and 48 pointing movements, which may be less intense than some prism adaptation protocols. Some angle values in the results text and tables appear to be assigned to different conditions, so exact per-condition changes are hard to verify.
Declared interests
The research did not receive a specific grant from public, commercial, or not-for-profit funding agencies. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this head-mounted display adaptation improves everyday neglect or reduces falls. The study measured only immediate pointing changes in 15 patients, and the neglect desk tests did not show significant improvement.