Rehabilitation of unilateral neglect in the acute recovery stage: The efficacy of limb activation therapy.

Unilateral neglect has been shown to dissociate into three areas of space: personal, peripersonal, and locomotor. Robertson, Hogg, and McMillan (1998) showed that movement of the contralesional limb (limb activation therapy) reduced neglect in a patient 18 months after brain injury. However, the beneficial effects of treatment were only maintained in peripersonal space. This study replicated and extended the work of Robertson et al. (1998) to evaluate limb activation therapy at a more acute stage of recovery. A single case ABABA design was used with a patient 8 weeks post-stroke. No significant overall treatment effect was observed. However, a significant effect of the first treatment phase was seen in peripersonal and locomotor space. This improvement was maintained in locomotor space, but not in peripersonal space. This study provides tentative support for the efficacy of limb activation therapy at an acute stage of recovery. However, more research is needed to strengthen this conclusion and clarify the generalisability of the observed effects.