Incidence and evolution of the hemineglect disorder in chronic patients with unilateral right brain damage.

One hundred four patients with a unilateral right hemispheric lesion, consecutively admitted to a rehabilitation clinic, were examined to evaluate: 1. the incidence of patients with severe hemineglect at least two months after the CVA; 2. the role of the length of time from the onset of disease in predicting the severity of the disorder. Estimates of the disorder varied according to the test used, ranging from 26.7% to 52.0%. On the basis of an overall clinical judgment, approximately 20% of patients had very severe hemineglect. Consistent with earlier findings, the severity of the disorder was unrelated to the duration of the disease when examined by means of correlational analyses. However, a subdivision of patients into subgroups according to the length of time from the onset of the disease showed a trend for a moderate reduction of the severity of the deficit starting from the 3-month subgroup for two tests (Barrage Test and Wundt-Jastrow Area Illusion Test).