Constructional strategies on complex figure drawings after unilateral brain damage.

The strategy used in drawing a complex geometric design was compared in right-brain-damaged (RBD) and left-brain-damaged (LBD) stroke patients and normals. A record of the sequence of line segments used to copy the design was obtained. Normals drew elements of the figure as one unit, while LBD patients broke these elements into more than one unit. The unusual sequencing and fragmented, piecemeal approach of the LBD group was sometimes associated with a delay in attention to the right side, but did not necessarily lead to an impaired finished copy. As expected, the RBD distortions were more severe. It is concluded that an intact right hemisphere does not ensure a holistic approach to copying complex geometric figures.