Sustained attention and awareness of disability in chronic neglect.

The possible causative role of defective sustained attention and awareness of disability on the persistence of neglect was explored. The study included stroke patients who had had moderate or severe neglect 1-5 years before the start of the present examination. Questionnaire responses showed that the patients were aware of their disability. Impaired sustained attention was associated with poor performance in two out of three tests most sensitive in detecting neglect. This, together with indications of compensation on neglect tests, is interpreted as providing support for the hypothesis that chronic neglect is related to an impaired sustained attention.