The treatment of visual neglect using feedback of eye movements: a pilot study

Abstract

Feedback of eye movements was evaluated as a treatment for visual neglect in right hemisphere stroke patients. Patients with visual neglect identified on the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT) were randomly allocated to two groups. One group (n = 9) was treated for 2 h 40 min a week for 4 weeks, by wearing glasses which provided a reminder bleep if patients failed to move their eyes to the left in a 15 s interval. The control group (n = 9) received no treatment for their visual inattention. Comparison of the groups after 4 weeks treatment and a further 4 weeks follow-up showed no significant difference either in eye movements or on the BIT. However, there was a trend towards a difference between eye movements in the two groups at 8 weeks, suggesting treatment may have influenced eye movements without changing neglect.