Disorders of Attention Flashcards
What is VISUOSPATIAL ATTENTION?
selectively processing one physical location in space, excluding the others
Posner Cueing Task: comparing reactions when cue vs no cue to see visuospatial attention at particular location
KEY POINT: can point attention to particular locations & this may/may not be where our eyes our looking
what is CONTRALATERAL NEGLECT in terms of BEHAVIOUR?
- Egocentric Neglect: can get all elements on 1 side of paper
- Object-centred Neglect: can get elements but not left side of elements
what is CONTRALATERAL NEGLECT in terms of BRAIN DYSFUNCTION?
all injury in right hemisphere (lead to left-side neglect)
- inferior parietal lobe & temporo-parietal junction
- superior temporal gyrus
- ventral frontal cortex
*all involved spatial orienting
what is CONTRALATERAL NEGLECT in terms of RECOVERY?
- Allesthesia: mislocating stimulus, responding to stimuli on neglected side
- Simultaneous Extinction: respond to stimulus on neglected side UNLESS both side stimulated simultaneously (only notice ipsilateral - same side- stimulus)
what is BALINT’S SYNDROME in terms of BEHAVIOUR?
severe disruption of attention from large region of brain damage
what is BALINT’S SYNDROME in terms of BRAIN DYSFUNCTION?
bilateral damage to parieto-occipital lobes (stroke, some dementia, some trauma)
what is BALINT’S SYNDROME in terms of TREATMENT?
currently no standard treatment program
coping strategies can help but neurological change is difficult/impossible b/c of distribution of brain damage
What are the 3 features of Balint’s Syndrome?
- Oculomotor Apraxia
- Optic ataxia
- Simultanagnosia
what is oculomotor apraxia (balint’s syndrome)?
“sticky fixation” or “psychic paralysis of gaze”
due to damage to saccade-planning areas in parietal cortex
what is optic ataxia (balint’s syndrome)?
disorder of visually-guided reaching, especially with contralesional hand
likely due to damage in superior parietal lobe
what is simultanagnosia (balint’s syndrome)?
inability to perceive simultaneous objects/events in the visual field
constriction of the visual “window” of attention
what are 2 conditions that are also related to visuospatial attention near body?
- anxiety & claustrophobia (larger PPS)
- autism & schizophrenia (smaller PPS)
*PPS = peripersonal space = space around body prioritized by attention system
