Functional disability and rehabilitation outcome in right hemisphere damaged patients with and without unilateral spatial neglect

Objective: To evaluate the impact of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) on the rehabilitation outcome and long-term functioning in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) of right hemisphere damaged (RHD) stroke patients. Design: Assessments of sensory-motor and cognitive impairment and of functional disability were conducted upon admission to rehabilitation, upon discharge from the rehabilitation hospital, and 6 months after discharge, up to a year postonset. Setting: The Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, which receives patients from all general hospitals in Israel. Patients: Forty consecutive admissions of adult right-handed patients with a first, single, right hemispheric stroke proven by computed tomography. Based on their total score in the Behavioral Inattention Test for neglect, patients were divided into two groups: 19 with neglect (USN+) and 21 without neglect (USN-). Outcome Measures: Functional Independence Measure, for ADL; The Rabideau Kitchen Evaluation, for IADL. Results: Impairment and disability levels of RHD patients with and without USN were clearly differentiated. Neglect is associated with lower performance on measures of impairment (sensory-motor and cognitive), as well as on measures of disability in ADL and IADL. Differences were significant in all testing periods. The recovery pattern of USN+ patients is slower and more attenuated. In both groups, most improvement occurs in the first 5 months after onset. USN is the major predictor of rehabilitation outcome from admission to follow-up. Conclusions: The significance of neglect as a major source of stroke-related long-term disability justifies further research efforts to develop appropriate therapeutic modalities for this complex, multifactorial syndrome.