Additional cognitive deficits, including impairments in spatial working memory and/or saccadic remapping processes, have recently been implicated in unilateral neglect – a neurological condition classically characterized as a disorder of attention. The interactions between saccadic remapping and three memory processes (position memory, object memory and object-location binding) were investigated in healthy young (n=27) and elderly (n=20) participants to establish a baseline of comparison for future use with neglect patients and to study the effects of aging on these processes. In a computerized task, participants were instructed to first detect a target, and then hold in memory either its position, identity or both over a delay period. Subsequently, participants were tested on their memory for that particular task. The saccadic remapping component was introduced at the onset of the delay period with the fixation cross shifting either to the left, or right, requiring participants to remap the visual array into either right or left space, or remaining in the centre of the screen (i.e., no remapping condition). In the position memory and object-location binding task, a consistent cost to memory performance was found when remapping right only for the young participants. Overall the elderly did not perform any of the tasks involving a position memory component as well as the young participants and showed spatial asymmetries in the target detection task. The lack of an effect of remapping in the elderly group may be due to a general decrement in performance. These results are discussed in terms of hemispheric asymmetries and cognitive theories of aging.

Additional cognitive deficits, including impairments in spatial working memory and/or saccadic remapping processes, have recently been implicated in unilateral neglect – a neurological condition classically characterized as a disorder of attention. The interactions between saccadic remapping and three memory processes (position memory, object memory and object-location binding) were investigated in healthy young (n=27) and elderly (n=20) participants to establish a baseline of comparison for future use with neglect patients and to study the effects of aging on these processes. In a computerized task, participants were instructed to first detect a target, and then hold in memory either its position, identity or both over a delay period. Subsequently, participants were tested on their memory for that particular task. The saccadic remapping component was introduced at the onset of the delay period with the fixation cross shifting either to the left, or right, requiring participants to remap the visual array into either right or left space, or remaining in the centre of the screen (i.e., no remapping condition). In the position memory and object-location binding task, a consistent cost to memory performance was found when remapping right only for the young participants. Overall the elderly did not perform any of the tasks involving a position memory component as well as the young participants and showed spatial asymmetries in the target detection task. The lack of an effect of remapping in the elderly group may be due to a general decrement in performance. These results are discussed in terms of hemispheric asymmetries and cognitive theories of aging.

Ignoravimo sindromas yra neuropsichologinis sutrikimas dėl kurio ligonis nereaguoja ar neatsako į stimulus iš priešingos nei pažeidimas pusės, dažniausiai jis atsiranda po galvos smegenų insulto. Šį sindromą turi nuo 10% iki 82% pacientų, persirgusių dešiniojo smegenų pusrutulio insultu. Ignoravimo sindromas dažniausiai atsiranda po dešiniojo galvos smegenų insulto, tačiau pasitaiko ir po kairiojo. Diplominio darbo tikslas yra įvertinti ignoravimo sindromo gydymo metodikų efektyvumą persirgusiems galvos smegenų infarktu. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Palyginti pacientų, turinčių ignoravimo sindromą, savarankiškumą prieš ir po ergoterapijos, abiejuose grupėse. 2. Palyginti ignoravimo sindromo gydymo metodikų įtaką savarankiškumui priklausomai nuo lyties. 3. Išsiaškinti kuri gydymo metodika yra efektyvesnė šalinant ignoravimo sindromą po galvos smegenų infarkto. Tyrimas atliktas Všį Kauno apskrities ligoninėje. Tirti 44 asmenys, iš jų 22 moterys ir 22 vyrai, patyrę dešiniojo galvos smegenų pusrutlio infarktą ir turintys ignoravimo sindromą, gydyti stacionare 2006m. rugsėjo mėn. – 2008m. Gegužės mėn. Ligoniai, kuriems pasireiškė ignoravimo sindromas, buvo suskirstyti į dvi grupes: pirmą – gydytų rankos aktyvavimo metodu ir antrą – gydytą dėmesio lavinomo metodika. Tyrime dalyvavę pacientai ergoterapeuto buvo testuojami reabilitacijos pradžioje ir pabaigoje naudojant: 1. Ignoravimo sindromo įvertinimo testus; 2. Funkcinio nepriklausomumo testą (FNT); 3. Protinės būklės mini... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Unilateral neglect (or "neglect") is a common behavioural syndrome in patients following stroke, it is characterized by the failure to report or respond to people or objects presented to the side opposite a brain lesion. The reported incidence of unilateral neglect varies widely from 10% to 82% following right – hemisphere stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of 2 approaches to reduce unilateral neglect in people who have had strokes. The tasks of this research was: to evaluate effectiveness of occupational therapy for patients with unilateral neglect (1), to investigate influence of the patients sex for effectiveness of occupational therapy (2), find out influence of neglect for functional independence of patients (3). Research was made at Všį Kauno apskrities ligoninė. Examined people with unilateral neglect after right side stroke of the brain. There were analyzed forty four patients. They were separated into two groups: first - who received limb activation and second - who received scanning treatment strategy. Methods. All patients before and after occupational therapy interventions were tested with these tests: 1. Unilateral neglect tests; 2. Functional independence measure (FIM); 3. Mini – mental test examination (MMSE). Conclusions: 1. After occupational therapy interventions, results of functional independence had increased in patients who had neglect (p<0, 05). 2. Effectiveness of unilateral neglect treatment is independent of patients... [to full text]