The Anatomy of Spatial Neglect in Humans

A wide range of both cortical and subcortical lesions may be associated with contralateral neglect in humans. The most frequent cortical correlate of human neglect is a retro-rolandic damage involving the right infero-posterior parietal regions, while frontal neglect is comparatively rare. As for right subcortical lesions, both thalamic and lenticular lesions may be associated with neglect, which is unlikely to occur when the brain damage is confined to the right subcortical white matter. However, a remarkable number of thalamic or lenticular lesions without signs of contralateral neglect has been recently reported. The relevance of these anatomical data to neurophysiological models of directed attention (and neglect) is discussed. Finally, the limited available anatomical evidence concerning neglect after left hemisphere damage is reviewed.