Impairment and Adaptation in Chronic Disabilities: Spatial Inattention

The phenomenon of spatial inattention has been measured quantitatively in persons with chronic brain dysfunction, and was observed as long as several years after the onset of the disorder. Differences due to side of lesion were found to be artifacts of sampling and of greater severity of deficits of testable, nondominant side subjects. Although visual field impairments were a significant factor, there were many cases of inattention and no apparent visual deficit. The amount of inattention was related to the total severity of all deficits, rather than to one specific dysfunction. It was also more pronounced in persons who where withdrawn or who denied their illness and impairments.