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INTRODUCTION Bizzarre though its symptomatology might be, the syndrome of unilateral extrapersonal neglect affords unique insights into how the brain is organised. The disorder reflects a breakdown in those interactions between the cerebral hemispheres that control shifts of attention along the horizontal meridian of extrapersonal and personal space. Given the well-known conservatism that characterises the evolution of neural mechanisms, the manner in which the hemispheres interact in controlling attention may reflect how they interact more generally in the control of higher mental functions. This discussion reviews evidence for an opponent processor model, which differs in important ways from some currently popular accounts of the mechanism of neglect. After explaining some of the principles involved, I cite informal observations that favour the model, and then proceed to the major task of summarising the by now plentiful evidence from the experimental literature from which the orientational bias model gains powerful support.
Marcel Kinsbourne (Mon,) studied this question.