The phenomenon of "neglect" refers to the fact that following damage to one side of the cerebral cortex, there is a failure to attend to the opposite side of the body and corresponding visual space. The sensory and motor deficits that result in neglect are poorly understood and have not been adequately localized to specific cortical regions. In this award, Dr. Mittleman will develop a model system for the separation of sensory from motor deficits as well as for determining the relative involvement of various cortical area in the phenomenon of neglect. This research will use behavioral paradigms involving the detection of visual stimuli either by lateralized or by unlateralized motor responses that enable a separation and quantification of sensory and motor factors in sensorimotor neglect produced by cortical damage. An important result of these studies will be the assessment of the relative contributions of individual ares of the cortex in sensorimotor neglect following cortical damage. This research will contribute fundamental knowledge about how the brain reacts to damage in specific areas.
