The left side of the world — neglect after right stroke
| Patient | 68F, subacute phase |
|---|---|
| LesionRight MCA, inferior division | |
| Severity | NIHSS 8 |
| Days since onset | 11 |
| Before the strokeIndependent. Lives with husband; loves gardening. | |
| Also on the chart | Hyperlipidaemia |
| PrecautionsFall risk — impulsive, limited insight | |
Test yourself
What do you check first?
The teaching
The motor findings are the decoy in this case: 3+ to 4 strength and a shoulder that needs nothing. The treating problem is that the left half of space has gone quiet, she does not know it, and she is impulsive. Observe neglect in function, measure it with the Catherine Bergego Scale, train scanning anchored to real tasks with prism adaptation alongside, and turn the household from critics into a cueing environment.
- Extinction on double simultaneous stimulation was the bedside clue that formal neglect testing would be positive — a 20-second test that earned its keep.
- Impulsivity plus limited insight is the fall-risk combination. The supervision level goes in the handover, in writing.
- Gardening is the anchor for later scanning practice — meaningful tasks carry scanning further than cancellation sheets ever will.
Read next
The full sequence
This page carries the case’s first decision. The full sequence — every decision, the five-domain examination, and the debrief that grades you — is in the drill, and the library is included with membership.
Sources on this page: Azouvi P et al. Behavioral assessment of unilateral neglect: study of the psychometric properties of the Catherine Bergego Scale. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003;84(1):51–57. · Azouvi P et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003;84(1):51–57. · Winstein CJ et al. Stroke. 2016;47(6):e98–e169. Rossetti Y et al. Prism adaptation to a rightward optical deviation rehabilitates left hemispatial neglect. Nature. 1998;395:166–169. · Azouvi P et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003;84(1):51–57. Winstein CJ et al. Stroke. 2016.