Perceptive variant of the unilateral neglect syndrome as a consequence of brain infarct - case report

We present a case of 66-year old male patient with history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus. The patient was admitted to the Department of Neurology Medical University of Bialystok because of an ischaemic lesion of the right cerebral hemisphere. Besides left-sided hemiparesis, symptoms of unilateral neglect syndrome were observed. Term "unilateral neglect" is used to describe specific behavioural disturbances. It can be defined as a failure to respond and turn towards stimuli present in the contralesional hemispace. The lesion is usually located in cortical and subcortical structures of the right cerebral hemisphere. Left-sided cerebral lesions are seldom observed. In our patient, symptoms of perceptive variant of unilateral neglect syndrome (without any motor features of neglect) were observed. Features of the syndrome noticed shown in visual, auditory and tactile modalities. Cases of perceptive variant of the unilateral neglect syndrome, in particular incomplete ones (limited to one or two sensory modalities), could be easily overlooked in medical practice. Authors emphasize an importance of correct diagnosis of the unilateral neglect syndrome and early introduction of rehabilitation in improvement of neurological condition.