May 2021 CME Activity Activity: How We Assess Spatial Neglect Matters-How We Assess Spatial Neglect Matters

Pdf Summary

Spatial neglect, the failure to attend to stimuli in the side opposite a brain lesion, is a common issue for stroke survivors and can contribute to poor rehabilitation outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and impact of spatial neglect on right hemisphere stroke patients in an inpatient rehabilitation facility using the Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), a behavioral measure of neglect. The study included 742 right hemisphere stroke patients and found that 86% of them had symptoms of spatial neglect as measured by the CBS. Moderate and severe neglect were associated with less functional improvement and lower rates of community discharge. The presence of neglect was not significantly associated with fall rates or length of hospital stay after controlling for admission functional independence measure (FIM) scores and age. The CBS item "difficulty looking left" had the strongest relationship with total CBS scores and effectively predicted FIM change per day and discharge destination. The study concluded that rates of spatial neglect are extremely high in right hemisphere stroke patients entering inpatient rehabilitation, and both identification and determination of neglect severity are important due to their significant relationship to rehabilitation outcomes and discharge destinations. The study highlights the need for accurate assessment and intervention for spatial neglect to improve rehabilitation outcomes for stroke patients.

Asset Subtitle

Prevalence of Spatial Neglect as Measured by the Catherine Bergego Scale and Impact on Rehabilitation Outcomes

Keywords

spatial neglect

stroke survivors

rehabilitation outcomes

right hemisphere stroke patients

Catherine Bergego Scale

prevalence

functional improvement

community discharge

fall rates

assessment