SPATIAL BIAS IN VISUALLY-GUIDED REACHING AND BISECTION FOLLOWING RIGHT CEREBRAL STROKE

Groups of patients with left or right unilateral cerebral stroke were tested for their ability to reach either toward a single visual target or midway between 2 targets. The tasks were performed both in free vision and in conditions preventing visual feedback from the hand. It was found that only the right CVA patients were inaccurate in reaching, and only when visual feedback was absent. This effect of right hemisphere lesions took the form of a right ward bias, present throughout the trajectory of the hand during the reach. It was present regardless of the hand used in reaching and whichever of the two tasks was performed, and was of a similar magnitude irrespective of target location. It is suggested that this rightward bias might reflect the 'premotor' effects that have been proposed to contribute to line-bisection errors in certain patients with visuospatial neglect.