Preserved visuo-spatial transformations in representational neglect

Patients with representational unilateral neglect were impaired in immediate recall of novel material on the neglected side as presented (viewed and removed or verbally described) or following mental rotation. Transforming material from the neglected (left) side to the non-neglected (right) side resulted in no additional loss; patients were unimpaired in directing attention to the neglected side of their representation in order to perform the mental rotation. These findings cannot be explained by the widely adopted attention deficit hypothesis for representational neglect. It is suggested that the disorder arises from damage to temporary storage functions of visuo-spatial working memory. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.