Leftward Where Bias And Rightward Distraction In Chronic Neglect. (P7.293)

OBJECTIVE: We wished to learn whether 1) as previously reported, chronic right stroke-related spatial neglect is associated with leftward Where bias (Barrett & Burkholder, 2006), 2) visual distraction induces ipsilateral Where errors, and motor cuing induces ipsilateral Aiming errors (Garza et al., 2008). BACKGROUND: Spatial bias and spatial neglect may be associated with dysfunctional, asymmetric perceptual-attentional Where processing. However, spatial errors may also result from dysfunctional, asymmetric motor-intentional Aiming. DESIGN/METHODS: Chronic right stroke survivors with (N+, n = 10, mean age 63.4 yrs), and without spatial neglect (N-, n = 26, mean 53.8 yrs), and controls (AC, n = 40, mean 58.8 yrs) bisected 96 lines (based on Garza et al.,2008). We pseudo-randomized left/ right visual distraction, and left/ right motor cuing in near/far space. We calculated estimates of Where and Aiming bias from mean line bisection errors (in mm). RESULTS: We analyzed Where and Aiming spatial bias with separate multilevel model analyses, using subjects as the random effect and distractor (left, right, none) and motor cuing (left, right) as fixed effects (Goedert et al., 2013; Rabe-Hesketh & Skrondal, 2012). All groups made mean leftward Where errors, but N+ Where errors were of larger magnitude (group main effect , p = 0.03). Right distraction occurred only in N+ (group by distractor interaction, p =0.025) for Aiming, not Where bias. N- participants made left Aiming errors in near, not far space (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: We replicated previously reported, leftward Where bias in chronic neglect. Future longitudinal research can explore whether ipsilateral neglect caused rightward Aiming errors with right distraction, or whether occurs typically in contralesional neglect. N- participants demonstrated near, not far, asymmetric Aiming. Whether our findings relate to visuo-motor function in stroke /neglect (e.g. fall risk) requires further study. Study Supported by: NIDRR/NIH Disclosure: Dr. Barrett has received personal compensation for activities with WebMD. Dr. Barrett has received research support from Kessler Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Improvement, the Department of Education/NIDRR. Dr. Goedert has nothing to disclose. Dr. Oh-Park has nothing to disclose.