Hemispatial Neglect

Hemispatial neglect (also called hemineglect) is a condition that occurs after brain damage (from stroke or injury) in which sufferers cannot see one side of their field of vision. This is not an eye condition, patients have completely healthy vision systems. The problem is happening in the brain, most commonly after the right side of the brain is damaged and the left field of vision is absent (remember, the right side of the brain controls functions on the left side of the body). In extreme cases patients are completely unaware of people or objects in the obstructed field. Patients are commonly unaware of their condition because things seem normal to them. When asked to copy a drawing sufferers of hemispatial neglect will omit the parts of the drawing that are in the field of vision being obstructed.