Development of a questionnaire for detecting everyday problems in stroke patients with unilateral visual neglect

Abstract

Unilateral Visual Neglect can affect everyday behaviours such as reading, but there have been few attempts at measuring subjective accounts of these difficulties. The present study reports on the reliability and validity of a questionnaire designed to detect the problems experienced by patients with visual neglect. Sixty-four right hemisphere lesioned stroke patients and 49 of their relatives completed a questionnaire concerning problems in everyday life. The neglect subjects did not report significantly more problems than the non-neglect subjects. However, on the relative's questionnaire, neglect subjects were seen as having significantly more difficulties. The most frequently reported problems were similar for both subject groups. Scores on the neglect questionnaire were correlated with performance on a star cancellation test, indicating the validity of the questionnaire. The possible application of this type of questionnaire is discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Heilman KM , Bowers D. , Valenstein E. , Watson RT Hemispace and hemispatial neglect. In: M Jeannerod ed, Neuropsychological and neurophysiological aspects of spatial neglect. The Netherlands: Elsevier Science Publishers, 1987: 115-50.

Friedland RP , Weinstein EA Hemi-inattention and hemisphere specialisation: introduction and historical review. In: EA Weinstein and RP Friedland eds, Advances in neurology vol 18. New York: Raven Press, 1977.

Keenan EA Unilateral neglect: a study of the relationship between performance in perceptual tasks and corresponding difficulties in the everyday lives of patients with right hemisphere damage [Dissertation, unpublished]. 1980.

Tate GW , Lynn JR Principles of quantitative perimetry. London: Grune and Stratton, 1977.

Wilson BA , Cockburn J. , Halligan P. The Behavioural Inattention Test. Thames Valley, 1987.

Siev E , Freishtat B eds. Perceptual dysfunction in the adult stroke patient. New Jersey: Slack, 1976.

Nouri FN , Lincoln NB An extended activities of daily living scale for stroke patients. Clinical Rehabilitation 1987; 1: 301-305.

Bennett AE , Ritchie K. The evaluation of a questionnaire. Questionnaire in medicine. A guide to their design and use. London: Oxford University Press, 1975: 28-37.

Youngman MB , Eggleston JF Constructing tests and scales. Youngman MB ed, Rediguide 10. Nottingham: Nottingham University School of Education, 1982.

10.

Mulley GP Practical management of stroke. London: Croom Helm, 1985.

11.

Bennett-Levy J. , Powell GE The Subjective Memory Questionnaire (SMQ). An investigation into the reporting of real life memory skills. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 1980; 21: 1-16.

12.

Broadbent DE , Cooper PE , Fitzgerald P. , Parkes KP The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and its correlates. Br J Clin Psychol 1982 ; 21: 1-16.

13.

Sunderland A. , Harris JE , Baddeley AD Do laboratory tests predict everyday memory? A neuropsychological study. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 1983; 22: 341-52.

14.

Lincoln NB , Tinson D. The relationship between subjective and objective memory impairment after stroke. Br J Clin Psychol 1989; 28: 61-65.

15.

Diller L. , Weinberg J. Hemi-inattention in rehabilitation. The evolution of a rational remediation programme. In: EA Weinstein and RP Friedland eds, Advances in Neurology vol 8. New York: Raven Press, 1977: 63-82.