OVERT AND COVERT PROCESSING OF LEFT-SIDE INFORMATION IN UNILATERAL NEGLECT INVESTIGATED WITH CHIMERIC DRAWINGS

Overt and covert processing of contralesional information was investig ated in 6 right-brain-damaged (RED) patients with or without left hemi spatial neglect by using three bedside tests that require the analysis of whole, half, and chimeric drawings. In the first task, patients na med these stimuli. In the second task, patients designated as ''same'' or ''different'' drawings in a pair where one drawing was always whol e and the other could be whole, half, or chimeric. In the third task, patients pointed to the more veridical, complete drawing that was pres ented with one half drawing, and two chimeric drawings. Although patie nts with no neglect performed without error in all conditions, patient s with severe neglect based their performance on the analysis of the r ight side of the stimuli. In patients with mild neglect, not only did performance rely upon the right side of stimuli but it was also modula ted by left-side information acquired either overtly or unconsciously.