VIDEO FEEDBACK IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH UNILATERAL NEGLECT

Objective: To compare the effects of a video procedure and a conventio nal verbal procedure in giving patients feedback on their neglect beha vior in a practical task. Design: Subjects in group A were trained wit h a video feedback procedure and subjects in group B with a convention al, verbal procedure. Three hours after the procedures, the subjects w ere tested with four different neglect tests to evaluate the effects o f training. Subjects: A consecutive series of 14 right-brain-damaged p atients with moderate to severe unilateral neglect (UN): 7 patients in group A and 7 in group B. Interventions: Subjects in group A were giv en the opportunity to see their performances on video, directly after the performance of the ''Baking Tray Task'' (BTT). They could see thei r neglected left side on the right side of the TV monitor. Subjects in group B were given verbal and visual guidance to see their results in the BTT. Main Outcome Measures: Line Cancellation Task, Figure Copyin g Task, Line Bisection, and BTT before and after procedures. Results: The video feedback group improved significantly in the BTT, as tested 3 hours after training (p < .02). Conventional training had no effect on the BTT or on the other neglect measures. In the video feedback gro up, no generalization effects from the videotaped BTT on other neglect tests were observed. Conclusion: Video feedback seems to be a useful technique in the rehabilitation of patients with unilateral neglect. ( C) 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Am erican Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.