Spatial working memory deficit in unilateral neglect

Based on the similarity of brain areas lesioned in neglect and those activa ted by spatial working memory (WM) tasks in normals, we hypothesized that n eglect may involve spatial WM impairments. A left neglect patient with righ t inferior frontal and basal ganglia damage performed cancellation tasks, m aking either highly visible marks (to provide a reminder of visited items), or invisible marks (so only spatial WM could represent cancelled items). I nvisible marks led to repeated cancellations for targets that differed only in location, but not for targets with memorable unique identities, suggest ing a deficit of spatial WM, with non-spatial WM spared. Neglect was greate r for cancellation with invisible marks, consistent with a role for deficie nt spatial WM in cancellation deficits, but contrary to account solely in t erms of attention capture by salient visible marks made in ipsilesional spa ce. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.