Visual-spatial Search in Patients with Neglect Syndrome: Developing and Validating a Diagnostic Technique

Background. In contemporary psychology, there are practically no diagnostic techniques that are sensitive to the severity of visual neglect as a function of the structure of the visual field and its loading with stimuli that take this structure into account. Objectives. The aim is to develop and approve a methodology that will enable the severity of manifestations of the neglect syndrome in the visual field to be analyzed, depending on its being structured and loaded with stimuli. Study Participants. The study involved 50 respondents aged 29 to 75 years (Mage = 58.5; SD = 18.82; 14 women), patients with neurological disorders of various etiologies of the right cerebral hemisphere, including 30 patients with neglect syndrome. Methods. The study was conducted using a comprehensive neuropsychological examination according to the scheme of A.R. Luria. This included an assessment of higher mental functions, the implementation of quantitative methods to evaluate neglect syndrome, and the utilization of the “Red Shapes” test. The test consists of three series, presented sequentially on a portable tablet. The series include a set of red-coloured geometric figures. The number of stimuli presented in the right half of the screen differs from series to series. Results. The “Red Shapes” test aimed at diagnosing the syndrome of neglect in the visual sphere has been developed. The psychometric properties of the test were evaluated. The scales demonstrated a satisfactory level of consistency with regard to the identified figures on the left and the time of search (Cronbach's α scores vary from 0.716 to 0.881). All test scales exhibited a non-normal distribution according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov criterion (p < 0.001), with the exception of the time scale in series 3 (p = 0.2). The correlations and descriptive statistics of the scales are presented. Conclusions. In order to investigate the syndrome of neglect in the visual sphere, a methodology is proposed which allows for the assessment of disorders in this sphere with varying degrees of structuredness and stimulus load in the visual field. The evidence obtained supports the reliability and validity of the methodology.