Combined Optokinetic Stimulation and Cueing-based Reading Therapy to Treat Hemispatial Neglect Following Stroke
Combined Optokinetic Stimulation and Cueing-based Reading Therapy to Treat Hemispatial Neglect Following Stroke
Spatial neglect represents a common and severe cognitive disorder following unilateral
 (mostly right hemisphere) stroke. Patients are unaware of objects, persons and even own body
 parts in the (usually left) hemispace opposite to their brain lesion. While there is
 spontaneous remission in some patients, neglect symptoms persist in many stroke survivors
 which is associated with a poor functional outcome. Although different therapeutic approaches
 (including cognitive interventions, non-invasive brain stimulation and drugs) have been
 investigated in the last decades, an established therapy is still missing. Hence, there is a
 clear need for an effective and feasible intervention that can be applied in rehabilitation
 centers.

 This study is dedicated to assess the effect of a cognitive treatment consisting of combined
 optokinetic stimulation (OKS) and cueing-based reading therapy (READ) on hemispatial neglect
 and the neglect-related functional disability in right-hemisphere stroke patients. It will be
 a mono-centric, randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Using a crossover design with two
 arms, patients will either receive the intervention therapy (OKS-READ) first and subsequently
 the control treatment (neuropsychological training not targeting visuospatial attention) or
 they will start in the control arm and then switch to the intervention. Each treatment phase
 consists of 15 therapy sessions lasting 30 to 45 minutes. The outcome will be assessed at
 different time points, including established neuropsychological tests for spatial neglect and
 a clinical score of neglect-related functional disability.
see above
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  a first-time stroke in the right hemisphere (confirmed by cranial CT or MRI) within
 the last six months,

 -  a left-sided hemispatial neglect (as detected in at least one subtest of the
 neuropsychological test battery at screening),

 -  the ability to read and understand German language and

 -  the ability to give informed consent.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  dementia

 -  other structural brain lesions besides the unilateral stroke (e.g. multiple or
 bilateral stroke lesions, hydrocephalus, inflammatory lesions, etc.)

 -  low vision (corrected <0.7) due to ophthalmological diseases