Introduction: Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a disorder of contralesional space awareness which often follows unilateral brain lesion. Since USN impairs awareness of contralesional space/body and often of concomitant motor disorders, its presence represents a negative prognostic factor of functional recovery. Thus, the disorder needs to be carefully diagnosed and treated. Here, we attempted to present a clear and concise picture of current insights in the comprehension and rehabilitation of USN. Methods: We first provided an updated overview of USN clinical and neuroanatomical features and then highlighted recent progresses in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of the disease. In relation to USN rehabilitation, we conducted a MEDLINE literature research on three of the most promising interventions for USN rehabilitation: prismatic adaptation (PA), non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), and virtual reality (VR). The identified studies were classified according to the strength of their methods. Results: The last years have witnessed a relative decrement of interest in the study of neuropsychological disorders of spatial awareness in USN, but a relative increase in the study of potential interventions for its rehabilitation. Although optimal protocols still need to be defined, high-quality studies have demonstrated the efficacy of PA, TMS and tDCS interventions for the treatment of USN. In addition, preliminary investigations are suggesting the potentials of GVS and VR approaches for USN rehabilitation. Conclusion: Advancing neuropsychological and neuroscience tools to investigate USN pathophysiology is a necessary step to identify effective rehabilitation treatments and to foster our understanding of neurofunctional bases of spatial cognition in the healthy brain.

In recent decades, new virtual reality (VR)-based protocols have been proposed for the rehabilitation of Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN), a debilitating disorder of spatial awareness. However, it remains unclear which type of VR protocol and level of VR immersion can maximize the clinical benefits. To answer these questions, we conducted a systematic review of the use of VR for the rehabilitation of USN. Studies between 2000 and 2022 that met the inclusion criteria were classified according to their research design and degree of immersion (non-immersive, NIVR; semi-immersive, SIVR; immersive, IVR). A total of 375 studies were identified, of which 26 met the inclusion criteria. Improvements were found in 84.6% of the reviewed studies: 85.7% used NIVR, 100% used SIVR and 55.6% used IVR. However, only 42.3% of them included a control group and only 19.2% were randomized control trials (RCT). VR protocols may offer new opportunities for USN rehabilitation, although further RCTs are needed to validate their clinical efficacy.

Roberts DR, Ramsey D, Johnson K, Kola J, Ricci R, Hicks C, Borckardt JJ, Bloomberg JJ, Epstein C, George MS. Cerebral cortex plasticity after 90 days of bed rest: data from TMS and fMRI. Aviat Space Environ Med 2010; 81:30–40. Introduction: Microgravity animal models have demonstrated corticospinal plasticity; however, little is understood of its functional significance. In this pilot study, we explored corticospinal plasticity in a bed rest model. We hypothesized that the lack of weight bearing would induce cortical reorganization correlating with performance. Methods: Four subjects underwent functional MRI (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and functional mobility testing (FMT) before and after 90 d of bed rest. Recruitment curves (RC) were created by measuring motor evoked potentials over a range of TMS intensities with changes in the slope of the RC reflecting changes in corticospinal excitability. Results: Significant leg RC slope decreases were observed on post-bed rest day 1 (P1) (t(2805) = −4.14, P < 0.0001), P2 (t(2805) = −6.59, P < 0.0001), P3 (t(2805) = −6.15, P < 0.0001), P5 (t(2805) = −7.93, P < 0.0001), P8 (t(2805) = −3.30, P > 0.001), and P12 (t(2805)= −3.33, P = 0.0009), suggesting a group decrease in corticospinal excitability in the immediate post-bed rest period with recovery approaching baseline over the following 2 wk. Significant effects were observed for hand RC slopes only for P2 (t(2916) = 1.97, P = 0.049), P3 (t(2916) = −2.12, P = 0.034), and P12 (t(2916) = −2.19, P = 0.029); no significant effects were observed for days P0 (t(2916) = −1.32, ns), P1 (t(2916) = 1.00, ns), P5 (t(2916) = −0.21, ns), or P8 (t(2916) = −0.27, ns). fMRI showed no change in activation for the hand but an increase in activation post-bed rest for the leg. On an individual basis, a more heterogeneous response was found which showed a potential association with performance on FMT. Discussion: Results of this research include a better understanding of the cortical plasticity associated with leg disuse and may lead to applications in patient and astronaut rehabilitation.