Parietal Lobes and Attention

Angular Gyrus

The gyrus on the border of occipital lobe and parietal lobe which communicates with many regions including Wenicke’s area

Astereogosis

The inability to identify things with touch

Asomatognosia

The loss of awareness of ownership of a body part.

A person will swear that a body part does not belong to them (like the case of the man who fell out of bed)

Apraxia

The inability, in the absence of paralysis or other motor or sensory impairment, to make or copy voluntary movements, especially an inability to make proper use of an object.

Predominanly associated with left hemisphere damage.

Simultaneous Extinction

When two identical objects are presented at the same time and only the one on the right is perceived.

This occurs after damage to the right hemisphere of the parietal lobe, causing the patient to neglect the left side of space

Contralateral Neglect

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Neglect of part of the body or space contralateral to a lesion in the right hemisphere of the parietal lobe.

Also called neglect or hemineglect

Simulataneous Extinction

What is a clinical sign of neglect?

Balint’s Syndrome

A triad of optic ataxia, oculomotor apraxia, and simultagnosia.

Typically seen with bilateral parietal lobe lesions.

Optic Ataxia

The inability to accurately point to or reach for objects under visual guidance with an intact ability to do so when directed by sound or touch

Simultagnosia

An agnosia symptom in which a person is unable to percieve more than one object at a time.

Note: the objects do not have to be identical

Ocularmotor Apraxia

Difficulty directing their eye movements (saccades) to objects of interest

Adaptive Approach

Using strategies focusing on the patient’s strengths and abilities