Independent properties of normal hemispheric specialization predict some characteristics of visuo-spatial neglect.

We derive some predictions about the character of left visuo-spatial neglect from two independent characteristics of normal hemispheric specialization: the contralateral orientation bias of each hemisphere and the association of local and panoramic processing with the left and right hemispheres, respectively. The predictions are then tested in three sets of experiments that manipulate focal and panoramic attention in estimations of the midpoints of lines and outline squares. The results from one patient are consistent with the model and with previously reported data from the same patient (Halligan and Marshall, 1993a) on a different task (line cancellation).